Packers claim kicker Sam Ficken off waivers

As the 2019 NFL Draft comes into focus, the Green Bay Packers continue to look at ways to improve their roster. On Monday, the team claimed kicker Sam Ficken off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks.

Ficken has spent parts of the last four years with NFL teams, mostly with the Los Angeles Rams as an injury replacement for Greg Zuerlein. Ficken converted two of his three field-goal attempts and four of his five extra points in 2017. He missed two field goals for the Rams in 2018, leading to his release in early October.

Accordingly, the Packers’ interest in Ficken remains somewhat unclear. Mason Crosby, their kicker for more than a decade, converted over 81 percent of his field goal attempts this past season, including an impressive 5-7 mark on kicks of 50 or more yards. Crosby does carry a 2019 cap number of $4.85 million, considerably more than Ficken would cost should he make the team. That could possibly weigh into the front office’s thinking when it comes time to determine the 53-man roster.

Alternatively, head coach Matt LaFleur and his new coaching staff plans to put everyone associated with one of the worst special-teams units in the league on notice after another poor season. Crosby has faced competition for his job before, most notably fending off challenges from Giorgio Tavecchio and others during the 2013 training camp and preseason.