With veteran kicker David Akers a free agent and subject to the transition tag, which may or may not be valid once the 2011 rules are put in place especially since the Eagles have applied the franchise tag to quarterback Mike Vick, the team is thinking about the future at the position.
And they’re sufficiently serious about it to use a fourth-round pick for Akers’ possible replacement.
Nebraska kicker Alex Henery was selected with the 20th pick in the opening round of day three of the draft, the 120th overall selection.
It’s the earliest a kicker has gone in the draft since Stephen Gostkowski in 2006. Rosenthal recalled that Gostkowski was pick 119. As it turns out, his Pat Patriot tattoo steered him horshoes-close to the target.
Gostkowski was the 118th pick five years ago, two spots before Henery in 2011.
To use that high of a pick on a kicker, it means that the new kicker will be the kicker, sooner rather than later.
It also means that Akers probably should have signed his transition tender. We suspect that the first order of business for the Eagles post-lockout will be to yank it.