The Detroit Lions were set to have a training camp battle at kicker between Jake Bates and Michael Badgley, but the latter suffered a season-ending injury, leaving Bates as Detroit's only kicker on the roster.
Bates has had an up-and-down camp thus far, but regardless, the Lions need to bring in someone else for him to compete with in order to make sure they have the best man for the job. Detroit recently worked out four kickers, but did not sign any of them.
It just so happens that two former Lions kickers are now available as potential options, with the Jacksonville Jaguars waiving Riley Patterson and the Green Bay Packers waiving James Turner. The Lions have the option of claiming them or signing them in free agency if they pass through waivers.
Patterson kicked in 13 games for the Lions last season and posted a solid 88.2% success rate on field goals. However, he was cut in favor of Badgley after showing limited range and missing multiple extra points.
Patterson was competing against sixth-round pick Cam Little for the Jags' starting job but apparently lost out to the rookie, hence the move.
Turner was signed as an undrafted free agent earlier this offseason but was let go after the team signed Bates, which was surprising considering Turner seemed to be running neck-and-neck with Badgley during the offseason program.
It isn't entirely clear why the rookie was cut by the Packers, but he did have a rough situation in terms of competition, as he was going against Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph, both of whom have much more experience. It's possible Turner's was the victim of a numbers game.
Patterson isn't an ideal option because of his limited range, but the Lions need to add some experience to the competition, making him the better bet of the two. But at this point, the Lions just need to bring someone in to give Bates competition.
