CINCINNATI -- Free agency is right around the corner for the Cincinnati Bengals, who have 15 players with contracts that expire in March.
Of the 15, 13 are unrestricted free agents and two are restricted free agents. To help you understand the decisions the Bengals must make, we're taking a daily look at the respective free agents and the reasons why they will or won't be re-signed.
Click here to see the other free-agency breakdowns.
We conclude with kicker Mike Nugent:
Year signed: 2013
Length of previous deal: Two years
2014 cap value: $1,400,000
2014 role: Kicker.
Why he will be re-signed: As we've mentioned often enough this offseason, the Bengals' front office values loyalty and likes to retain players and staff it feels it can trust. That's among the reasons head coach Marvin Lewis has continued to survive after all these years of stagnant postseason play. It's the same reason Domata Peko was re-signed last offseason and why Rey Maualuga has a good shot of coming back this one. Although he wasn't a Bengals' draftee, it's still safe to lump Nugent into that same boat. A Southwest Ohio native who has spent the past five seasons with the Bengals, Nugent is one of the few "local" players who gives the team part of its down-home charm. Certainly, he has compelling reasons for wanting to be re-signed.
Although he had one big missed field goal that loomed over the season with his end-of-overtime hook against Carolina, Nugent also had his share of clutch makes in 2014. His 57-yarder in the playoff loss at Indianapolis was the second-longest make in franchise history. Another reason the Bengals could re-sign Nugent to a short one- or two-year deal is because between unrestricted free agency and the draft, there are few legitimate and cost-effective options of players to replace him this year. Next year, though, Florida State's Lou Groza Award-winning kicker Roberto Aguayo will be draft-eligible. The year after, West Virginia's All-America kicker Josh Lambert could be an option, too.
Why he won't be re-signed: At 32, age isn't much of an issue for Nugent -- because of the comparative lack of consistent punishment their bodies take, kickers age a little more slowly than most other positions in the NFL -- but the Bengals may begin using that as a basis of searching for a replacement the next time Nugent becomes a free agent. That's assuming he gets re-signed this time. The only truly compelling reason the Bengals have for letting Nugent sign elsewhere is if they really are bothered by his problems kicking field goals from beyond 50 yards. He's 10-for-24 in his career from that distance. Excluding the playoff make, he was 0-for-3 from that far this past regular season. His completion percentage also has declined each season since 2011, reaching the lowest point of his Bengals' tenure this year when he made just 78.8 percent of his attempts. The Bengals don't appear too terribly troubled by that, though. Lewis has mentioned often in the past year how much he still trusts Nugent's ability.