Colts 2016 player preview: Kicker Adam Vinatieri

The Indianapolis Colts will report to training camp on July 26 with their 90-man roster, which will be cut down to 53 players by the end of the preseason.  To pass the time until camp, we're taking a look at every player on the Colts' 90-man roster.  Today, we're looking at kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Who is he?

Like our look yesterday at Pat McAfee, this one is pretty easy.  Adam Vinatieri enters his eleventh season as the kicker for the Colts and is continuing his Hall of Fame career at 43 years old.  He's the oldest player in the NFL, but don't let that fool you: Vinatieri's still as good as ever.  He's just a year removed from a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro campaign in 2014, and over the past two seasons he has been the most accurate kicker in football (converting 94.8% of field goal attempts).  In 2013, he made a career high 35 field goals (on a career high 40 attempts); in 2014 he made his first 30 kicks of the year before missing his final one; and in 2015 he made his final 25 field goals after two early-season misses.  In his twenty year career, Vinatieri has hit 503 of 598 field goals (84.1%), and he's in the top three in NFL history in career field goals made and points scored.  The 2016 season will be his eleventh in Indianapolis (he spent ten in New England), and he has hit 86.6% of kicks during his time with the Colts.  Vinatieri is still one of the best kickers in football, despite his age.

What is his role?

Once again, this one is easy: Adam Vinatieri is the Colts' kicker.  There's zero doubt about it, and when the game is on the line you can always count on Mr. Clutch to come through.  He's been incredibly good recently and has shown no signs of wearing down, so he'll continue to be the Colts' kicker for the time being.  That's a good thing for the franchise as well, as he's still among the best at his job in the league.

What are his chances?

He's a lock for the roster this year.  The only thing up for debate is his future Hall of Fame candidacy, and even then that seems pretty obvious too.