MOBILE, Ala. — Chargers general manager Tom Telesco has made a promise: His team’s kicking woes will become a thing of the past.
“We’ll get that fixed,” Telesco told me on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Thursday. “That was largely my fault. We just didn’t do a very good job managing that situation.”
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Los Angeles' kicking game problems began right from the start of the 2017 NFL campaign, when the Chargers released incumbent starter Josh Lambo in favor of rookie Younghoe Koo during the preseason. Two botched field goal attempts in the final seconds — one blocked, one missed — proved costly as L.A. dropped its first two games against Denver and Miami, respectively.
Those losses proved especially costly at the end of the season when the 9-7 Chargers missed the playoffs based on conference tiebreakers. The Chargers ultimately released Koo and used three other kickers during the season — Nick Novak, Travis Coons and Nick Rose — with similar results: L.A. converted on a league-low 66.7 percent of its field goal attempts in 2017 (20 of 30).
“Once we got to kicker two and three," Telesco said, "you’re on a kicker carousel.”
The Chargers still have Rose on their roster and have signed Roberto Aguayo — a 2016 second-round draft bust with Tampa Bay — to a futures contract. Telesco also could turn to free agency or the draft for more competition. Telesco is getting a first-hand look at Auburn’s Daniel Carlson — considered the top kicking prospect in April’s draft — and Miami’s Michael Badgley while scouting at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
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“There were more kicker changes across the league this year than any other year,” Telesco said. “Unfortunately, late in the year the pool of kickers wasn’t great. But we’ll do a better job of that.
“You make decisions in the moment. You go with what you think is right. It doesn’t always work out the way you like it.”
The Chargers know that all too well.
