NFL Oakland Raiders

Could Oakland Raiders Replace Sebastian Janikowski With Giorgio Tavecchio?

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By @CressOnRaiders

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Getty Images

Let me preface this by saying that the Oakland Raiders signing kicker Giorgio Tavecchio could very well be a meaningless move to fill the 90-man roster heading into spring. At the same time, it could also mean quite a bit for veteran kicker Sebastian Janikowski.

Janikowski, the longest tenured Raider currently on the roster, has long been considered one of the best kickers in the NFL. However, this past season, he appeared to take a significant step backwards.

After watching his long-time partner, punter Shane Lechler, get the boot last offseason, Janikowski watched his impact diminish. The Raiders only called on him on 22 different occasions, during which he converted on 19. Although his success rate was above his career total, the Raiders shied away from calling on him in several situations that would have typically been his bread and butter.

With Tavecchio now in the fold, there’s a significant change the Raiders could be looking to cut ties with the 15-year NFL veteran.

Although Tavecchio has bounced around from team to team after going undrafted in 2012, he’s seen as a capable kicker who could potentially handle full-time duties in the NFL. He’s already spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, but has yet to see the field in regular season action. Tavecchio even spent a very short time with the Raiders last preseason after being claimed off of waivers from Detroit.

If the Raiders really are serious about making even more space under the salary cap, they could release Janikowski and save over $2 million in cap space while creating about $1 million in dead money. It’s not a completely necessary move considering they already have over $50 million to work with, but you can’t put moves like this past Mark Davis and Reggie McKenzie.

Then again, Tavecchio is a Cal product who could have just been the easiest, cheapest way to add another camp leg. It’s all speculation at this point, but it’ll be an interesting storyline to keep an eye on nonetheless.

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