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Kicker in focus

With free agency set to begin at midnight, John McClain of The Houston Chronicle offers his opinion on the Patriots’ decision not to place the franchise tag on kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Barring a last-minute deal, McClain feels Vinatieri will be the most valuable free agent on the market.

If Vinatieri signs with another club, the Patriots could be choosing a new kicker from a shallow pool of free-agent candidates which includes:

Matt Bryant -- Buccaneers
Jose Cortez – Colts
Paul Edinger -- Vikings
Ryan Longwell – Packers
Todd Peterson -- Falcons
Mike Vanderjagt -- Colts

There is also the possibility the Patriots could look to the draft – or a rookie free agent -- to fill a potential vacancy. Ohio State’s Josh Huston and Missouri State’s Jon Scifres were two of the kickers invited to the NFL Combine.