Ryan Pace fielded a lot of questions regarding the kicker position ahead of the NFL scouting combine. While it may have gotten tedious at times, it had to be refreshing for him at the same time. When people are asking mostly about a kicker, it means the rest of the roster appears to be in pretty good shape. That said the Chicago Bears GM knows the importance of the position more than ever at this point.
How many times has poor kicking cost his team football games over the past four years? Last season was easily the worst with Cody Parkey. Amidst the 11 total field goals the veteran missed on the year, two of them would’ve won games. The first came in overtime against Miami, a win that in hindsight would have given the Bears a first round playoff bye.
Then, of course, there was his double doink against the Eagles in the wild card round. So when Pace was asked about what he’s looking for from his next kicker, he pinpointed two qualities he’s hoping to find.
Leg strength and mental toughness. There may also one other part of that equation though. That being cheap. The Bears are already paying Parkey to be somewhere else. Do they really want to spend more money on a veteran or a draft pick when they only have five this year? Maybe there’s another alternative.
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Roldan Alcobendas, the 2018 Fred Mitchell Award winner out of Eastern Washington, was perfect 16 for 16 on field goals this season and scored 119 points. https://t.co/rcA5De3RdR pic.twitter.com/RSyLErQ5XT
— Fred B. Mitchell (@kicker34) January 13, 2019
Roldan Alcobendas has a lot of traits the Chicago Bears would like
Almost nobody except hardcore college football nerds will know the name Roldan Alcobendas. He’s been the kicker at Eastern Washington for the past few years, having just completed his final season with the team. He certainly made it count, going a perfect 16-of-16 on field goal attempts with a long of 52 yards. So leg strength appears to be there in some capacity.
What people don’t know is how mentally tough the young man is. He suffered not one but two devastating knee injuries in 2013 and 2015. Injuries that could’ve ended his kicking career. Not only that, he almost wasn’t able to play in 2018 at all, needing permission from the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility. He made the most of the chance and now may have one at the NFL.
What’s more interesting is that Alcobendas comes from a region of the country that has produced good kickers in the past. Washington was the home state for former Pro Bowlers Jason Hanson and Jeff Jaegar. Not to mention Ryan Longwell who played 15 years in the league and Rian Lindell who played 14.
One thing about these types of kickers? They know how to deal with inclement weather. Longwell excelled in Green Bay, Lindell in Buffalo, and Jaegar had three decent years in Chicago. There is no way Alcobendas will be drafted. So the Bears should be able to secure him as a college free agent.
