Tag: Mason Crosby

Mason Crosby among free agent kickers auditioning at Saints group tryout

Longtime Packers specialist Mason Crosby is among the free agent kickers auditioning for the Saints at Tuesday’s group tryout. Is Blake Grupe in peril?

Blake Grupe scored all 15 points the New Orleans Saints put on the board in Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but now they’re looking at possible replacements. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that the Saints hosted several free agent kickers at the team facility Tuesday for a group tryout.

The rookie has struggled throughout the season, connecting on 24 of his 30 field goal tries (80%); Grupe has also missed two kicks in his last three games, and he received treatment for a groin muscle injury late last week. But he hit five of his six field goal tries to at least keep the Saints competitive in their 24-15 loss in Atlanta.

So who are the Saints looking at? Here are the kickers Underhill reported are in town:

Former Packers K Mason Crosby to workout for Rams

Mason Crosby will be among a group of kickers working out for the Rams on Wednesday.

The football career of decorated former Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby was put on hold to start the 2023 season but might finally continue on in Los Angeles. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Crosby, a free agent who turned 39 years old in September, will be among several kickers working out for the Rams on Wednesday.

The Rams released kicker Brett Maher after he missed two field goals and an extra point during a 24-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7.

Crosby spent his first 16 seasons in Green Bay after being selected in the sixth round of the 2007 draft. He won a Super Bowl and is the franchise’s all-time leader in most kicking categories.

Crosby made 25 of 29 field goals and 37 of 39 extra points during the 2022 season. Embracing youth across the roster in 2023, the Packers didn’t re-sign Crosby and eventually took Auburn kicker Anders Carlson in the sixth round of the draft. Carlson was perfect on kicks through the first six weeks but missed a 43-yard field goal during the Packers’ 19-17 loss to the Broncos on Sunday.

Rams working out kickers Wednesday, including Mason Crosby

The Rams signed Lucas Havrisik off the Browns’ practice squad, but they’re exploring other options – including Mason Crosby

After cutting Brett Maher on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Rams signed Lucas Havrisik off the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad. However, they’re not done exploring their options at kicker.

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Rams are working out a group of kickers on Wednesday, which includes veteran Mason Crosby. It’s unlikely the Rams will sign a second kicker to their active roster, but adding one to the practice squad is certainly an option and potentially the route they’ll go.

It’s unclear which other kickers are working out for the Rams on Wednesday, or how many will be giving it a shot, but it’s good to see the team exploring other candidates.

Maher went just 17-for-23 on field goals this season, missing two on Sunday alone – as well as an extra point attempt just before halftime. Havrisik has never kicked in a regular-season game and was just 34-for-53 in college, so he’s not the most experienced or accurate kicker, either.

The Rams let Matt Gay walk in free agency this offseason and while he’s been a stud in Indianapolis, Sean McVay and Les Snead are still searching for a replacement.

Cowboys’ McCarthy confident in rookie kicker: ‘He reminds me of a young Mason Crosby’

From @ToddBrock24f7: We may find out soon if the coach is right in his assessment of Brandon Aubrey. The Cowboys are 3-point favorites in Week 1 vs the Giants.

Kicker was one of the big question marks heading into the 2023 season in Dallas.

But Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy says that rookie Brandon Aubrey has answered that question this offseason with a resounding (and maybe familiar-looking) exclamation point, likening him to the hero of many a game during his years with the Packers.

Aubrey, the two-time USFL champion, got off to a shaky start in the first days of training camp but improved enough to win a camp competition with Tristan Vizcaino. And although most outsiders felt the team would bring in a seasoned veteran free agent to at least push the 28-year-old as the summer wore on, McCarthy says he had an early inkling that he had already found his new leg man in the former Notre Dame soccer star.

“The first time I stood behind him and felt the ball come off his foot, I definitely knew he was going to be okay. The talent is there,” the coach said of Aubrey at a Thursday press conference.

“I feel good about him. He has an arsenal of kicks, which is important. I think that, in itself, shows you the ability to control the football. I’ve been very, very impressed with him.”

The job probably wasn’t locked up, though, until Aubrey connected on a 59-yard try to help beat the Raiders in the team’s preseason finale.

Will Aubrey be equally clutch once the games actually count? The Cowboys had better hope so, considering 10 of their contests over the past three seasons have been decided by three points or fewer.

But if McCarthy says the rookie has power in his boot and ice in his veins, he may know what he’s talking about. The coach sees in Aubrey comparisons to one of the mainstay players from his Super Bowl-winning tenure in Green Bay.

“He reminds me of a young Mason Crosby,” McCarthy offered.

Crosby played 16 seasons- all with the Packers- and was true on 395 field goals, a career make percentage of 81.4%. Now a free agent, Crosby’s name came up often this offseason as someone McCarthy and the Cowboys should call as they moved on from Brett Maher.

McCarthy recalled how Crosby, who just turned 39, first won the job in Green Bay.

“He had a big kick in Pittsburgh in the preseason. A really long field goal at Heinz Field,” McCarthy explained. The 52-yard boot in the Packers 2007 preseason opener- at a notoriously tricky stadium for kickers- helped Crosby take the starting job that season from incumbent Dave Rayner.

Aubry’s sniper shot against Las Vegas gave the coach a case of deja vu.

“I remember Mason making that kick; that’s kind of how I felt about Brandon against the Raiders.”

Maybe that was the moment that McCarthy decided once and for all that the team wouldn’t need Crosby, or Robbie Gould, or Ryan Succop, or any of the other experienced kickers currently on the free agent market.

Maybe that was the moment McCarthy decided Aubrey was ready to start down a similar road to start his own NFL career.

Because if he got off on the same preseason foot, maybe that was also a sign of the next steps to come.

“Heck, I hope he has the same start [to his] career as Mason, too,” McCarthy added. “If I remember correctly, Mason’s first game in the NFL, he kicked a walk-off field goal to win the game.”

Crosby did just that in Week 1 of the 2007 season, drilling a 42-yarder with two seconds remaining to lift the Packers over the Eagles by a 16-13 score. Crosby ended his pro debut that day going 3-for-3 on field goals and adding an extra point.

To have Aubrey follow that script in New York on Sunday, the Cowboys would be absolutely thrilled. Period.

Dallas, perhaps not-so-coincidentally, is a three-point favorite in Week 1 over their NFC East rivals to kick off the season.

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Amid Anders Carlson’s continued ups and downs, Mason Crosby eyes return for 17th season

Mason Crosby made it clear he wants to play in the NFL in 2023.

On the same day rookie kicker Anders Carlson missed a couple field goals at Packers practice, Mason Crosby made it clear he wants to return for a 17th season. The 38-year-old free agent posted a video to his Twitter on Thursday, showing he still has something left in the tank if a team needs a veteran kicker in 2023. 

After 16 years in Green Bay, Crosby was not re-signed following a season in which he didn’t have the same kicking power as before. However, Crosby attributed this to the effects of a knee surgery he underwent in July of 2022.

It wasn’t necessarily Crosby’s leg that caused the team go in a different direction. There were also salary cap implications to keeping an accomplished franchise kicker, and Green Bay wanted to start a new chapter with younger players.

So, they used a sixth-round draft pick on a cheaper, 25-year-old replacement in Anders Carlson. That marked the start of a roller coaster ride that still hasn’t ended.

Carlson has been unable to make field goals consistently throughout training camp and the preseason, but the team was prepared to deal with ups and downs of having a young kicker.

But with the start of the regular season a little over three weeks away, Carlson still looks shaky. The team needs a stable kicker in 2023 and Crosby is a potential option as long as he remains unsigned.

For now, all signs point toward Green Bay sticking with Carlson, but that could change when the kicks and points start to count.

Former Buff Mason Crosby staying ready for next NFL opportunity

Former #cubuffs kicker Mason Crosby is staying sharp as he awaits his next NFL opportunity

Former Colorado Buffaloes football star Mason Crosby has been one of the best kickers in the NFL for quite some time. However, the 38-year-old is a free agent after the Green Bay Packers decided to move on, and now he is waiting patiently for his next opportunity.

In 2022, Crosby went 25-for-29 on field goal attempts with a long of 56 yards and was 37-for-39 on extra points, so there is still plenty left in the tank for the veteran.

Crosby is doing whatever it takes and has posted a few clips on social media of him kicking field goals, including a new one of him kicking off a boat on his Instagram (h/t Christopher Kuhagen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

Here’s the video of Crosby taking a different approach to marketing himself, although he clearly shows he can be a serviceable kicker in the NFL.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvD3jvuN78h/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=e20d3078-5ef3-46f3-95be-32f08762fb92

This isn’t the only time Crosby has done something similar to this, and he wrote earlier this summer on Instagram, “Last season was a battle, working hard the whole time trying to regain leg strength after a late summer surgery.”

It’s a different feeling for Crosby being a free agent, but there should be a suitor out on the market for him at some point.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

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Continuation of Anders Carlson’s struggles could crack door for Mason Crosby’s return

The Packers rookie kicker had a rough day Saturday, and Crosby remains unsigned.

If Anders Carlson has more kicking performances like the one he did on Saturday, the Green Bay Packers might have no choice but to pick up the phone and dial Mason Crosby’s number.

Carlson kicked for the second time in front of the media this weekend, and the reports were less than stellar for Green Bay’s rookie replacement for Crosby.

The sixth-round pick out of Auburn made just two field goals on seven tries, including three misses between 40 and 45 yards. Carlson did connect on one of his longer kicks, though, a 51-yarder from the left hash and a 19-yard chip shot during a two-minute drill.

This was a noticeable step back from Carlson’s first training camp outing, which saw him make 5 out of 6 field goals ranging from 40 to 45 yards.

As the only kicker signed to the roster, Carlson has no reason to look over his shoulder just yet, but that could very easily change if he can’t consistently make his field goals in practice.

The Packers frequently brought in camp competition throughout Crosby’s 16 seasons with the team and special teams coach Rich Bisaccia certainly wouldn’t be opposed to a kicking battle.

“We’ll see how it goes,” GM Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday on the possibility of adding a second kicker. “I think Rich would like 20 specialists.”

Bisaccia pushed for Gutekunst to draft Carlson after he successfully resurrected the career of his brother Daniel when the two were with the Las Vegas Raiders from 2018-2021.

During his short time in Green Bay, Carlson has flashed some power but has also shown the same accuracy issues that were concerning throughout his college career. In five seasons at Auburn, he made only 71.8 percent of his attempts.

At the moment, the Packers are fortunate they still have the option to sign Crosby. The franchise’s all-time scoring leader remains a free agent despite wanting to continue his career at 38 years of age. Back in May, Bisaccia wouldn’t rule out working with Crosby again if he couldn’t find a new team.

“I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of great kickers in my time in the league, and he’s one of them,” said Bisaccia. “We’re still in conversation. I think Brian (Gutekunst) has spoken that the door’s not closed, and he’s not on anybody’s team yet.”

Unfortunately, Crosby’s age, deteriorating leg strength, and salary cap cost factored into the team not offering him another contract. However, all that could go out the window if Carlson’s kicking woes persist.

Green Bay will likely give their rookie kicker a little more time before reaching out to Crosby or bringing in another free agent. That said, it may not be a bad idea to have someone push an unproven Carlson for kicking duties in 2023.

Is Mason Crosby the answer to the Dallas Cowboys’ kicking concerns?

From @ReidDHanson: With ties to Mike McCarthy, Mason Crosby could be the emergency solution for the Cowboys kicker situation if all else fails.

After turning the page on the Brett Maher chapter, the Cowboys have been fairly nonchalant about their kicker situation. Given they only have Tristan Vizcaino on the roster, one might say they’ve been downright cavalier about the position heading into training camp.

With USFL players free to sign with NFL teams on July 3, there’s a good chance they plan to add one of those standouts to add to the competition. There aren’t any clear answers coming from the USFL but then again, the kicking position is notoriously unstable, even in the NFL, so there aren’t any clear answers here either.

The Cowboys have stated on multiple occasions they are keeping an eye open and looking under every stone. But as of today, that search hasn’t yielded anything. Perhaps their calm demeanor is because they have an ace up their sleeve. Maybe they have a fallback option in case nothing else pans out?

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Mason Crosby is a free agent kicker Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy knows well. Joining Green Bay in 2007, Crosby was with McCarthy every step of the way. At age 38, Crosby’s time with the Packers has likely come to an end and the Lubbock native waits for his phone to ring for his next NFL opportunity.

“I’m getting myself ready for training camp and feeling good,” Crosby said. “I’m excited for what this next opportunity holds and we’ll see what happens.”

Crosby went 25-for-29 in 2022 for an 86.2 percent average. He was 37-for-39 on extra points (94.9 %) and went 20.3 in touchback percentage.

Crosby isn’t the booming kicker Maher was for the Cowboys in 2022 but he’s consistent from short and hasn’t missed a regular season FG under 30 yards since 2011. He only missed one kick under 50 yards in 2022 so he’s in many ways the polar opposite from what Dallas had in Maher in 2022.

Perhaps the Cowboys’ “c’est la vie” attitude towards the kicker position is because they have Crosby in their hip pocket just in case?

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With Adrian Amos headed to Jets, only Mason Crosby and Marcedes Lewis remain unsigned

Only two unsigned free agents remain for the Packers: K Mason Crosby and TE Marcedes Lewis.

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And then there were two. Safety Adrian Amos signing with the New York Jets on Tuesday leaves only veteran kicker Mason Crosby and veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis as the two unsigned free agents for the Green Bay Packers.

Neither veteran player is expected to return to Green Bay.

Amos, a defensive captain in 2022, is the ninth player to leave the Packers this offseason and the eighth former Packer to join Aaron Rodgers with the Jets.

Receivers Allen Lazard (Jets) and Randall Cobb (Jets), tight end Robert Tonyan (Bears), defensive linemen Dean Lowry (Vikings) and Jarran Reed (Seahawks), linebacker Krys Barnes (Cardinals), safety Vernon Scott (Panthers) and now Amos (Jets) all signed new deals elsewhere. Rodgers was traded by the Packers to the Jets in April.

Crosby, a sixth-round pick in 2007 who has been the Packers kicker for 16 seasons, turns 39 in September. Lewis, a first-round pick in 2006 who spent the last five seasons in Green Bay, turned 39 in May. It’s possible both highly-respected player will officially retire from the NFL before the 2023 season.

The Packers moved on at both positions. Kicker Anders Carlson was selected in the sixth round out of Auburn, and the Packers used a pair of Day 2 picks to take tight ends Luke Musgrave out of Oregon State and Tucker Kraft out of South Dakota State.

The Jets appear to be set at kicker and tight end, but things can change quickly in the NFL. Would Crosby or Lewis sign up for a season with Rodgers in New York if the opportunity arose? Keep an eye on Dallas for Crosby; he’s from Texas, and Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys might need a kicker. The Jets and Raiders previously had interest in signing Lewis.

Free agent K Mason Crosby sold Green Bay area home last month

The sale is yet another sign that Mason Crosby is unlikely to return to the Packers.

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Kicker Mason Crosby, who remains unsigned, sold his Green Bay area home last month, according to Richard Ryman of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

The sale is yet another sign that Crosby, who has been the Packers kicker since 2007 and turns 39 in September, is unlikely to return to Green Bay for a 17th season.

According to Ryman, the 6,140-square foot home sold for $1.35 million on May 23.

Last season, Crosby connected on 25 of 29 field goals and 37 of 39 extra point attempts, scoring 112 total points. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in field goals made and points scored.

Crosby’s contract with the Packers voided in February, leaving behind a little over $1 million in dead money on the team’s salary cap.

As is the case at quarterback, the Packers are likely to be transitioning to youth at kicker in 2023.

General manager Brian Gutekunst drafted Auburn’s Anders Carlson in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. Carlson has direct ties to Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia and must be considered the heavy favorite to be the team’s kicker come Week 1 of 2023.

Overall, Crosby played in 258 straight regular-season games and 23 playoff games for the Packers.

Crosby’s bio is no longer available on the team’s official site.

Per Ryman, Crosby recently bought a new home in Tennessee.