Tag: Michael Badgley

Former Lions kicker back on the market

Former Lions kicker Riley Patterson released by the Jaguars just days after Detroit lost K Michael Badgley

The Detroit Lions are looking to add a fresh competitor into the placekicking mix in training camp after Michael Badgley was lost for the season. Even with Badgley going on I.R. late last week and after reportedly working out four free agent options, the Lions still have only unproven UFL standout Jake Bates on the roster at kicker.

Now, a former Lions kicker is back on the market and could intrigue special teams coordinator Dave Fipp and the team. Riley Patterson, who was Detroit’s regular kicker for 13 games last season and six other games back in 2021, is now a free agent.

The Jacksonville Jaguars released Patterson on Monday. The 24-year-old converted 15-of-17 field goal attempts for the Lions last year, with a long of 52 yards. He was released midseason in favor of Badgley after missing two extra points in three games, as well as his limited field goal range; Patterson tops out at 53 yards and struggled all last summer to successfully make any kick beyond 47 yards.

The Lions have experience with Patterson and a stated desire to add a kicker to challenge Bates. A reuniting would make some sense, though Patterson’s shortcomings as a kicker are already known and could dissuade Detroit from making that happen, too.

Lions add veteran LB in series of roster moves

Lions add veteran LB Malik Jefferson in series of roster moves that also includes rookie Christian Mahogany

Even on a Saturday, the Detroit Lions were busy on the NFL’s transaction wire. The Lions added a veteran linebacker among a flurry of roster moves after the fourth training camp session.

The Lions added Malik Jefferson, a linebacker who played for the Dallas Cowboys in 2023. Detroit is Jefferson’s sixth team in as many NFL seasons since being selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. The 27-year-old Jefferson has played in 39 career games but appeared almost exclusively on special teams.

The Lions created room on the roster by placing kicker Michael Badgley on the injured reserve. Badgley tore a hamstring in Thursday’s practice and will miss the season.

Detroit also placed sixth-round rookie guard Christian Mahogany on the active/non-football illness list. Mahogany has yet to appear in training camp while dealing with an undisclosed illness. He is eligible to be activated at any time, but going on official list is a sign that Mahogany might be out a little while longer.

The Lions also waived offensive lineman Matt Farniok with an injury settlement. Farniok was previously waived during the week but now gets the designation of an injury settlement. His injury was not revealed by the team.

Lions lose kicker Michael Badgley to torn hamstring

Lions lose Michael Badgley for the season to a torn hamstring

The Detroit Lions’ decision to sign UFL star Jake Bates looks more prudent as of Friday. That’s because the  NFC North champions will be without kicker Michael Badgley for the season due to a torn hamstring.

Badgley is going to have surgery on the injury. Dan Campbell addressed the situation.

“We feel awful for Badge,” Campbell said. “He worked his tail off to get ready for this season. He was having a good spring and was ready for camp. It’s tough.”

Badgley took over the Lions’ kicking role in Week 15 last year, and was 13-of-15 on extra points and 4-of-4 on field goals in the regular season, plus 13-of-13 on extra points and 8-of-9 on field goals in the postseason.

Bates became a star in the fledgling league. He went from not having kicked a field goal since high school to booming long kicks in the UFL.

With the Michigan Panthers, Bates made 17 of 22 field goals. He also hit 4 of 6 attempts during the postseason. Three of his field goals were longer than 60 yards.

Lions kicker Michael Badgley headed for I.R., out for the season

Lions kicker Michael Badgley headed for I.R., out for the season after suffering a serious injury

We have our first injury of Detroit Lions training camp. Kicker Michael Badgley is headed for the injured reserve and will miss the season.

Head coach Dan Campbell broke the bad news about Badgley at the start of his Friday morning press conference. Campbell indicated Badgley suffered a “significant” injury and needs surgery.

Badgley’s departure leaves UFL standout Jake Bates as the only kicker in camp, though Campbell added that the team has already worked out another kicker and is looking to add competition for Bates.

Michael Badgley puts his best leg forward in Lions OTAs

Badgley was money on several long FG attempts in Thursday’s practice, including a 61-yarder that had room to spare

Michael Badgley is back as the Detroit Lions kicker. That’s a status that many fans aren’t happy about, even after Badgley was perfect on field goals in his four regular-season games and three postseason games in 2023.

Badgley shut down any questions about his leg strength with a boomer of a day at Lions OTAs on Thursday. On a cloudless 70-degree day with a light cross breeze, Badgley nailed eight attempts in a row from at least 53 yards. He concluded with a 61-yard success from the right hash mark that would have been good from at least 2-3 more yards.

The day didn’t start great for Badgley. He missed his first attempt from 48 yards wide right, and also yanked a 50-yarder to almost the exact same spot–about 3 ball lengths wide right. After that, Badgley did not miss on his final 18 (by my count) attempts from ranges of 45 and beyond.

Undrafted rookie James Turner wasn’t as successful, though he did show a very strong leg in drilling a 55-yarder right down the middle. He missed two of three at one point, all from 48-52 yards.

It’s worth noting the long snapper battle has some heat. Veteran Scott Daly had poor snaps on one of Badgley’s misses, and holder Jack Fox really had to work on a couple other ones to get it set. UDFA Hogan Hatten didn’t get many reps but was perfect on his FG snaps.

Lions re-sign K Michael Badgley

Lions re-sign K Michael Badgley ahead of free agency

Cross one name off the lost of pending free agents for the Detroit Lions. The team announced on Thursday that it has re-signed kicker Michael Badgley.

Badgley was set to be a free agent after his one-year deal in Detroit expired, but the Lions are bringing him back for a potential third season. He was Detroit’s kicker in 2022 and returned to replace Riley Patterson midway through 2023.

The veteran set a Lions playoff record with a 54-yard field goal in the wild card win over the Rams.

Terms of the deal are not yet publicly available.

Detroit Lions unrestricted free agents now that the 2023 season is completed

With the 2024 offseason looming, here is the master list of the Detroit Lions unrestricted free agents

The Detroit Lions had an impressive season, coming within one game of a Super Bowl berth despite their loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Looking ahead, the future seems promising for the Lions.

GM Brad Holmes and Coach Dan Campbell are likely already diligently evaluating the roster, identifying areas for improvement to overcome the challenges. From a personal perspective, they should have the trust of the fanbase to execute the necessary moves. As they enter the offseason, the Lions possess $58.6 million in cap space, ranking sixth in the NFL according to Over the Cap. This substantial amount will likely be essential to bolster the roster, especially with only 38 players currently under contract for the upcoming season.

Certain players demonstrated their value this season, earning a return to the roster, while others failed to meet expectations. The decisions on who to retain and who to release will be intriguing. Here’s the comprehensive list of the Lions’ unrestricted free agents.

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10 former Colts on AFC, NFC Championship rosters

10 former Colts are on the AFC, NFC Championship rosters.

As the playoffs heat up with the conference championship gets set for this weekend, the Indianapolis Colts will see a handful of former players taking part in the big games.

By our count, 10 former players across three of the teams donned the horseshoe at one point regardless of whether they were an early draft pick or a player on the practice squad.

Here’s a look at 10 former Colts players who are on the AFC and NFC Championship rosters:

Lions beat the Rams for the franchise’s first playoff win since 1991

Lions beat the Rams for the franchise’s first playoff win since 1991

The first three games of wild card weekend were uncompetitive blowouts. The Lions and Rams changed that with a very competitive Sunday night affair that left few fingernails for fans of either team.

In the end, the Lions prevailed in Ford Field, 24-23, with Jared Goff kneeling in victory formation. The former Rams quarterback outdueled the former Lions quarterback for the first postseason victory in Ford Field and Detroit’s first playoff win since the 1993 season.

Both offenses came out on fire. There were points scored on the first six drives of the game, with three touchdowns by Detroit and two TDs and a field goal from the Rams. Jared Goff completed his first 10 passes, while counterpart Matthew Stafford threw for 137 yards and two TDs in the second quarter,

Detroit took the 21-17 lead into the half, though their final drive ended in some officiating controversy, because no Lions game is complete without one.

In the second half, the defenses put their better feet forward. Detroit managed just one field goal, a 54-yarder from Michael Badgley, in their next four drives. The Lions defense held tough in the red zone, holding the Rams to two short field goals in their next three drives.

That set up crunch time over the final half of the fourth quarter. Detroit’s defense got a critical stop with a little over four minutes left, thanks in part to a couple of officiating decisions from referee Craig Wrolstad’s crew that went their way.

Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for a massive first down inside the two-minute warning to seal the cathartic win for Detroit. He finished 22-of-27 for 277 yards and a touchdown. Stafford threw for 367 and two touchdowns, but the stalled drives in the red zone prevented the narrative of No. 9 returning to Detroit and ruining the party from happening.

The Lions now advance to the divisional round, where they will face the winner of the Buccaneers/Eagles game. Detroit will host that game no matter the opponent.

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Lions waive freshly activated FB Jason Cabinda in a series of roster moves

Cabinda was activated from I.R. and then waived in a span of 24 hours

It’s been a weird 24 hours with the Detroit Lions on the NFL’s transaction wire. After making some moves on Thursday, primarily activating FB Jason Caibnda from the injured reserve, GM Brad Holmes and the Lions were busy on Friday.

Cabinda was waived on Friday in a surprising maneuver. Waiving Cabinda means he will not be eligible to rejoin the team in time for Saturday night’s game in Dallas.

Taking Cabinda’s spot on the 53-man roster is kicker Michael Badgley. That move was expected, with Badgley facing the final practice squad elevation for 2023 after being elevated the last two weeks. Detroit still has one other opening on the 53-man roster.

Also, the Lions shuffled the practice squad. The team released DL Chris Smith and brought back OL Michael Schofield to the practice squad.

Waiving Cabinda could be a move designed to protect other players at the bottom of the roster whom the Lions wish to keep. It’s unlikely any other team will claim Cabinda for a couple of reasons. First, few teams utilize a straight fullback like Cabinda; most already have their FB or use a hybrid TE or extra OL in the role, if needed. Secondly, Cabinda is coming off an injury and has bene sight unseen for any team that might be interested.