Tag: Josh Lambo

Signing of Andre Roberts should not stop Chargers from continuing to shore up special teams

The Chargers need to strongly consider bringing in another kicker.

Even after the addition of veteran returner Andre Roberts, the Chargers’ special teams department is far from solidified. The team continues to be haunted by ongoing issues in the kicking game.

Tristan Vizcaino, who was given the nod over Michael Badgley for the starting kicker, has not done much to show he was the right man for the job.

In six games, Vizcaino has missed five extra points, which marks the most in the NFL.

Vizcaino was coveted for his leg strength by the coaching staff, but he has yet to make a field goal over 50 yards, and his kickoff touchback percentage is 41.94, which ranks 30th in the league.

Head coach Brandon Staley acknowledged his struggles with the extra points, adding that a good chunk of it has to do with Vizcaino’s confidence.

His confidence may be shallow because the Chargers have been giving up a ton of pressure off the right side of their field goal and extra point protection.

But the bottom line is that it’s a glaring concern that has been near costly, most notably the missed extra point against the Browns late in the fourth quarter that would have tied the game at 42.

Despite the 25-year-old’s growing pains, Los Angeles might be wise to strongly consider bringing in another kicker to avoid any blunders down the final stretch of the season.

The pool of available kickers is not deep, but a few notables include Dustin Hopkins, Giorgio Travecchio, Stephen Gostkowski, and Eddy Pineiro. Or, a pair of Chargers, Badgley or Josh Lambo, might intrigue.

Would it be surprising to see the coaches roll with Vizcaino following the bye? Not at all, given Staley’s comments on him needing to grow his confidence.

However, it is not worth taking the chance of these types of errors to grow any further, which is why change has to be taken into consideration.

Jags release veteran kicker Josh Lambo

The Jags have made the tough decision to move on from a fan favorite in Josh Lambo.

With third-year kicker Matthew Wright proving he deserves to be a starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team had a tough decision to make this week with Josh Lambo. They made that tough decision Tuesday morning and released him, making the veteran a free agent.

This expected decision came after the veteran kicker got off to a rough start in 2021. After looking like a Pro Bowl-caliber kicker at one point of his time in Jacksonville, Lambo missed his first three field-goal attempts of the season and also missed two extra-point attempts. One missed field goal (55 yards) came Week 1 against Houston, while the other two came the following week against Denver (52 and 48 yards). Then lastly, the two extra points were missed Week 3 against Arizona.

Lambo joined the Jags just two days over five years ago (Oct. 17). After a promising start to his time with the team, he was given an extension on Feb. 14 of 2019 worth $6.5 million guaranteed, which was a top-7 figure at his position. However, his last two seasons have been riddled with injuries or missed kicks, unfortunately. 

On Monday, Jags coach Urban Meyer said Wright deserved to be the team’s starting kicker after his performance against the Miami Dolphins. He was big for the team, making two 50-plus yard field goals within the last four minutes of the fourth quarter, something that had been never done in the NFL.

Meyer also added that the staff would meet Monday to decide on the other roster moves and it appears they made the decision then on what to do with Lambo.

 

Jaguars Week 6 inactives vs. Dolphins

Once again, the Jags will take the field without veteran kicker Josh Lambo this week.

Two of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ inactives for Week 6’s game against the Miami Dolphins were already known as linebacker Myles Jack and offensive lineman Rashaad Coward didn’t travel with the team to London. However, the other five players who will be inactive have been revealed.

Joining Jack and Coward will be notables kicker Josh Lambo, receiver Tyron Johnson, defensive lineman Taven Bryan, and cornerback Tyson Campbell.

Lambo will be inactive for his third straight game, dating back to Week 4’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Replacing him, of course, will be Matthew Wright, who was signed off the practice squad Saturday.

Johnson will be inactive for the first time this season. He joined the Jags after they made their final cuts as a waiver claim, but he’s not as familiar with the playbook as others are for that reason and hasn’t been able to get going just yet.

As for Bryan, the decision to make him inactive comes as veteran defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris is returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for multiple weeks. Also, rookie lineman Jay Tufele played well in his rookie debut last week, acquiring a Pro Football Focus grade of 72.4 and a pass-rush grade of 91.1. As a result, it’s possible the Jags staff feels that he’s earned more snaps over Bryan.

Lastly, Campbell is dealing with a toe injury. On Friday, he was labeled a game-time decision as he surfaced as questionable on the final injury report.

Rookie pass-rusher Jordan Smith was also listed with the aforementioned inactives. After being taken in the fourth-round of April’s draft, he has yet to be active this regular season.

The Dolphins already announced that they would be without starting cornerback Xavien Howard and receiver DeVante Parker. However, on Sunday morning, it was revealed that receiver Preston Williams would also miss the game after starting last week.

To view their whole inactives list, head over to Dolphins Wire for more.

Jaguars elevate kicker Matthew Wright from practice squad before game vs. Titans

Kicker Matthew Wright was activated off practice squad for the second consecutive week by the Jags.

On Friday, Urban Meyer told the media that he would hold off for another day on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ kicking competition — and now the decision appears to have been made. The team has elevated Matthew Wright from their practice squad, which points to him being active Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

With Wright being activated, it’s a sign that veteran kicker Josh Lambo will be inactive Sunday. If that’s the case, it would be the second consecutive game where the Jags have gone with Wright over Lambo.

 

Last week against the Cincinnati Bengals, Wright didn’t get the opportunity to kick a field goal but was 3-of-3 on extra-point attempts. However, he entered the game, which was his first with the Jags, 4-of-4 on field-goal attempts. All four of those attempts came last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Jags’ pending decision at kicker comes as Lambo has had a rough season. He’s currently 0-of-3 on field-goal attempts and 5-of-7 on extra-point attempts, and that resulted in the Jags holding out back Week 4 for confidence/performance issues.

Urban Meyer says Josh Lambo is “in a better place” but kicker competition continues

Meyer said Lambo is doing better after struggling mightily in the first three games. Still, the competition with Matthew Wright continued this week.

Jacksonville is 0-4, and while it has several problems that are holding it back right now, one of the biggest ones is finding someone capable of routinely kicking the ball through the goalposts.

Starting kicker Josh Lambo, who is the best placekicker the Jags have had since longtime franchise centerpiece Josh Scobee held the position, has had a rough start to the season. Lambo is 0-for-3 on field-goal tries this year, and he’s missed two of his seven point-after attempts.

He missed a large portion of last season with several hip injuries, and he hasn’t looked the same since returning to the field. He missed Thursday night’s game for “personal reasons,” and the team elevated kicker Matthew Wright from the practice squad to start the game. He didn’t attempt a field goal, but he was perfect on his three extra points.

While coach Urban Meyer said earlier this week that Lambo is in a better place mentally, he did confirm that the kicker competition is ongoing.

“He’s—him and Matt (Matthew Wright) are going to—there’s going to be a little competition to see who kicks,” he said. “But Josh (is in) a much better place right now.”

Lambo has been with the team since 2017 after he spent his first two seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. He was named a Second-Team All-Pro in 2019.

Meyer said that he respects Lambo and hopes that he will remain with the team moving forward, regardless of the outcoming of the competition.

“I hope not,” he said when asked if Lambo would be gone if he loses the competition. “I like Josh Lambo, I like his commitment to being a great player. He’s in a slump right now, but there’s also the reality. The reality is you’ve got to put it through the uprights. We are all pulling for him—I can tell you this, the whole team is pulling for him. He’s a great guy that works his you-know-what off.”

Those are certainly strong words of support from the head coach, but ultimately, Lambo will need to find a way to get back to his previous high-level kicking. Regardless of what Meyer says, using two roster spots on kickers isn’t a good tactical move, and whoever isn’t starting on Sunday will likely be heading to the practice squad, at least.

Jaguars Week 4 final injury report: Lambo, Robertson-Harris ruled OUT vs. Bengals

With Lambo out, Matthew Wright, who the Jags signed to their practice squad this week, is set to kick for the Jags.

When the Jacksonville Jaguars take the field Thursday with the Cincinnati Bengals they will be without two of their veteran leaders in defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris and kicker Josh Lambo. Both were ruled out on the final injury report as Robertson-Harris continues to nurse an ankle injury (was limited Tuesday) and Lambo (who didn’t practice Tuesday) deals with a personal matter.

Veteran Adam Gotsis started in Robertson-Harris’ place Sunday against Arizona and that could be the case this week. He was one of the highest- graded players of that game with a 69.1 Pro Football Focus grade, and he was able to accumulate four tackles.

Starting in Lambo’s place will be Matthew Wright, who the Jags signed Monday to their practice squad. Thursday’s game will mark the fourth of his NFL career after he played in three with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. Wright, who attended the University of Central Florida, will enter Thursday’s game 4-of-4 on field goal attempts with his longest being a 46-yarder.

As for the rest of the players on the injury report, cornerback Tre Herndon (knee), offensive tackle Cam Robinson (shoulder), and Andrew Norwell (ankle) all were full participants and didn’t surface in the status column.

Jags add kicker Matthew Wright to practice squad

With Josh Lambo struggling as of late, the Jags have decided to bring in some competition at kicker.

With the struggles of kicker Josh Lambo bleeding into Week 3, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally added some competition for the veteran. On Monday, they signed third-year kicker Matthew Wright to their practice squad, who once was a collegiate player just south of Jacksonville at Central Florida.

Wright, 25, entered the league in 2019 as an undrafted rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers but was waived during final cuts. After playing for the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers the following year, he got a second chance with the Steelers in the late part of 2020 (Weeks 13, 16, and 17).

While with Pittsburgh, Wright saw his only time on the field in an NFL regular season, and he took advantage of it by going 4-of-4 on his field-goal attempts and 7-of-7 on extra-point attempts. Wright’s longest kick during that stint was a 34-yarder (against Washington), though, so he has yet to register a field goal that’s 35 yards or longer.

As for Lambo, he didn’t get the opportunity to kick any field goals Sunday against Arizona but did miss 2-of-3 extra-point attempts. That only made fans and the staff more concerned as he was already 0-of-3 on field-goal attempts throughout the first two games.

As a result of another rough day for Lambo, the Jags pretty much had no choice but to bring in competition. When asked about it, Jags coach Urban Meyer said it wasn’t about Lambo’s work ethic, but more about not getting kicks through the field goal post.

“I haven’t seen him yet today,” Meyer said on Monday when asked if he’s spoken to the veteran. “We’re coming in here at 2:30 for a team meeting and I don’t believe I talked to him after the game. But I told you, the one thing I respect about him [is] he’s as hard working if not the hardest working specialist I’ve ever had. But there’s also the reality, you have to make kicks. There’s nothing about attitude, nothing about work ethic, but reality is that ball has to go through the uprights.”

It’s unknown if the Jags will give Lambo another shot during “Thursday Night Football,” but after three weeks of struggles, something will have to change soon.

Urban Meyer says he won’t give up on PK Josh Lambo despite his struggles

“I’m not giving up on Josh Lambo,” Urban Meyer said when asked about the veteran’s struggles.

The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to the Denver Broncos Sunday by a score of 23-13, and though they didn’t win, they at least looked better than they did Week 1. One player who didn’t improve, however, is kicker Josh Lambo, who has yet to hit his first field goal of the 2021 regular season and added two missed attempts (from ranges of 38 and 45) to the one he had against the Houston Texans.

Of course, with the veteran leaving six points on the board, he was one of the main topics when it came to Urban Meyer’s pregame press conference. And while he did admit that there was concern for Lambo, he let it be known that he wouldn’t give up on the veteran as his work ethic has proven to be second to none.

“Well, concern, but I made a comment that the one thing I admire about him, first of all he’s had a very good career, and he works his tail off,” Meyer said. “I’m not giving up on Josh Lambo. If he didn’t work hard, wasn’t a professional about everything he does, yeah, I’d have a problem with him, but he’s missing some kicks, and as a professional he’s got to make those kicks. I have confidence he will.”

During training camp, Meyer tested Lambo by putting him in a kicking competition against former kicker Aldrick Rosas, but eventually cut Rosas, which made Lambo the winner. In their last preseason game, Meyer told the media he has a lot of respect for Lambo, which explains his current stance on Lambo and unwillingness to give up on him.

“That’s as serious a kicker as I’ve been around… I’m pulling for him hard,” Meyer said last month. “When he follows through and hits that thing, he’s outstanding.”

Despite his faith in Lambo, Meyer didn’t rule out bringing in some competition. If the Jags do, it’s worth noting the Jags have a practice squad spot available after cutting running back Duke Johnson.

“I’m not sure [if we will sign a kicker] yet,” Meyer said. “It’s just all fresh. We just lost the game. I know he’ll be out there working again. I don’t know what the plan is as far as bringing someone else in.”

The Jags already have a lot to clean up heading forward with their young players, and they really can’t afford for their veterans to be adding to their problems, too. But if Lambo turns things around from this point heading forward, it would certainly make Meyer look like a genius in what has been a tough season.

Poll: Who could end up being a surprise cut for the Jags?

Surprise cuts happen every year for the NFL, but will the Jags be a team making some in 2021?

Every year NFL fans witness that surprise preseason cuts are inevitable, and 2021 will be no different. Sometimes the Jacksonville Jaguars have even taken this route as we’ve seen them cut notables Byron Leftwich and David Garrard days before the regular season.

While the team is unlikely to make a subtraction of that magnitude in 2021, there is a chance they could move on from players who’ve been longtime starters or maybe even a player that they just added through free agency. For those who’ve heard our latest episode of “Bleav in the Jags” the names we zoned in on in particular for training camp are those of guard A.J. Cann, receiver Phillip Dorsett, and safety Jarrod Wilson.

In Cann’s case, he’s a player who Urban Meyer could want on the team for those who can recall his comments about liking the offensive line earlier in the offseason. However, the Jags drafted Ben Bartch last season in the fourth round, and after receiving some experience on the field as a rookie, he could be an improved player. If he can come in and push Cann, it would give the staff something to think about as Cann would be a dead cap hit of $1.3 million if cut, but would save the team $4.9 million, according to Over the Cap.

Dorsett is a player who it feels like Meyer hand-picked as a free agent addition, and after a solid performance in organized team activities, it seems as if he is on track to make the team. However, the team is deep at receiver and the competition could get interesting behind DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault Jr., and Marvin Jones. Most rosters carry five to six receivers, so there will be two to three spots left for Dorsett, Collin Johnson, Jamal Agnew, Laquon Treadwell, Jalen Camp, or any other receivers who look solid in the preseason.

Lastly, Wilson’s situation is a lot like Dorsett’s, except the Jags could choose to take five or four safeties into the regular season. Also like Dorsett, he’s likely to make the team due to his experience, but there are some younger players and newcomers who could pose a threat like Andre Cisco, Daniel Thomas, and Rudy Ford.

As the Jags’ third round pick, Cisco undoubtedly will make the team. In fact, he could end up pushing Wilson for the starting role beside Rayshawn Jenkins. If that happens, the Jags could be stuck with a difficult decision to make because Thomas is a young playmaker with upside and Ford is a solid special teamer.

Another situation to watch could be the Jags’ kicking competition between Josh Lambo and Aldrick Rosas. Lambo feels like the front-runner, but he’s struggled with staying healthy. Rosas, on the other hand, is a former Pro Bowler.

Now, we’d like to hear from our readers at home. Are any of the players we’ve named in jeopardy of being surprise cuts, or do you all believe someone else who wasn’t named could be on the chopping block? Let us know in the poll below.

[polldaddy poll=10879661]

Jags kicker Josh Lambo locked in a battle for his job

Aldrick Rosas, who played during Lambo’s absence last season, is reportedly pushing the incumbent starter for the job.

Josh Lambo has been one of the league’s best kickers since he signed with Jacksonville in 2017. In fact, his 95% conversion rate on field goals during his time in a Jaguars uniform (which ranks third in NFL history) is the best of any placekicker in the league during that span.

But that might not be enough to keep him on the roster. The seventh-year specialist missed 12 games last season with a hip injury, and one of the kickers who the team brought in during that time, Aldrick Rosas, is apparently pushing Lambo for the starting job.

“We’ve got two guys and they’re both very good kickers and they’re competing to win the job,” new special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen said, per ESPN’s Mike DiRocco. “That’s what we’re doing every day and they’ve both been great.”

Rosas’ career field-goal percentage sits at 81.4%, but he went to the Pro Bowl in 2018 as a member of the New York Giants, hitting 32 of 33 attempts that season. The Giants released him last summer after he was charged with three misdemeanors stemming from an alleged hit-and-run, to which he later pled no contest.

The Jaguars signed him to the practice squad on Sept. 28 and elevated him to the active roster less than a week later, and he made four field goals in his debut. He was released on Oct. 30, and the next day, the NFL suspended him for four games for the hit-and-run incident. Jacksonville brought him back while he was still under suspension, and after it was lifted, he started five of the final six games.

“We have two guys that are very talented kickers, very talented,” coach Urban Meyer said. “And we’re going to do that quite often before we have to make a decision.”

Rosas was re-signed in March, and according to DiRocco, they each made 58-yarders on the first day of mandatory minicamp on Monday, with Lambo going 5-of-5 and Rosas going 4-of-5 during the field goal portion of Tuesday’s practice.

Given Lambo’s productivity, he’s unlikely to lose the battle with Rosas, assuming he’s fully recovered. But either way, it seems this showdown will continue much further into camp.