Tag: Kicker Joey Slye

Commanders sign kicker Michael Badgley

There will be an official kicking competition this summer.

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The Washington Commanders signed kicker Michael Badgley.

The Commanders brought in Badgley for a workout Monday and Ben Standig reported the Commanders had determined to sign the former Miami Hurricane kicker. Incidentally, Badgley played at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, VA.

Badgley comes to Washington having just been released by the Detroit Lions July 20. With the Lions in 2022, Badgley was successful on 20 of 24 field goals and all 33 extra points.

Unlike last season when the Commanders released kicker Brian Johnson on June 13, this year they are choosing to provide kicker Joey Slye some competition in training camp and the preseason.

Slye, the former Virginia Tech kicker, has kicked in the NFL for the Panthers (2019-20), the Texans and the 49ers in 2021 before joining Washington in 2021.

In 2022, Slye converted 25 of 30 field goal attempts and missed four extra points going 24-28.

Earlier in 2022, Badgley connected on all four field goal attempts for the Bears but was reverted back to the practice squad and subsequently released on Oct. 4. The Lions wasted no time, signing Badgley the very next day.

In 2021 Badgley split time between the Titans and Colts. As a Titan, he missed on his lone field goal attempt and was 1-2 on extra points and was waived. With the Colts, Badgley connected on 18 of 21 field goals and all 39 extra-point attempts.

He spent his first three NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. In those three seasons, he made all 30 of his field goal attempts inside of 40 yards. Outside of 40 yards, he was 19-26, and outside of 50 yards, 3-9.

Badgley was undrafted and signed by the Colts before being waived during the preseason of 2018.

Nate Kaczor pleased with Commanders special teams development

Washington special teams coach Nate Kaczor met with the media on Friday.

Commanders special teams coach Nate Kaczor met with the press Friday, expressing he likes Antonio Gibson returning kicks.

“He does a nice job of getting where the seam is and has a good feel for that. His size and quickness to put his foot in the ground and get there before it closes up allows him to get productive yardage. And I know that when you get to the 30 or 31 yard line to the naked eye might not seem like a lot, but if you statistically look at the amount of returns in the NFL to the 30 or passed, there are just not a lot of them.”

Jeremy Reaves has pleased Kaczor with his punt coverage this season.

“There’s a lot of times where they’re bringing eight people and all of our interiors are occupied blocking a rush so [P] Tress [Way] can even punt the ball. So in that event, the gunners are singled up and they need to win for us. So when you see Jeremy Reaves down the field, he’s already blocked somebody and left. Or there’s times when they may double a gunner and Jeremy’s not blocking and he can get out fast.”

On CB Christian Holmes as a gunner:

He has “improved from potentially having a big play in Detroit to executing and getting the play done. He’s the one that actually downed this one at home against the Packers. But where he has improved is just his situational awareness. Obviously, when we drafted him, he is a big muscled up and a really linear fast player and he’s just gotten better and better.“

K Joey Slye has missed a field goal in each of the last two games.

“I think as long as the kicker knows they’re striking the ball well, the alignment stuff is something you can work on. As long as their mind is right, as I’ve said to you all before, then you’re not as concerned. And when you win a game and it’s not as at the forefront, it just makes the work environment more conducive to getting things fixed. He’s really hitting the ball well.”

Muff punts are a time when “any little indecision that can cause mechanical problems on a returner, those can happen. The bottom line is when they don’t catch the ball, if you’re not there to do something about it, you’re not gonna get ’em.”

Often special teams are simply not being a heavily recognized part of the game.

“You have to recognize that people might not notice this or notice that, but once in a while when everyone recognizes it, there’s a play to be made to help win the game…Those are the things in our special teams meetings that we have to prop up and give them a lot of credit in front of their teammates. Like, man, that’s really good.”