Tag: chargers kicker

Chargers 2023 roster review: K Dustin Hopkins

Dustin Hopkins looks to fend off Cameron Dicker for the Chargers’ starting kicker spot.

The 2023 season is just a month away, and with weeks of dead time during the quietest part of the NFL offseason, Chargers Wire is endeavoring to document each of Los Angeles’ players before the start of the team’s training camp.

A hamstring injury limited Dustin Hopkins to five games in 2022, which led to the emergence of Cameron Dicker, who closed out the season as the team’s kicker.

Prior to his injury, Hopkins had hit nine of his 10 field-goal attempts and made all 12 of his extra-point tries.

Meanwhile, Dicker made 19 of his 20 field-goal attempts while connecting on all 22 of his extra-point tries.

Hopkins looks to fend off Dicker for the starting kicker spot as the battle is soon to heat up.

Contract (2023): In 2023, Hopkins will earn a base salary of $2,230,000, while carrying a cap hit of $3,086,045 and a dead cap value of $1,600,000.

Acquired: Hopkins was acquired on Oct. 26, 2021. On Mar. 14, 2022, Hopkins signed a three-year contract extension.

Quote: Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken on the kicking battle:

“I’m excited. They had a great year, both of them,” Ficken said. “Obviously, Dustin was doing a great job before he went ahead and had the misfortune of getting injured.

Highlight:

Cameron Dicker vs. Dustin Hopkins: Making case for Chargers’ starting kicker

The Chargers have a tough choice to make between Dustin Hopkins and Cameron Dicker for the kicker position.

In a more unique turn of events in Chargers history, the team has two solid kickers working for the number one spot this coming season.

Cameron Dicker and Dustin Hopkins were facing off in mini-camp, with Dicker winning the starting spot on the current 53-man roster prior to the start of training camp.

With training camp a month away, I make a case for Hopkins and Dicker as the team’s starter.

Dustin Hopkins

Hopkins is a tough and rugged football player. He doesn’t leave anything to be wanted in a special teams player. Before Hopkins’ hamstring injury, he was having a near-perfect season and managed to help carry the bolts to a win playing through his injury that ultimately ended his season. For Bolts fans, it was an impressive feat. The Chargers are used to having tough players who refuse to go down – Phillip Rivers being the guy most people think of first in this archetype. Hopkins was a reliable kicker for the team, and the dedication he displayed while kicking through his injury was incredible to see. He also brings a much-needed veteran presence to the special teams unit. Hopkins has been in the league since 2013, longer than most players in the unit which brings experience and leadership to the crew that they could be lacking otherwise. Unfortunately, this is also one of his cons. Hopkins is competing against a much younger kicker which provides a bright long-term future for the team. Fantastic kickers in the NFL last 10-15 years on average. With Hopkins entering his 10th year, it is safe to say that there could be a time in the next 3-5 years when his play caliber declines and he slides into a relief role. Especially if his injury from the 2022 season comes back to haunt him.

Cameron Dicker

Dicker the kicker was one of the best mid-season acquisitions of the 2022 season. Dicker, fresh out of the University of Texas, was signed as an undrafted free agent to the Los Angeles Rams prior to the start of the 2022 season. From there, Dicker was passed around from team to team before making his first NFL appearance in the Eagles Cardinals game on October 9th where he executed 2/2 field goals including a game-winning 23-yarder. He was named NFC special teams player of the week before being released by the Eagles and subsequently signed by the Chargers on November 3rd. Dicker was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week only three days later. Throughout the season Dicker was completely reliable making 100% of all PATs and missing only 1 field goal all season – making his record 42/43 or 95.5%. The Chargers have an opportunity here to make Dicker their franchise guy, similar to what the Ravens did with Justin Tucker back in 2012. Dicker is about to enter his second NFL season, and if he continues to perform as he has then it would be in their best interest to get him on a long-term deal to secure their special teams future. Unfortunately, Los Angeles has a long and tiresome history with special teams units and fantastic first-year performers – including kickers like Michael Badgley who had a near-perfect season but immediately faced decline the following years. Since leaving the Chargers, Badgley has had great consistency which begs the question – was it really the kickers or was it the coaching? Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken is arguably one of the best in the game and took the special teams unit to the next level. Working with three kickers in one season, Ficken managed to have incredible consistency and draw up plays that greatly impacted the outcome of multiple games. With Ficken on staff, it is less likely that we would see a drop in Dicker’s production should he remain in the starting position that he is currently in on the 53.

Dicker will be kicking as the presumed starter in training camp this summer, but we should see both of them taking kicks in the pre-season games this August in a last-ditch effort to solidify who the Chargers will take with them moving forward.

Chargers sign kicker Dustin Hopkins

The Chargers have a new kicker.

The Chargers signed kicker Dustin Hopkins and waived Tristan Vizcaino on Tuesday, the team announced.

The decision to part ways with Vizcaino came after his array of struggles, most notably missing five extra points in six games. Furthermore, his kickoff touchback percentage was 41.94, which ranked 30th in the league.

Hopkins played seven seasons with Washington before being released last week. The reason for being let go of was because of his inconsistencies the past two seasons.

Hopkins missed seven of 34 field goal attempts, as well as two extra-point attempts. Through the first six games of 2021, he missed another two extra-point attempts and two field goals.

The 31-year old holds franchise records for highest field goal percentage (84.0 percent) and most field goals from 50 or more yards (14). He made 163 of his 194 field goal attempts in that timespan.

Aiding the special teams was a priority through the bye week, and head coach Brandon Staley made the point to address it with returner Andre Roberts and now Hopkins.

Chargers reaffirm faith in kicker Tristan Vizcaino

The Chargers are going to continue to roll the dice with Tristan Vizcaino.

Chargers kicker Tristan Vizcaino missed his extra-point attempt in the team’s most recent loss to the Ravens. It marked his fifth miss in the last four games.

The week before that, Vizcaino missed a crucial game-tying point against the Browns late in the fourth quarter, which would have been costly had quarterback Justin Herbert not engineered the game-winning drive.

Despite his rough start to the season, head coach Brandon Staley continues to have faith in Vizcaino, who won the job over Michael Badgley.

“We’re going to make sure we keep all our options open at that position,” Staley said. “But we still have a lot of confidence in Tristan.”

This begs the question, how many more errors can Vizcaino commit until confidence runs out?

The 25-year-old Vizcaino has a strong leg, but if his errors continue to hinder the Chargers’ offense, especially in crucial moments, this may become a detrimental problem.

Football is a team sport, so the blame can’t wholly be put on Vizcaino; however, it is imperative that he returns from the bye week with improved accuracy.

Bleacher Report tabs Chargers’ most important training camp battle

Special teams will go a long way to determining the Los Angeles Chargers’ success in 2021.

Strengthening the special teams department is one of the biggest priorities for the Chargers ahead of the 2021 season after finishing as the league’s worst in 2020.

Los Angeles did a fine job of adding players to aide with the coverage units, but now the team must determine who will be their starting kicker.

That is why Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay believes that kicker is the most important position battle in training camp.

The Los Angeles Chargers lacked a reliable kicker last year, a glaring issue that must be rectified if this team is to emerge as a contender in 2021.

L.A. can’t afford to leave points on the board again, so having a competitive camp during which a quality long-distance kicker can emerge will be a major boon.

L.A. has three kickers on the roster who will be fighting for the starting job: Michael Badgley, Tristan Vizcaino and Alex Kessman.

Badgley had one of his worst seasons yet in 2020, as he converted just 24 of 33 field goal attempts for L.A., with all nine misses coming from beyond 40 yards. His inconsistencies did not go unnoticed.

Before signing with Los Angeles, Vizciano bounced around a few different practice squads – Cowboys, Vikings and Bills. He made his NFL debut this past season for the 49ers, in which he made all three field goals.

Kessman, an undrafted rookie, hit a career long and Pittsburgh school record 58-yard field goal and converted 12 of 18 kicks of 50 yards or longer in his collegiate career in 2020, which is the best rate in NFL history.

It doesn’t sound as enticing of a position battle compared to others, but it will be vital to the Chargers’ success rate in 2021.

Chargers sign kicker Tristan Vizcaino

The Los Angeles Chargers are adding kicker depth.

The Chargers are looking to improve their special teams department this offseason.

Los Angeles signed kicker Tristan Vizcaino, the team announced on Friday.

Vizcaino most recently played with the 49ers, where he appeared in one game, in which he converted all three field goal and extra point attempts.

Vizcaino, the undrafted free agent out of Washington, has also spent time with the Bengals, Cowboys, Vikings and Bills.

The signing of Vizcaino brings competition with Michael Badgley, who struggled last season, missing nine field goals, all of which came beyond 40 yards.

Chargers not expected to try out kickers

Chargers kicker Michael Badgley’s seat is getting warm.

After bringing the Chargers stability at the kicker position, Michael Badgley was given the nickname “Money Badger.”

But this season, Badgley has failed to live up to the name.

After missing what would have been the game-winning on Monday night against the Saints in Week 5, Badgley followed that up with a missed extra point and 48-yard attempt on Sunday against the Jaguars.

While he did make two 35-yard field goals yesterday, his inconsistency is starting to become an issue. Badgley is 9-of-13 this season on field goals, which equals the number he missed the previous two years combined. Including extra points, he’s missed six kicks.

Despite the concerns with Badgley’s kicking, coach Anthony Lynn has complete confidence in him that he can get it together and does not plan on bringing in kickers for a tryout.

“Michael’s never been in a stretch like this that I can remember,” Lynn said. “He’s going to have to dig deep. He’s going to have to come out of it. But I have all the confidence in the world in Mike.”

Special teams hasn’t been a strong asset for Los Angeles, as the team ranks 32nd in special-teams DVOA this season. Badgley’s kicking factors into it as well as other areas like return coverage.