Out of the many position battles the Las Vegas Raiders are going to have this offseason, one that won’t get talked about much is at kicker. The team moved on from former All-Pro Daniel Carlson this offseason and decided to sign Matt Gay in free agency.
Gay isn’t a high-end kicker, but he’s a proven veteran who has made clutch kicks before. For competition, the Raiders signed undrafted free agent Kansei Matsuzawa. The former Hawaii kicker who hails from Japan became a viral sensation in college due to his fun personality and the fact that he learned how to kick from YouTube.
This earned him the nickname “The Tokyo Toe.” It would be a fun story for Matsuzawa to make the team, but it’s going to be difficult for him to beat out a veteran like Gay. The Athletic’s Sam Warren projected that Matsuzawa will get cut before the season.
“There wasn’t much to discern about the Raiders’ kicking competition from the offseason program,” Warren wrote. “Gay and Matsuzawa’s field goal attempts weren’t visible until minicamp, and neither stood out from the other when observed.
“Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis said, ‘It should be a hell of a competition’ in training camp. However, Gay is a veteran who enjoyed his best seasons with DeCamillis on the Rams, and that gives him the leg up right now. Duzansky, regarded as a top long snapper in this year’s draft class, has a good shot at supplanting Ward.”
More From DeCamillis on Matsuzawa
It’s still very early in the offseason, so Matsuzawa isn’t out of the kicking competition yet. He’s already endeared himself to coach and teammates. In fact, they’ve even given him a new nickname.
“Matt [Gay] has really helped Special K quite a bit,” DeCamillis told reporters in June. “He’s done a good job of getting him squared away with some of his technique and some of that which is great for an older guy to be able to do especially when you’re competing for the job. The competition’s been good. Hopefully we can get Matt back on the same plane that he was when I had him in LA. And I think Special K’s gonna be really good too down the road. Should be a hell of a competition.”
It’s going to take more than vibes for Matsuzawa to earn a roster spot, but if he can prove he can make some long kicks at a consistent level, that’ll help him beat out Gay. If he’s not ready this year, he could be a practice squad candidate.
Were Raiders Right to Move on From Carlson?
Carlson had a stretch where he was one of the best kickers in the NFL, but the last couple of seasons weren’t as strong. Despite that, he has still been a more accurate kicker than Gay.
It doesn’t make much sense to replace Carlson with an average kicker. Perhaps the Raiders are confident in Matsuzawa, but if the kickers aren’t looking great in training camp, it could be time to give Carlson a call, who is still a free agent.
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