During OTAs this spring, the Green Bay Packers aren’t happy with their kicking competition. In order to potentially compete with Anders Carlson during training camp later next month, the organization has asked to add another elite kicker.
In order to challenge Carlson this spring, the Packers added undrafted free agent Jack Podlesny and former Minnesota Vikings kicker Greg Joseph as free agents. Carlson seems to be doing well throughout OTAs thus far. But following last season, the Packers want to cover all of their bases.
As Robin Adams recently talked about with WSH, Carlson had a challenging first campaign:
Two things about Carlson stuck out from the beginning of OTAs: he was going to be a work in progress and he possessed a cannon for a leg.
Fans of the Packers are aware that Carlson was a very erratic rookie. Despite having a slightly higher field goal percentage (81.8%) than Crosby’s career average (81.2%), Carlson had trouble making extra baskets and from distances that shouldn’t have presented a problem for him.
Carlson’s success rate from last season’s extra point attempts was merely 87.2%. Additionally, he only made 4/8 of field goals from 40 to 49 yards. Sadly, Carlson has failed to make a kick in ten of his previous twelve games, including the NFL Playoffs.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports that the Packers want to have All-UFL kicker Jake Bates pay them a visit. The UFL standout has also been contacted by the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, and Carolina Panthers to schedule visits.
Bates was one of the Michigan Panthers’ best players this year. During the regular season, his field goal percentage was 17/22. It was 64 yards for his long. The Houston Texans signed the standout player from Arkansas in 2023, but he was cut during training camp the previous year.
During the Panthers’ 31-18 loss to the Birmingham Stallions on Saturday, Bates saw a lot of action. He made four of six field goals, including a 53-yarder. It was a kickoff error by Bates in the second quarter. He removed the ball with a kick.
