Green Bay Packers: Ted Thompson’s top 30 draft picks of all-time

10. Mason Crosby (Ray’s pick)

When one thinks of the 18 free agents that have been on the clock for the Green Bay Packers this offseason, one may have been thinking about how important it has been for the Packers to re-sign James Starks or B.J. Raji or even Letroy Guion – but not that of the kicker, Mason Crosby.

But if there was as important a free agent that should be at or near the top of Ted Thompson‘s re-sign list, it’s was Crosby.

Though his hair is graying and he’s been a part of the Packers organization for nine years, Crosby, a sixth round selection in the draft way back when, has proven his worth.

This past season, was the last of the five-year, $15.75 million contract he was working under. Crosby’s annual salary was $2.95 million.

The Packers made the right move to re-sign him.

But is Crosby worth it?

Well, when you consider that in the past three years he has connected on 84 of the 98 attempts he’s booted, I’d say yes. That’s 85.7 percent, folks.

Those numbers were achieved following his disastrous 2012 season when he made just 63 percent of his kicks and everyone was ready to usher him out of Packers News.

Head coach Mike McCarthy stayed with Crosby through that terrible year and it paid off.

Though Green Bay brought in competition in 2013 to go against Crosby, he prevailed and didn’t look back.

And he did it the hard way.

The Packers restructured his contract so that he was making just $800,000 of his base salary, but because he was so good the following year, he earned every bit of it back through incentives.

What’s interesting is that Crosby had probably one bad kick this past year – the potential game-winner against Detroit that he hit as badly as any ball he’s kicked in his career in Green Bay.

But undaunted was Crosby. He picked himself up from that travesty and continued to nail kick after kick the entire year.

In the playoffs, he has kicked 20 straight field goals – an NFL record and what’s even more amazing is that Crosby has succeeded even though he plays in Green Bay.

You try kicking a rock hard football in December and January at Lambeau Field and see how you fare.

We all know what happened to Blair Walsh in the playoffs this year … and by the way, Walsh makes $3.25 million per year.

And at 32 years old, Crosby certainly has several years left in his leg.

We’re glad it will be in Green Bay.

He was 24-of-28 in field goals (85.7 percent) last year. He also made 4-of-5 from outside 50 yards. In addition, he connected on all of the 36 extra points and was one of only six kickers making them all in the first season of the 33-yard requirement.

Next: No. 10 (Freddie's pick)