The Green Bay Packers aren’t afraid of creating competition on their roster. LaFleur and company want to field the best 53-man roster possible. Just one season after moving on from Rodgers the Packers find themselves in a position to actually compete for a championship.
Expectations are already skyrocketing for this young Packers team. To live up to those expectations the Packers may bring in a former NFC North rival.
The Green Bay Packers Could Be Eyeing NFC North Rival Ahead Of The 2024 Season
According to Jovan Alford of Dairyland Express:
The Packers haven’t been shy about having an open competition for kicker this offseason after rookie Anders Carlson struggled in 2023. Bates would be an excellent addition to compete with Carlson, Greg Joseph, and Jack Podlesny.
However, there might be another kicker, who was released from the Lions that Green Bay could look to bring in before training camp next month.
Detroit announced Tuesday that they signed Bates and waived James Turner. Turner reportedly showcased a strong leg in the Lions’ offseason practices, which the Packers could use with the struggles Carlson had with field goals that were 40-plus yards out.
#Lions have signed K Jake Bates and waived K James Turner.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) June 18, 2024
Turner signed with the Lions this spring after wrapping up his collegiate career at the University of Michigan. Last season with the Wolverines, the 6-foot kicker made 98.6 percent of his extra points (65-of-66) and 85.7 percent of field goals (18-of-21).
Before landing at the University of Michigan this past season, Turner spent the first four years of college at Louisville. Turner was solid with the Cardinals, making 98.4 percent of his extra points but only 79.7 percent of his field goals.
Turner’s best season at Louisville was in 2022, making 97.4 percent of his field goals (38-of-39) and a career-high 90.9 percent of field goals (20-of-22).
Will The Packers Add To Their Kicking Competition?
A decision to move on from kicker Mason Crosby and select Anders Carlson in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft wasn’t nearly as popular as the one to trade Rodgers for Love last off-season. Carlson stood out from early on in OTAs for two reasons: he had a cannon leg, and he would be a work in progress.
During his rookie season, Carlson was incredibly inconsistent. While his 81.8% field goal percentage is slightly better than Crosby’s career percentage (81.2%), Carlson struggled on extra points and from distances that should not have been difficult for him.
Only 87.2% of Carlson’s extra point attempts were successful last season. Aside from that, he was only 4/8 on field goals between 40 and 49 yards. It is also disappointing that Carlson has missed at least one kick in 10 of his last 12 games, including the NFL playoffs.
There is currently a three way battle going into training camp for the Packers’ starting job at kicker, however, it still feels like Carlson has the edge. While bringing in another kicker isn’t out of the question, having four on your roster feels excessive.
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