The San Francisco 49ers made their first big move of the offseason by re-signing kicker Eddy Pineiro to a four-year contract extension. The move provides stability to a position that badly needed it after the roller coaster nature of the Jake Moody era, but the Niners could have saved a lot of money by reuniting with a different kicker.
Matt Gay, a guy whom the 49ers signed last season when Pineiro injured his hamstring, filled in nicely in the few games he played with San Francisco.
He also would have come at a much cheaper price than the $17 million that the Niners gave to Pineiro.
With the 49ers last season, Gay made all four field goals he attempted and made all three extra points. The only reason the Niners were able to sign him, though, was because he was struggling with the Washington Commanders and was released after he missed two field goals in a game overseas.
He made just 13 of his 19 field-goal attempts with Washington, so it wasn't the best year for Gay. He has made a Pro Bowl in the past with the Los Angeles Rams and was solid in his time with the Indianapolis Colts, however, so he is a proven veteran kicker.
While Pineiro has a higher made field-goal percentage, Gay does have a higher made extra-point percentage in his career. For whatever reason, Pineiro has struggled with extra-points in his career.
Maybe the Niners could have brought Gay back on a cheaper one-year deal. That way, they could have saved some money to apply it to different roster needs.
Of course, they'd be taking a risk since it is undeniable that Pineiro provided a lot of stability to the kicker position last season. After the team got rid of Moody after an awful Week 1 performance, Pineiro came in and was excellent. He only missed one field-goal attempt all year, and it just felt like he was always going to make his kicks, which is a feeling 49ers fans haven't felt since Robbie Gould.
Pineiro also brought a unique swagger and energy to the table that is not usually seen from kickers.
For those reasons, it may end up being the right decision to keep Eddy P. around for a while.
But, if he struggles and that contract ends up looking like a mistake, the 49ers may wish they had decided to reunite with a different kicker this offseason.