Former Arizona Kicker Gets Major Boost at NFL Camp

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Hoyland was released because the team needed the roster spot. Harbaugh added that Loop is kicking well enough to win the job, but it will ultimately be decided in the preseason games, which start next week.

Hoyland had signed with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming. Loop entered training camp as the favorite as the one who was drafted after the Ravens selected him in the sixth round of the NFL Draft in April.

Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton spoke to reporters earlier this week about the progress of the former Wildcat, which included going over some recent struggles for Loop in training camp.

"Tyler's kicking the ball great," Horton said. "The ball sounds awesome coming off his foot. But then, I think over the last eight days, there might be four (field goal) misses. We just have to find that consistency from the field that we're practicing on early in practice, (and then) when we go over as a team, and we're together, we are continuing to see the same swings and the same 'foot the ball.' Other than that, I think he's doing a heck of a job."

Loop appeared in all 12 games for Arizona last season, connecting on 18 of 23 field goal attempts, including a program-record 62-yard field goal against Houston. He finished his career with the highest field goal percentage in program history after making 67-of-80 attempts for an 83.75 percentage. Loop also connected on a single-game program record five field goals against Texas Tech last year.

After showing off his distance as a kicker with Arizona, it didn't take long for Loop to do the same with the Ravens in training camp after connecting on a 68-yard field goal.

The starting job in Baltimore after long-time veteran Justin Tucker was released in May following sexual misconduct allegations. Tucker had been released the first 10 games of the upcoming season prior to his release.