Veteran kickers
Tony Wolters Jersey Randy Bullock and Zane Gonzalez battledfor the Lions' starting kicker job during the 2021 preseason.Ultimately, neither was able to emerge with the victory in the battle to replace Matt Prater.
Bullock and Gonzalez combined to make all eight of their kicks during the preseason four field goals and four extra points but they had their share of i sues during training camp practices.
Apparently, that was concerning enough that the Lions elected to release both players during their final roster cuts. As a result, they don't have a kicker.
MORE:
Is going kicker-le s a bold, new strategy for Lions coach Dan Campbell? It
Jake McGee Jersey doesn't seem like it. Campbell downplayed the Lions' absence of a kicker and indicated that the team's 53-man roster was not yet finalized.
"I think what needs to be remembered here is (just because a player makes the initial 53-man roster) does not mean that this is who were riding with all the way through the season," Campbell said Monday, . "Theres going to be some guys that are going to be on our team that arent even
Chad Bettis Jersey in the building yet. Thats probably going to happen. Theres a good chance that can happen."
So, it sounds like the Lions will add another kicker to the fold. A few solid-looking options are available among the final cuts,including former Chargers kicker Michael Badgley, former Patriots kicker Nick Folk, former Panthers kicker Joey Slye and Ravens
Antonio Senzatela Jersey rookie Jake Verity. The Lions should be able to land one of them if they so desire.
Of course, the Lions could also opt to sign a kicker to their practice squad and call him up on game days. The Patriots did that early last season with Folk andalso had Justin Rohrwa ser on the practice squad. If the Lions want to save a roster spot, they could take that approach.
Either way, Detroit will need a
Carlos Gonzalez Jersey kicker. In fact, it's the first year in quite some time that the Lions have lacked stability at the kicker spot. Prater held down the role well after signing with Detroit as a free agent early in the 2014 season. The Lions struggled in the month before Pratersigned, as Nate Freese and Alex Henery sputteredat
Todd Helton Jersey the position.
Lions fans will hope to avoid a repeat of the Freese/Henry duo in 2021.
UPDATE:The Lions have claimed kicker Austin Seibert off waivers from the Bengals. Seibert was a fifth-round pick by the Browns in 2019 and has made 6 of 9 field goals and 8 of 9 extra points during his career.
Veteran kickers Tony Wolters Jersey Randy Bullock and Zane Gonzalez battledfor the Lions' starting kicker job during the 2021 preseason.Ultimately, neither was able to emerge with the victory in the battle to replace Matt Prater.
