Dan Campbell joked during a radio appearance Tuesday that there was a reason the Detroit Lions set their initial 53-man roster without a kicker.
“We’re going to go for two a lot,” Campbell said on the “Tiki and Tierney” show on CBS Sports Radio. “No, look it’s a good question. We’ve got our eyes on a couple of guys and we’ll see where this thing goes. Until we know exactly what we’re going to do, I’m just going to reserve that right now. We had a competition and we’re going to wait and see where this thing plays out at.”
The Lions released kickers Randy Bullock and Zane Gonzalez on Tuesday after both struggled during training camp.
Campbell has said the Lions will be aggressive in reshaping the bottom of their roster in the coming days, and with seventh priority on the waiver wire, they should be able to land one of the top kickers on the market.
Here are the top five kickers available after Tuesday’s cut deadline:
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Michael Badgley, Los Angeles Chargers
Badgley was a bit of a surprise cut by the Chargers. He did not have a great 2020 season, when he made 24 of 33 field goals (including just 2 of 6 from 50-plus yards). But he is a young, proven leg with ties to the Lions staff. Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn brought Badgley to L.A., and player personnel executive Don Corzine was director of football operations at Miami when Badgley was in school there. Badgley made five field goals in a 2018 playoff game, so he’s kicked under pressure, and he can handle kickoffs, which is appealing to the Lions.
Jake Verity, Baltimore Ravens
If the Lions want to go young at kicker, Verity could be their guy. Verity signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent and had an impressive training camp. A 75% kicker at East Carolina, he made 4 of 5 field goals for the Ravens in preseason games with a long of 53 yards. Verity did miss a 40-yard attempt wide left last week, but the rookie has a hammer for a leg and there’s no shame in losing out on a roster spot to the NFL’s best kicker, Justin Tucker.
Nick Folk, New England Patriots
Folk, 36 and entering his 14th NFL season, is not subject to waivers as a vested veteran and can pick his landing spot. He was another surprise cut, losing the kicking job in New England to ex-Michigan kicker Quinn Nordin. Folk had a solid season in New England last year, making 26 of 28 field goals. He doesn’t have as big a leg as most of the other names on this list, but he’s steady and reliable, someone who won’t be a liability in pressure situations.
Joey Slye, Carolina Panthers
Slye was cut over the weekend by the Carolina Panthers after losing that kicking job to ex-Lions camp leg Ryan Santoso. He has one of the strongest legs in the NFL and is one of the league’s best kickoff specialists, but he has been erratic from distance on kicks (going 1 of 6 on 50-plus-yard tires in 2020). Overall, Slye a respectable showing in his first NFL season last year, making 29 of 36 field goal attempts overall. He had a rocky preseason, but new Lions executive Mike Martin came from Carolina, so there is some familiarity with Slye on staff.
Brian Johnson, Chicago Bears
Plenty more experienced kickers are available, but Johnson, by all accounts, impressed in Bears camp this summer. He signed with Chicago as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech and made kicks of 54 and 44 yards in preseason games at always tricky Soldier Field. He’s the longest shot on the list given his lack of track record, but the Lions are clearly building a roster for the future. He might be worth taking a gamble on.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.