The Raiders nearly drafted kicker Eddy Piñiro in 2018. The University of Florida product showed a strong, accurate leg during his time in the SEC, and he was ultimately given a hefty bonus to sign as an undrafted free agent and succeed longtime kicker Sebastian Janikowski.
The job was essentially his until a groin injury late in training camp took Piñeiro out for the entire 2018 season.
The Raiders cycled through kickers and eventually struck gold with Daniel Carlson, who set a franchise record for field goal percentage in a single season.
While Piñeiro was still on the roster, Carlson already had won the job. Barring injury, there wasn't a real chance Pineiro would make it this fall, so the Raiders moved him to Chicago on Monday.
Piñeiro was traded to the Bears for a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick, ESPN reported, though compensation is only earned if Piñeiro is on Chicago's active roster for five games.
The Bears have major kicking issues. Their championship hopes were dashed by Cody Parkey's late miss in the NFC Wild Card Round and he was eventually let go. They didn't sign an established kicker, and Piñeiro is now in a three-man mix to win the Bears job.
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Carlson has added stability to the Raiders' kicking job since signing with the team on Oct. 23. He was drafted by Minnesota in 2018, but he was cut after two weeks of struggles. He was awesome for the Raiders, and he could be a long-term solution at an important spot. Carlson will play the 2019 season on an exclusive-rights tender.
