4 free-agent kickers the Panthers should target for camp competition

Dan Bailey

Now it’s hard to look at Dan Bailey’s production for the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 with any great confidence, it’s easy to forget the form he was in during the 2019 campaign that earned the player a lucrative extension with Mike Zimmer’s men.

Bailey looked to be the answer to Minnesota’s prayers when it came to their ongoing kicking woes in 2019. He made 93.1 percent of his field-goal attempts and was 90.9% successful on his extra points.

However, what came the following season was not what Bailey or the Vikings had in mind. The former Oklahoma State prospect saw his field-goal percentage plummet to a career-low 68.2, which was a constant source of frustration for Minnesota and one that eventually saw the player cut this offseason.

Whether the Carolina Panthers are willing to give Bailey the benefit of the doubt and sign him for training camp is up for debate. He is a Pro Bowler whose field-goal career success stands at 85.9 percent, which is arguably better than anyone on the free-agent market currently.

There is little doubt that Bailey will be going to his next destination with a big point to prove, which has worked in his favor before after he was let go by the Dallas Cowboys. Carolina could do far worse, of that, there is little doubt. But only time will tell as to whether his confidence is past the point of no return.