Bleacher Report tabs Chargers’ most important training camp battle
Strengthening the special teams department is one of the biggest priorities for the Chargers ahead of the 2021 season after finishing as the league’s worst in 2020.
Los Angeles did a fine job of adding players to aide with the coverage units, but now the team must determine who will be their starting kicker.
That is why Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay believes that kicker is the most important position battle in training camp.
The Los Angeles Chargers lacked a reliable kicker last year, a glaring issue that must be rectified if this team is to emerge as a contender in 2021.
L.A. can’t afford to leave points on the board again, so having a competitive camp during which a quality long-distance kicker can emerge will be a major boon.
L.A. has three kickers on the roster who will be fighting for the starting job: Michael Badgley, Tristan Vizcaino and Alex Kessman.
Badgley had one of his worst seasons yet in 2020, as he converted just 24 of 33 field goal attempts for L.A., with all nine misses coming from beyond 40 yards. His inconsistencies did not go unnoticed.
Before signing with Los Angeles, Vizciano bounced around a few different practice squads – Cowboys, Vikings and Bills. He made his NFL debut this past season for the 49ers, in which he made all three field goals.
Kessman, an undrafted rookie, hit a career long and Pittsburgh school record 58-yard field goal and converted 12 of 18 kicks of 50 yards or longer in his collegiate career in 2020, which is the best rate in NFL history.
It doesn’t sound as enticing of a position battle compared to others, but it will be vital to the Chargers’ success rate in 2021.
