WATCH: Three free-agent kickers the New York Jets should keep tabs on

The Jets claimed Kaare Vedvik off waivers on Sunday afternoon, but there are some free agent kickers they should still keep an eye on.

The New York Jets’ kicking woes have been well-documented this preseason and despite their best efforts to remedy the situation, the team will head into the 2019 season with a huge question mark at kicker. 

Gang Green claimed former Minnesota Vikings kicker Kaare Vedvik off waivers Sunday afternoon and released Taylor Bertolet in a corresponding roster move. However, it’s foolishly optimistic to believe that Vedvik is the kicker the Jets need.

The Jets claimed K/P Kaare Vedvik on waivers from the Vikings, source confirms. He bombed in his two-week run with the Vikes, who gave up a a fifth-round pick for him. #Jets had been interested in trading for him. Now they have him.

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) September 1, 2019

The Vikings traded a 2020 fifth-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for Vedvik earlier in the preseason and he failed to impress; so much so that Minnesota was willing to take a loss by cutting him instead of recouping anything they could for the 25-year-old.

Clearly, that doesn’t bode well for Vedvik and if he fails to meet expectations in the Big Apple, the Jets will be right back where they left off. However, there are still a few free-agent kickers that, if still available later on, could be worth signing. 

Chase McLaughlin

McLaughlin is the only rookie on this list, but he may have a bright future ahead of him if his preseason is any indication. A former walk-on at Illinois, the 23-year-old impressed with the Buffalo Bills, nailing every one of his extra-point attempts (5-for-5) while going a perfect 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts, including a 54-yarder in Buffalo’s preseason finale. 

Maintaining a perfect field goal percentage throughout a 16-game slate is unlikely, but early returns definitely indicate that McLaughlin has the makings of the consistent kicker the Jets need.

Blair Walsh 

It’s incredible to see how far he’s fallen ever since his infamous chip-shot miss against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2016 playoffs, but Blair Walsh has the potential to be one of the league’s more consistent kickers - If he can get out of his own head, that is. 

The 29-year-old has successfully converted at least 86 percent of his field-goal attempts in three of his six NFL seasons (2012, 2013 and 2015) and has nailed 95.1 percent of his career point-after attempts. 

Additionally, Walsh is arguably the most decorated kicker available, having a First-Team All-Pro selection (2012) and several NFL records to his name.

Jets looking at kicker options, including Cody Parkey https://t.co/mKSjd3XkVU

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 31, 2019

Cody Parkey

Parkey nailed just 76.7 percent (23-of-30) of his field-goal attempts with the Chicago Bears in 2018 and will likely go down in postseason infamy after his "double doink" miss against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

However, the 27-year-old kicker has shown that he’s capable of rocksteady production in the past. Parkey has converted at least 88 percent of his field-goal attempts in two of his five professional seasons (2014 and 2017), has a Pro Bowl selection on his resume (2014), and has gone 7-of-9 from 50-plus in his career. 

Clearly, the potential is there for Parkey, it’s just a matter of putting it together. 

Vedvik could be the cure-all that Gang Green is looking for at kicker, but it never hurts to keep an eye on the free-agent market just in case he doesn’t establish himself. If that’s the case, one of the above-mentioned kickers should be a viable replacement. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.