49ers: Who is San Francisco kicker Robbie Gould?

Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series on San Francisco 49ers players in 2017 continues with an offseason evaluation of free-agent pickup, kicker Robbie Gould.

The San Francisco 49ers said goodbye to veteran kicker Phil Dawson this offseason and welcomed free-agent acquisition Robbie Gould instead.

Gould, 34 years old, spent last season with the New York Giants and 11 years with the Chicago Bears before that.

The Bears signed Gould early during the 2005 season, and he went on to be both a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro the following season after leading the NFL with 32 made field goals.

San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

Over his career, Gould owns an 85.9 field-goal percentage and has converted 98.3 of his extra-point attempts.

Now with the Niners, Gould will hope to maintain the same level of effectiveness he had over what has been a solid career thus far.

So what should we expect out of him this season?

Why He’ll Improve

Gould saw limited action — only 10 games — in 2016, as the Giants started the season with kicker Josh Brown. But Brown’s off-the-field incidents forced New York to make a move, and Gould ended up being the guy signed.

As a result, Gould made only 10 field goals last year and had just an 87 percent field-goal percentage — the lowest of his career.

We should expect Gould’s numbers to be much higher with the Niners this season. He’ll get all the chances, barring injury, and should emulate the kind of stats the veteran posted earlier in his career.

And with San Francisco’s offense a bit of a question mark, Gould should have his chances.

Why He’ll Regress

This might be reaching, but Gould’s field-goal percentage against the NFC West (79.5) is the lowest of any division he’s faced.

And Gould has had a good number here — 39 attempts, in which he’s made 31 tries.

Who knows if this trend continues. It could be one of those weird anomalies that don’t exactly have a clear-cut explanation.

Regardless, the Niners don’t want Gould to be a liability when drives end up short of the end zone.

What to Expect in 2017

It’s possible San Francisco keeps punter Bradley Pinion as the team’s kickoff specialist this season, relegating Gould to just field-goal and extra-point duties.

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That’s fine, especially considering his age.

Gould’s acquisition would be considered a success if he ranged somewhere in the 85 percent-conversion rate or above and is above 90 percent in field-goal conversions.

Kickers don’t get a lot of love, unless they hit on a game-winning field goal. So maybe Gould’s leg can ensure the Niners wind up taking home some close games over the course of 2017.

Next: 5 players the 49ers may try to trade this offseason

And if Gould winds up being a solid special teams weapon for the red and gold this season, it’s all the better.

San Francisco 49ers: Who is kicker Robbie Gould?

By Peter Panacy | May 31, 2017