I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but there's a kicker controversy with Detroit Lions right now. Brace yourselves for a full on kicker battle at training camp this summer.

The incumbent Michael Badgley will defend his spot against former Lion Riley Patterson, who had a nice season with the Jaguars last year, and the XFL's best kicker, Parker Romo. How are they going to solve this? My idea is that they put the job in a briefcase and hang it above the ring at SummerSlam at Ford Field this August. That might be a bit too much though. 

Wait, I have an idea. I know a special teams expert that could help us with all of this. Welcome my friend and former Pride of Detroit co-worker Hamaza Baccouche. I asked Hamza to help us out with this kicker search. He gave some very good information. Here's what he had to say. 

Michael Badgley 

Why should Badgley get the job?

"Incumbency is a strong force when it comes to kickers in the NFL. There are so many variables to success, most importantly meshing with your holder and long snapper. The grass isn't always greener on the other side, and Badgley proved he can hold his own. There's no need to uproot this and next thing you know the Lions are putting themselves in another kicker carousel."

Why should Badgley not get the job?

"There is always going to be a better option. Badgley is a good kicker, don't get me wrong. However, good is the enemy of great. Just as moving on from Badgley could spell disaster, it also could spell finding another diamond in the rough like Matt Prater was, as I thought Brandon McManus would be when he was cut this offseason."

It's 4th down late in the game and the Lions are in deep field goal range. Do you bring in Badgley, or go for it on 4th down? Why did you pick either anwer?

"Time permitting, I think the Lions go for it. However, I think that's more a reflection of Dan Campbell's philosophy than of anybody's trust in Badgley. The reason the Lions were content with Badgley all of last season was because they knew what he brings to the table and it lines up with what they were going to ask of him; they're not limiting what they ask of him because of what he brings to the table. I think barring a truly elite kicker, Campbell goes for it. "

Riley Patterson

Why should Patterson get the job?

"Essentially a lot of the same reasons Badgley should — they're very similar as kickers. There's an added bonus that you already have tangible proof that Patterson meshes well with this special teams unit, so there aren't any doubts about jitters and such should he win the job. It's a relatively safe situation for the Lions to move on to a new kicker should they want to."

Why should Patterson not get the job?

"Frankly, because he lost it already. I view Patterson as the odd man out in this situation. He has what it takes to be an NFL kicker, but the Lions moved on from him once already when Patterson lost the starting job to Austin Seibert last season. The way I see it, there's no reason to uproot something that's already working (Badgley) unless you have a significant upgrade, and while Patterson is good, he's not a significant upgrade."

It's 4th down late in the game and the Lions are in deep field goal range. Do you bring in Patterson, or go for it on 4th down? Why did you pick either anwer?

"Considering Patterson and Badgley have very similar player profiles, my answer remains the same as with Badgley — the Lions are going for it, and that's not an indictment of their kicker so much as a reflection of their philosophy."

Parker Romo

Why should Romo get the job?

"The gap between Romo and Badgley/Patterson is not nearly as big as some may imagine. Romo has NFL experience, having had a sting with the Saints in 2022. He proved himself as 1) reliable and 2) having long range in the XFL, which is live football at a similarly high level of play to the NFL. That counts for something. Romo is not the same kicker that Badgley and Patterson are, which means it opens the door for something different. It's just a matter of whether or not the Lions want different."

Why should Romo not get the job?

"Honestly, I don't really have an answer for this. He's not an elite kicker, but he's a good kicker, certainly NFL caliber. Not to be captain obvious here, but it'll really come down to his performance in training camp. Romo performed well in a large sample size across the XFL season; if he can continue that level of performance across training camp, there's no reason for the Lions to look elsewhere."

It's 4th down late in the game and the Lions are in deep field goal range. Do you bring in Romo, or go for it on 4th down? Why did you pick either anwer?

"Answer remains that the Lions' default will be to go for it, however Romo definitely has the biggest leg of the three kickers. He proved in the XFL that he has some serious range, so that may sway things a bit, but I'll honestly need to see him hit from long range in a bigger sample size in training camp to say the Lions change their default strategy here."

The pick

"As the kicking room came together, I maintained that it was Badgley's job to lose. However, OTAs seemed to indicate that Romo's leg was fact, not fluke. Like I said with regards to why Romo shouldn't get the job, if Romo can continue his XFL level of play, I truly think it's his job to lose. If it was all said and done today, I think Badgley keeps his spot. My gut tells me though that it's a matter of when, not if, Romo stakes his claim as the starting kicker for the Detroit Lions."

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