With the NFL’s misguided kickoff-placement rule creating an incentive to have strong-legged men who can bang the ball into the end zone and beyond, guys who possess that skill have unprecedented value.
For that reason, kicker Rhys Lloyd finally has gotten another job, with the Giants.
Of course, it helped that Lawrence Tynes is injured. But Lloyd now has a chance to show what he can do with the ball teed up at the 35.
Lloyd recently worked out for the Patriots. He worked out for the Giants on Tuesday. As pointed out in the Wednesday one-liners, Lloyd agreed to terms last night.
Lloyd signed as a free agent in 2010 with the Vikings after several years with the Panthers. The Vikings cut Lloyd, and he returned to Carolina, kicking off 53 times and generating 11 touchbacks, a 20-percent rate.
For his career, Lloyd has a touchback rate of more than 28 percent, on 224 kickoffs. His average distance is 66.9 yards per kick, which under the new rule puts every kickoff two yards into the end zone.