Free agent-to-be Nick Folk has been cleared to resume kicking after knee surgery last season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Folk had posted four straight seasons converting over 80 percent of his field goal attempts with the New York Jets before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason. Folk won the Buccaneers’ kicking job over Roberto Aguayo and Zach Hocker only to have issues himself during the regular season. He converted jut six of 11 field goal attempts and missed two of nine extra point tries in four games before being placed on injured reserve.
Exactly how much his knee injury hindered him last season in uncertain. However, his track record of previous success should at least warrant a chance to earn a job in a training camp this summer. He will be an unresticted free agent alongside other veterans such as Graham Gano, Adam Vinatieri, Sebastian Janikowski, Matt Bryant, Blair Walsh and Mike Nugent.