The Green Bay Packers decided to go young at kicker, letting veteran Mason Crosby walk in free agency and drafting Anders Carlson in the sixth round. The first part of the process is going well — Crosby didn't find a full-time job around the NFL and missed two field goals and one extra point in three games for the New York Giants. But the second part is more concerning.
Carlson didn't have a prolific college career, and he was seen by most draft gurus as an undrafted type of talent. The Packers took him under advice of special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Rich Bisaccia, who worked with Anders' brother Daniel on the Las Vegas Raiders.
After converting all of his kicks in the first five games of the season, though, the rookie has been a liability for the Packers. Carlson missed a kick in each one of the last four games, and in 10 of the last 13 games — including a missed extra point in the 48-32 playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Gladfully for Green Bay, his misses haven't been that costly. But as the postseason advances and opponents get tougher, the kicking game might be a bigger problem.
Team perception
During training camp, Carlson had some difficult days, missing multiple kicks. General manager Brian Gutekunst preached patience, but admitted that the patience could end if the situation didn't get better in real games.
"We believe in him, we think he has a lot of talent. He's done some really good things since he's been here. You guys have seen his leg strength, his power. I really like the way the ball elevates off his foot," Gutekunst said during camp. "But you have to find a way to get to a more consistent level. There's not a lot of patience sometimes when there needs to be. Mason (Crosby) had some multiple times while he was here where he was in some really bad spots, some struggles, and I always thought Ted (Thompson) gave him a pretty long leash and he always came out of it. I think that's important, especially for young players to get that patience, that leash to get there. But at some point, when this stuff becomes real, it becomes different."
Well, things can't be more real than they are now. And there's a possible solution to have the best of both worlds.
New rules give flexibility
In 2020, because of Covid-19, the NFL created a rule where it's been allowed for teams to elevate practice squad players for gameday. The idea was so successful that the league made it a regular feature. Before Sunday's game, for example, the Packers elevated cornerback David Long from the PS — he ended up inactive, but it was a protection in case Jaire Alexander couldn't go.
During the regular season, each player can be elevated by the same team three times. Specifically for the playoffs, there's no limit of games — even though a team can only elevate two players per game.
Idea
The Packers understandably want to keep Anders Carlson. After all, Gutekunst spent a sixth-round pick on him, and the team sees a relevant long-term potential. If they cut him, other teams could claim Carlson off waivers for next season.
So what the Packers could do to solve this short-term issue without compromising the future is to sign a veteran kicker to the practice squad. Crosby is one possibility, but the most interesting option at this point probably is former Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Ryan Succop. Former San Francisco 49ers veteran kicker Robbie Gould would likely love to face his old team as well.
That strategy would allow the Packers to have a more experienced kicker playing in Santa Clara, and at the same time they would hold onto Carlson's rights to keep him around for next year.
The most-likely scenario at this point is that the Packers will keep going with the rookie, trusting that the experience will make him better. But it's a concerning issue, and those types of mistakes may be costly in the playoffs.
More must-reads: