Nugent has hold on kicking job
Veteran is more than a mentor as rookie is out for the season
ALAMEDA >> One of the best kickers ever is a free agent, and the Raiders’ starting kicker is out for the season.
Raiders special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia just so happened to coach that free agent the past five seasons.
Dan Bailey made 88.2 percent of his field goals in seven seasons for the Dallas Cowboys before they cut him last week, the second-highest mark in NFL history. Mike Nugent’s 81-percent clip isn’t too shabby, but there remains a dominant kicker without a job who’s familiar with the special teams coach of a team one might think could use him.
Yet asked Wednesday if the Raiders have considered bring-
ing Bailey in for a workout, Bisaccia left no doubt who he wants as his kicker.
“No, not really. He’s certainly a tremendous player and we have a deep history, but I think we feel real comfortable with Mike and the training camp that he’s had and the way in which he’s kicking right now,” Bisaccia said. “We’ll go in that direction.”
Nugent was signed after the Raiders cut incumbent starter Giorgio Tavecchio on Aug. 3. Coach Jon Gruden thought the special teams operation would run smoother if rookie holder Johnny
Townsend only had to hold for right-footers instead of the lefty Tavecchio every other day. From the outside, it looked as if Nugent was simply brought in to mentor Eddy Piñeiro, the rookie signed as an undrafted free agent and likely starter.
Now Nugent will kick for the Raiders this season after Piñeiro (groin) was placed on injured reserve before the initial 53-man roster came out, meaning he’s not eligible to return this season.
“I brought him in for a chance to compete against Eddy and to mentor Eddy at the same time, for Eddy to see what a routine looks like day in and day out, what a pro looks like who’s been through some trials and tribulations as a kicker and has overcome some adversity to get back on track and be a productive player,” Bisaccia said of Nugent.
“We brought him in to do both. I really thought he could come in and compete because I just had him last year in Dallas, so I know he still has a lot of thump in his kick. I still know that he’s very accurate. He’s an (81) percent kicker. That being said, I wanted him to be able to mentor Eddy as well and he could do that without worrying about competing for the job.”
Piñeiro injured his groin during training camp and left the last practice in Napa early. Bisaccia said the Raiders thought he would be out only two or three days. After three days of rest, Piñeiro kicked “really well,” Bisaccia said. Then the groin flared up again. The Raiders didn’t realize they would likely stash Piñeiro on IR for the season until shortly before the preseason finale in Seattle.
Now it’s Nugent’s turn, and he’ll trot out under the bright lights against one of the Super Bowl favorites in the season opener on Monday. Does Nugent feel he’s ready for Monday and to be the Raiders’ long-term kicker this season beyond that?
“Very comfortable,” Nugent said. “I’ve always said I want to play for 20 years and this is my 14th right now. It’s one of those things, as long as you work hard off the field, there are a lot of guys that would love to be in your position. I feel like I’m very privileged to be in this position, but I also think it’s something you have to earn. You have to be a consistent guy every day.”
Nugent made 11 of 13 field-goal attempts last season for the Cowboys and Chicago Bears but didn’t attempt a field goal of 50 yards or more. He made a 51-yarder this preseason and feels comfortable backing up into the high 50s on a perfect day. Field condition, wind, rain, venue, game scenario and whether the ball is on infield dirt or not all factor into how deep Nugent can go, but the point remains the veteran feels he has plenty leg left. He also has kicked on the infield dirt before joining the Raiders, when the Bengals visited Oakland in 2015.
The Raiders moved on from Sebastian Janikowski before last season in favor of Tavecchio. Then they cut Tavecchio. Then they thought they had their kicker of the future before he injured his groin. Now it’s a 36-year-old on his seventh team who didn’t look like the starter a couple of weeks ago.
“I feel good. He’s kicked the ball well since he’s been here,” Gruden said of Nugent. “He’s had a little bit of experience kicking off not only on our dirt, but all kinds of surfaces in this league. He’s done it for a long time. He gives us some mental stability and confidence at a position I think is critical.”
“He gives us some mental stability and confidence at a position I think is critical.” — Raiders coach Jon Gruden on veteran kicker Mike Nugent