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Ravens trade kicker Vedvik to Vikings for pick

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Ravens trade kicker Vedvik to Vikings for pick

2:28 PM ET

  • Jamison HensleyESPN Staff Writer

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    • University of Maryland graduate
    • Lives in the Baltimore area with his wife and son

The Ravens traded kicker Kaare Vedvik to the Vikings for an undisclosed draft pick, Baltimore announced Sunday.

A league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Baltimore will receive a 2020 fifth-round draft pick from Minnesota.

The trade is contingent on Vedvik passing a physical for the Vikings, the Ravens said.

Vedvik, a native of Norway, was 12-of-13 on field goals in the preseason the past two years for Baltimore after being signed as an undrafted kicker in 2018.

In Thursday’s preseason opener, Vedvik increased his value by making all four of his field goals, including a 55-yarder, and had two punts over 50 yards.

“I’m really fired up for Kaare. He deserves it after everything he’s been through. What an opportunity for him,” Ravens special-teams coach Chris Horton said Sunday.

The trade creates a competition not only at kicker, but possibly at punter in Minnesota. Dan Bailey, the Vikings’ incumbent kicker who was signed after rookie Daniel Carlson was released following three missed field goals at Green Bay in Week 2 last season, has yet to have a perfect practice in training camp.

On Wednesday, during the Vikings’ final practice before their preseason opener in New Orleans, Bailey went 3-for-6 on field goals. Against the Saints, Bailey did not attempt a field goal but made all four of his point-after attempts.

The Vikings used a seventh-round pick on former Air Force long-snapper Austin Cutting in April, thus creating a competition at the position with veteran Kevin McDermott. Minnesota has also used several holders in camp, situationally, instead of punter Matt Wile.

Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer noted some of the issues the entire kicking battery has had to work through during the first two weeks of training camp, and it pertains to the ups and downs Bailey has encountered.

“Honestly, I really like Dan Bailey,” Zimmer said. “I think he’s a very professional, mature kid. We’ve been having some issues with the snap, hold, kick kind of thing. Having two long-snappers, I think that’s adding to it a little bit because the timing’s different. The holding we’re working on quite a bit, but I like Dan.”

Four teams recently inquired about Vedvik, a source told Schefter earlier Sunday. Vedvik had made about 90% of his kicks in this year’s training camp but missed a 33-yard field goal on Saturday.

In the middle of Sunday’s practice, general manager Eric DeCosta spoke to coach John Harbaugh and assistant special-teams coach Randy Brown for a long time. Vedvik then left the field around 2 p.m.

Vedvik would’ve been traded last season, but he was assaulted in East Baltimore before the Ravens could deal him to another team. He was hospitalized in September after being found alone with multiple facial injuries. Vedvik, who had originally gone out with teammates that night, told the Ravens that he didn’t remember how he ended up at the location where he was found. The Ravens placed Vedvik on the non-football-injury list, which began his yearlong comeback. Baltimore had the luxury to trade Vedvik because it has Justin Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history.

The Ravens have a history of being a special-teams pipeline. Three current kickers — the New Orleans SaintsWil Lutz, Carolina PanthersGraham Gano and Buffalo BillsStephen Hauschka — all got their starts in Baltimore. Former special-teams coach Jerry Rosburg, who retired in June, had an eye for discovering kickers, and Brown has expertise in developing talent.

ESPN’s Courtney Cronin contributed to this report.

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