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Patriots Work Out Quartet Of Kickers, Including Veteran Nick Folk

BOSTON (CBS) -- Just in case the need should once again arise this season, the Patriots are keeping tabs on free agent kickers. New England welcomed in four kickers on Tuesday, including 11-year veteran Nick Folk.

The Patriots worked out Folk, Greg Joseph, Austin MacGinnis and Giorgio Tavecchio, as well as punter Austin Rehkow, on Tuesday, according to NFL Network's Albert Breer. The Patriots currently have Mike Nugent as their replacement for the injured Stephen Gostkowski, and though he has struggled a bit in his two games with the Patriots, it doesn't look like his job is in jeopardy. Tuesday's workouts are more likely Bill Belichick keeping his kicker Rolodex updated should another emergency hit the position.

Folk is the biggest name among the four kickers. The 34-year-old last booted field goals in the NFL in 2017, making just six of his 11 attempts over a four-game span with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He most recently kicked in the AAF, making 12 of his 16 kicks.

Over his career with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and Bucs, Folk was an 80.3 percent kicker. His best season came in 2013 with the Jets, when he converted 33 of his 36 attempts.

Joseph was cut by the Cleveland Browns after the preseason. He went 17-for-20 for Cleveland in 2018, but missed four of his 29 extra point bids over 14 games.

MacGinnis also kicked in the AAF, hitting nine of his 11 field goals for the Memphis Express. He tried out for the Chicago Bears over the offseason, but did not make the team.

Tavecchio has some NFL experience, making 21 of his 26 field goal attempts in 19 games for the Oakland Raiders and Atlanta Falcons. He was a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals and 8-for-8 on extra points in three games for the Falcons last season, but was cut after a rough preseason that saw him miss five of his nine kicks.

Rehkow is interesting because he has experience as both a kicker and a punter during his collegiate career at Idaho. The workouts come after the Patriots released kicker Younghoe Koo from their practice squad on Tuesday.

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