The Las Vegas Raiders have a kicker battle going on, and everyone has their eyes fixed on it.
The Las Vegas Raiders
have a real kicker battle brewing at training camp, and special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis wants everyone to know it.
This isn't a tryout to see if undrafted rookie Kensei Matsuzawa, affectionately known as "Tokyo Toe," can stick on the practice squad. He's pushing veteran Matt Gay for the starting job, and the Raiders coaching staff is treating this as a genuine position battle heading into the preseason. When asked about Matsuzawa pushing Gay, DeCamillis made the situation clear on Sunday.
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"Yes, I would. It's a legit competition," he said.
Position battles happen every training camp
, but kicker competitions carry a different weight. If you have a kicker battle, you probably aren't in a great position. But the Raiders seem to like both options they have on the roster, and the practice results back that up.
At practice on July 31, Gay was perfect on all of his field goal attempts. Matsuzawa missed just one, from about 40 yards out. When two kickers are battling that close and making nearly every single kick, the team is in a solid spot regardless of who wins.
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The Raiders signed Gay this offseason after parting ways with Daniel Carlson, one of the franchise's best kickers in the modern era. Gay, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft pick, brings NFL experience but had an inconsistent season last year that landed him on two different teams.
Matt Gay's stats from last season
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17-for-23 overall on field goals – Perfect from 20-29 yards – 1 miss from 30-39 yards – Perfect from 40-49 yards – 4-for-9 from 50-plus yards – Longest: 56 yards – 26-for-26 on extra points
That's a decent season, but not one that inspires total confidence, particularly from long range. A lot of fans probably would have preferred Las Vegas just keep Carlson and pay a little extra, but it doesn't always work out that way. This regime had a different plan, even though Carlson was one of the last original Raiders from Oakland still on the roster.
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Matsuzawa brings accuracy and upside
The Raiders have real potential with Matsuzawa, who came out of the University of Hawaii as one of the more accurate kickers college football has produced over the last few years. His only notable concern is leg strength. He doesn't have a ton of power at this stage. But if you're making your kicks and the offense is good enough to get you into scoring position closer to the goal, raw distance doesn't always matter. And who's to say he can't develop that power? You can always add leg strength as a kicker.
Gay offers the ability to hit from deep, but the accuracy isn't always there. Matsuzawa is more precise but may lack the range to consistently convert from 50-plus. That contrast is what makes this competition worth watching.
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Preseason should tell the story
This battle will almost certainly carry into the preseason schedule. The two kickers will likely rotate games, or at least halves, during the exhibition slate. Those preseason reps under game conditions will tell the real story of who wins this job. Practice kicks are one thing. Making them with live rushes and stadium noise is another.
Either way, the Raiders have created a genuine competition at the position, and DeCamillis clearly views it that way. This is one of the more compelling camp battles to follow as Las Vegas works toward finalizing its 53-man roster.
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This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Raiders special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis told it how it is regarding the kicker battle taking place in training camp
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