Teams with any concerns about their kicker are paying close attention to the Baltimore Ravens this summer.
Kaare Vedvik is not in camp with the team to compete with All-Pro Justin Tucker, something head coach Jim Harbaugh made known in March. Instead, he’s at Owings Mills working out each day to audition for the other 31 teams in the NFL.
Vedvik made the most of his moment Thursday when the Ravens defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, connecting on 4 of 4 field-goal attempts, including a 55-yarder. He nailed a 56-yarder for the Ravens last August.
“I don’t really ever think about that,” Vedvik said of attracting trade interest. “I’m focused on playing the game. That’s it. Teams that are interested, they talk to coach, the head honcho. I’m just going to play the game.”
Harbaugh said during the offseason the goal for the Ravens would be to see Vedvik play well enough to be traded. Even though he can handle kicks and punts — he averaged 55 yards on two punts Thursday — the Ravens are all square at those positions. Some Ravens coaches think current punter Sam Koch is one of the top athletes on the team, which is to say, he’s not going anywhere.
Vedvik just might be.
Then again, that was the assumption last summer, when he performed well in preseason games but was assaulted in Baltimore and hospitalized in September.
