Good placekickers are hard to find

The Vikings have 19 unrestricted free agents this offseason. However, re-signing the majority of them (Hank Baskett? Greg Lewis? Pack your bags, boys.) is not very important.

There are a few free agents the Vikings do need to lock up. Linebacker Chad Greenway is one of them. Defensive ends Ray Edwards and Brian Robison and wide receiver Sidney Rice are some of the others.

And then there is placekicker Ryan Longwell.

I find it a bit odd that I’m not reading anything - except for this item – signaling the Vikings are concerned about losing Longwell. Perhaps that’s because Longwell had a very quiet year in 2010. He only attempted 18 field goals.

But that was a direct result of the Vikings pitiful offensive play in 2010. When they weren’t turning the ball over to their opponent, they struggled to string together enough first downs to get in position to at least allow Longwell to attempt a field goal.

Longwell still nailed 17 of the field goals he was asked to make.

That kind of accuracy has been the norm for Longwell since he signed with Minnesota in 2006. In his five seasons with the Vikings he’s made 113 of the 129 field goals he’s attempted. That is 87.6 percent of his kicks.

Longwell has also been money on what you would consider makeable field goals – attempts of less than 50 yards. On field goals in the 0-39 yard range, Longwell has made 94.9 percent of those kicks. On field goals in the 0-49 yard range – he’s made 90.4 percent of his kicks.

Basically, when Longwell has jogged on the field to attempt a field goal of less than 50 yards, and the vast majority of field goals that are attempted are less than 50 yards, nine times out of 10 he’s made them. That’s pretty good.

Because Longwell has done his job so well in Minnesota, it may seem like that kind of accuracy is normal. However, if you remember the state of the Vikings placekicking after Gary Anderson left the team following the 2002 season, its clear Longwell’s accuracy isn’t normal.

In 2003 Mike Tice tried to replace Anderson with Aaron Elling. But Elling was shaky and never gained anybody’s trust – not Tice’s, not the players and not the fans. He made 72 percent of his kicks in his one year as the Vikings placekicker. He was particularly suspect when called upon to kick a field goal of 40 yards or more – making only five of 10 kicks beyond 39 yards.

In 2004 Tice replaced Elling with 44-year-old Morten Andersen. Old Morten was much more accurate than Elling, making 81.8 percent of his field goals. Unfortunately, his range had been greatly diminished by father time. You were never sure any kick Andersen attempted over 40 yards would even make it to the crossbar. Tice even took to gambling on fourth and short if the Vikings were near the opponent’s 40-yard line rather than have Andersen attempt any field goals beyond 40 yards.

In 2005 Paul Edinger became the next guy the Vikings signed to provide stability to the placekicker position. He also failed.

Edinger made just 73.5 percent of the kicks he attempted. He was actually pretty good that year from 40 yards or more, making 11 of 15 kicks. The weird part was he really struggled with the easy kicks – the ones between 30-39 yards – making just three of eight attempts from that distance.

Then along came Longwell in 2006 and our placekicking problem was solved. Compared to how I felt about the Vikings kickers between 2003-2005, there’s a calm that now comes over me whenever Longwell kicks a field goal.

For example, when he had to kick a 54-yard field goal for the win at Soldier Field in 2007, I knew that was at the outer limits of his range. But I also knew he had made a lot of big kicks in his career. He made that one.

When he was asked to kick a last-second 50-yard field goal against the New York Giants in 2008 to win a divisional title and clinch the Vikings first playoff berth since 2004, I had no doubt Longwell would make it. He did.

And when Brett Favre was driving the Vikings for a potential 50-plus yard NFC Championship-winning field goal, I had no doubt ….ahh, let’s just forget that one.

Anyway, Longwell is headed for free agency, and the Vikings placekicking situation could get dicey without him.

There are some concerns with re-signing Longwell. He’ll be 37 when the 2011 season starts (if it starts) and his leg strength is not going to improve as he gets older. He also doesn’t get the ball deep on kickoffs and those kickoffs get shorter as the season wears on.

However, I think those are minor concerns. In the five seasons Longwell’s been a Viking, only one other kicker active during this period has made a higher percentage of his kicks – John Carney (88 percent). And there is no sign his performance is about to drop off a cliff.

I’m not sure how much money and how long a contract Longwell is looking for. I don’t even know if he’s interested in resigning with the Vikings.

But he’s probably got two or three very good years left in his leg and the Vikings have enough holes to fill on their roster this offseason. So if Longwell is open to resigning, I hope the Vikings are open to bringing him back.

Because I don’t want to lose that calm feeling I’ve had since 2006 when the Vikings attempt a field goal.