Kaare Vedvik practiced with the Vikings for the first time on Monday and reports from the session had him hitting field goals of 55 yards and longer with fans cheering on the makes.
Vedvik isn’t just a placekicker, however. He did the punting at Marshall for his final two seasons in college and only added kicking duties during his senior year. Vedvik was kicking with the Ravens before Sunday’s trade, but called himself “an athlete” capable of doing both.
Head coach Mike Zimmer said that Vedvik could do both jobs if he proved to be good enough, but suggested that wasn’t a likely outcome for the 2019 season.
“It’s probably difficult for a rookie, I would think,” Zimmer said, via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “You’ve got a rookie snapper, and then you’d have a rookie kicker and rookie punter. Then you’d have to find somebody to hold.”
The Vikings had kicker Dan Bailey and punter Matt Wile on hand before the trade for Vedvik. Both remain on the roster, although Wile was limited in practice Monday because he has a cut on his hand. Zimmer said he plans to evaluate the overall kicking picture this week and then decide if another week is needed before making final choices.