Kicker Giorgio Tavecchio Signed By Raiders
Earlier this week, the Oakland Raiders announced their signing of kicker Giorgio Tavecchio. If the name sounds familiar to Raiders’ fans, it should, as he spent a brief amount of time with the team in the 2014 preseason.
The Italian-born Tavecchio has made his rounds in the Bay Area. He attended the University of California, Berkeley from 2008 to 2011, and played in 46 games for the Golden Bears. During his career, he racked up 256 points, good for fifth on the school’s all-time scoring list, and fourth among kickers. He made 48 of his 64 field goal attempts, good for 75 percent. 2011, his senior year, was his best season, as he made 20 out of 23 attempts, making 87 percent.
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Following his graduation, Tavecchio signed on with his first professional Bay Area team, the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. In the preseason, he attempted just one kick, nailing it from 29 yards. David Akers was the expensive starter, and Tavecchio was unable to stick with the team as a result, being cut before the season began.
In 2013, Tavecchio spent camp with the Green Bay Packers, and was called on for two field goal attempts, making one from 38. Again, he was unable to stick, and cut before the season.
To start 2014, he signed on with the Detroit Lions. He attempted two field goals with Detroit, making one from 25 yards out.
Aug 17, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Green Bay Packers kicker Giorgio Tavecchio (7) kicks a 38 yard field goal against the St. Louis Rams during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
After the Lions waived him, the Raiders claimed Tavecchio to fill in for Sebastian Janikowski, who was dealing with hamstring issues. In the final preseason game of 2014, Tavecchio attempted two kicks for the Raiders, making both from 47 yards deep. After that game, Tavecchio was cut, leaving him searching for a job for the third season in a row.
For his NFL preseason career, Tavecchio has made five out of seven attempts (71%), with the 47-yarders from 2014 being the longest.
This could be nothing more than the typical “camp leg,” a kicker signed just to add another leg during training camp and the preseason. But this is very early for a team to bring in an extra kicker. Most teams won’t sign the camp leg usually until May, so maybe the Raiders really like Tavecchio, and didn’t want another team to snag him up. They did send out a personalized welcome tweet for him when he signed. In the digital age, that seems like a lot for just another camp body.
Janikowski is due to receive $3.6 million in 2015, making him one of the 10 most expensive Raiders. “Seabass” attempted just 22 field goals last season, marking the lowest total of his career. He did make 19 of those attempts, good for 86 percent, really bouncing back after struggling in 2013 with a new holder.
But there were still points last season when Janikowski was kept off the field, despite being well within his range for an attempt. Understandably, the big lefty was not happy about that. Maybe there’s a little animosity between the big kicker and the front office.
Maybe I’m reading too much into this. But that’s what the offseason does to us, forces us to analyze everything in excruciating detail. If Tavecchio can make another really good impression this upcoming camp and preseason, who knows what could happen?