Tag: Bears kicker competition

Chris Tabor sees a ‘bigger, stronger’ Eddy Pineiro in Bears training camp

Bears special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was impressed how kicker Eddy Pineiro bulked up this offseason.

It’s hard to believe that the start of training camp is the first time this year that Chicago Bears players are hitting the practice fields at Halas Hall. Considering the entirely virtual offseason, it’s been seven months since these coaches last saw most of these players.

So when special teams coordinator Chris Tabor saw Eddy Pineiro kicking Monday for the first time since the season finale last December, he was pleased that Pineiro had taken the team’s advice and bulked up to 187 pounds this offseason.

“I’m going to be honest with you, the first day we went out and kicked—I hadn’t seen him kick since the Minnesota game—you’re looking at a bigger, stronger Eddy Pineiro,” Tabor told reporters Thursday. “I was very impressed.

“He has put on the weight that we asked. He actually decreased his body fat and you can tell he is much stronger. When we went out and kicked, the ball is jumping off his foot really well.”

Pineiro put together a solid rookie season in 2019, where he connected on 23-of-28 field goals (82.1%) and 27-of-29 extra points. But there were also concerns, including Pineiro’s rough stretch where he went 3-of-7 on field goals and his noted struggles in the windy conditions of Soldier Field.

Which is one of the reasons why the Bears felt the need to bring in competition for Pineiro in undrafted free agent Ramiz Ahmed, who last kicked for Nevada in 2018.

“He knows that he has to produce,” Tabor said of Pineiro. “I know that he will because he’s just that type of guy. I know he’s done it. He had an opportunity where he didn’t get it done. Those things eat at him. But the good thing is he’s been in those situations and we’ve seen him come through. Now we want to see him take the next step.

“He’s learning how to handle the wind here much better. I’m real proud of him. But we still have a lot of work to do. There’s so much more growth. This player can really take off. I’m excited to watch.”

At this point, the kicker competition feels like Pineiro’s to lose. And if he can build off his solid rookie season, perhaps the Bears can finally find Robbie Gould’s worthy successor.

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Bears’ Eddy Pineiro feels the pressure heading into kicker competition

While Eddy Pineiro had a solid rookie season, the Bears brought in Ramiz Ahmed to challenge him for the starting job in training camp.

For the second straight year, the Chicago Bears will have a competition at kicker in training camp. Although, to be fair, this one won’t be quite the circus last offseason’s competition was.

Last year, Eddy Pineiro outlasted Elliott Fry in training camp and preseason to win the starting job. As a rookie, Pineiro had a solid season connecting on 23-of-28 field goals (82.1%) and 27-of-29 extra points. But Pineiro wasn’t without his faults. He had a rough stretch where he went 3-of-7 on field goals, including missing some important kicks.

Pineiro notes that his rookie season was a good learning experience that should benefit him heading into his sophomore campaign. Still, he understands that he needs to improve in certain areas.

“The first year with the Bears was a good learning experience,” Pineiro said on Bears All-Access. “I think there’s a lot of room for improvement. I think I can get better. And I’m hoping for another successful year this year. Hopefully I can get my percentage up a little bit. The biggest learning experience for me was kicking in a windy game and then going to a dome, that transition. I feel like I’ve matured a lot as a kicker and hopefully this year goes good for me.”

While Pineiro had a solid rookie season, the Bears brought in Ramiz Ahmed to challenge him for the starting job in training camp. Like Pineiro a year ago, Ahmed doesn’t have any NFL experience. He last kicked as a senior at Nevada, where he connected on 15 of 20 field goals (75%).

Pineiro should be the favorite to win the job again, but he does feel the pressure that comes with competition for a starting job. Luckily, he’s already proven that he can win a kicker competition.

“Obviously, there is pressure,” Pineiro said. “They brought in somebody to compete, so I’ve got to compete. I’ve got to win my job like everybody else. Everybody has to compete and win their job.”

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Kicker battle 2.0? Ryan Pace says there will be competition between Eddy Pineiro and Ramiz Ahmed

If you couldn’t get enough of last year’s kicking competition, Bears GM Ryan Pace has good news for you.

If you couldn’t get enough of last year’s kicking competition, Ryan Pace has good news for you.

During Pace’s pre-draft conference call with reporters, the Bears general manager revealed he expects an open competition between Pineiro and newly-signed kicker Ramiz Ahmed, according to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The news isn’t earth-shattering, considering Pineiro struggled at times during his first season in Chicago, converting 23of-28 field goals and 27-of-29 extra points. His low point of the season came on a missed game-winning kick against the Los Angeles Chargers that essentially derailed his season before he was able to find his footing (no pun intended) to finish the season strong.

Pace told reporters he still believes in Pineiro, but acknowledges the competition will be benefit both players.

“We see those guys competing,” Pace said. “We love Eddy and think his future’s very bright. But those two competing against each other is a really good thing.”

Ahmed, signed late last week, was brought in to push Pineiro in camp, but the stakes were raised when Pace signaled both would compete for the starting job. Ahmed last kicked in college as a member of the Nevada Wolf Pack in 2018. He made 15 of 20 field goals during his final season.

The competition, or kicker battle 2.0, is unlikely to replicate last year’s circus that saw nearly a dozen players compete to go to training camp. The competition came down to Pineiro and Elliott Fry, with Pineiro emerging as the winner. Barring any surprising developments, this year’s competition should be a bit more tame.

While all eyes will be glued to the heavily anticipated quarterback competition between Trubisky and newcomer Nick Foles, the battle between Ahmed and Pineiro will still be worth monitoring when the Bears begin training camp.

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4 things to know about new Bears K Ramiz Ahmed

The Bears brought in competition for kicker Eddy Pineiro, and he’ll battle for the starting spot with newbie Ramiz Ahmed.

Kicker is far from the biggest concern for the Chicago Bears this offseason, which depending on how you look at it, is a welcome change. Still, that hasn’t stopped general manager Ryan Pace from bringing in competition at all positions, including kicker.

The Bears signed former Nevada kicker Ramiz Ahmed to a one-year deal on Friday, where he’ll battle Eddy Pineiro for the starting kicker job.

Let’s get to know the Bears’ newest kicker:

1. He’s competition for kicker Eddy Pineiro

The addition of Ahmed signals competition for Pineiro, who had a decent rookie season. But don’t worry, this competition won’t be as extensive as last offseason. Ahmed doesn’t have professional experience — and he last kicked for Nevada as a senior in 2018 — but he’ll serve to challenge Pineiro.

The Bears are determined to utilize competition this season to get the best out of a roster that, after contributing to a 12-4 season in 2018, dropped in production with a 8-8 year in 2019. While Pineiro wasn’t without his struggles — he had a rough streak where he went 3-of-7 on field goals — he had an overall productive season, connecting on 23-of-28 (82.1%) of field goals.

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Bears have added competition for kicker Eddy Pineiro

The Bears appear to have a kicking competition on their hands with the addition of kicker Ramiz Ahmed to a one-year deal.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but the Chicago Bears appear to have a kicking competition on their hands.

But don’t worry, this competition shouldn’t look like the circus that happened last season when as many as eight kickers were battling for the starting job.

On Friday, the Bears announced that they’ve signed kicker Ramiz Ahmed to a one-year deal. Ahmed last played as a senior at Nevada, where he connected on 15-of-20 field goals in 2018. Ahmed figures to battle Pineiro for a roster spot.

In his rookie season with the Bears, Pineiro had a solid outing. Pineiro was 23-of-28 on the season (82.1%) on field goals, and he went 27-of-29 on extra points. But he had a rough slump in the middle of the season, where he went 3-of-7 on field goals, including missing some important kicks with game implications. But Pineiro ended the season on a positive note, connecting on his final 11 field goals of the season.

Competition appears to be the theme for the 2020 Bears. Prior to the NFL Scouting Combine, general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy discussed the importance of competition on this roster heading into 2020.

They proved as much with the addition of quarterback Nick Foles, who will battle it out for the starting job with Mitchell Trubisky. Now, we’re seeing the same thing at kicker.

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