4 free agent kickers the Detroit Lions could consider signing

It’s not the splashiest thing to think about, but here are four free agent kickers the Detroit Lions could consider signing.

After quite a kicker carousel for a season-plus after Matt Prater left in free agency, Michael Badgley stabilized the situation for the Detroit Lions. In 12 games for them last season, he went 20-for-24 on field goals and 33-for-33 on extra points. Many fans will remember a chip shot miss on Thanksgiving Day, as play-by-play man Jim Nantz jinxed him, but his other three misses were from 40-plus yards out

Badgley is a free agent, and it would be simplest for the Lions to just re-sign him and move on to bigger priorities. But via Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press, special teams coach Dave Fipp seems somewhat intrigued by outside possibilities.

The free agent list of kickers, via Spotrac, indeed has some interesting names on it. As much as kickers can or should be that interesting, I suppose.

As the Lions possibly entertain options besides Badgley, here are four free agent kickers they could consider signing.

4 free agent kickers the Detroit Lions could consider signing

4. Brett Maher

Let’s try to forget Maher’s case of the yips that came to a full head in the Cowboys’ Wild Card Round win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Over the last two seasons, Maher has made 90 percent of his field goals. Last season, he went 9-for-11 from 50 or more yards out and he has a long of at least 60 yards in three of his four NFL seasons. He had a 78 percent touchback rate on kickoffs last season (by comparison punter Jack Fox, the Lions’ kickoff guy, had a 71.4 percent rate late season).

If the Lions think they could have an answer for Maher’s yips, which any kicker can be subject to at any point, he could get what seems to be a much-needed change of scenery in Detroit.