ExtremeRavens Posted Wednesday at 11:00 AM Posted Wednesday at 11:00 AM When the Ravens released the embattled Justin Tucker in May, two weeks after drafting a kicker for the first time in the organization’s history, the prevailing reaction was that that selection will be the Week 1 starter. Sixth-round pick Tyler Loop winning the job is still the most likely outcome. But he’s not the only kicker regularly fitting the ball through the uprights during the open portion of practice at organized team activities. John Hoyland has been sharp, too. On Tuesday, Hoyland, an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming, attempted six field goals. The team drill allowed one third-down play for the offense that set up a kick. Hoyland nailed all six, from distances ranging between 37 and 52 yards. Two of them were from an impressive 48. Hoyland’s career long in college was from 56 yards, which he did twice as a senior. Loop last kicked on Monday, part of an alternating plan between the rookies during minicamp and OTAs. He too made all six of his tries from as close as 27 yards and as far as 41. Loop’s most impressive day of voluntary workouts happened last week, when he buried a 60-yarder. His record at Arizona was from 62. The media viewing area at OTAs isn’t always conducive to seeing how close a kick is against either upright. Coach John Harbaugh said Friday that he had a good angle on Loop, noting “they were all right down the middle” and he “made that 60-yarder easily.” These past few days of practice have been particularly strong for the quasi kicking competition. On Thursday, however, Hoyland made only half of his six attempts, including a stretch of three consecutive misses. Both Loop and Hoyland struggled more during rookie minicamp and the first few sessions of OTAs. It seems they’ve both gotten their bearings since. Special teams coach Randy Brown was the one who found Loop. Brown canvassed the country looking for a potential successor to Tucker. He returned to Baltimore and told general manager Eric DeCosta, “There’s one guy that I really covet.” They drafted Loop in the sixth round, making him the favorite in this kicking competition, which has a tad more variability compared to other positions. Hoyland, on the other hand, was in Baltimore for a tryout last month, then signed with the team after rookie minicamp. He went undrafted, like Tucker in 2012, but is getting every chance to compete. “Both kickers, I thought, looked really good today,” Harbaugh said after the first day of rookie minicamp. “So, we got them out there behind the line with the snap and everything, and I think they made them all, didn’t they? So that’s good to see. It’s a good start that way.” The real competition begins later next month at the start of training camp. Those kicks will be diligently tracked until the powers that be name one a starter and presumably cut the other — although a trade can’t be ruled out. In 2019, the Ravens sent undrafted kicker Kaare Vedvik, a former soccer player from Norway who impressed during the preseason, to the Minnesota Vikings in return for a 2020 fifth-round pick. The Vikings waived him three weeks later, while Baltimore used that selection on defensive tackle Broderick Washington. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. John Hoyland, an undrafted free agent from Wyoming, is making it a competition so far during practices. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article Quote
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