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Dustin Hopkins expected to miss time, Redskins to work out kickers

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - AUGUST 27: Kicker Dustin Hopkins #3 of the Washington Redskins celebrates a field goal against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half during a preseason game at FedExField on August 27, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - AUGUST 27: Kicker Dustin Hopkins #3 of the Washington Redskins celebrates a field goal against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half during a preseason game at FedExField on August 27, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Dustin Hopkins is just one of the many Redskins who suffered an injury this past week. He will miss this upcoming week, meaning that the Redskins will need a kicker.

The Washington Redskins suffered a lot of key injuries in their Week 6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. They lost Jonathan Allen for 3-to-4 weeks with a Lisfranc injury, and Bashaud Breeland is dealing with a hamstring malady. However, the player that will cause them the most stress in the lead up to the Week 7 clash with the Eagles is Dustin Hopkins.

Hopkins, the Redskins kicker, tore a muscle in his hip, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. While the tear is only a partial one, it is expected to keep Hopkins out for this week and possibly more time. That means that the Redskins are going to have to find a new kicker to replace Hopkins as he recovers from his injury.

The Redskins are going to have to find the right option to replace Hopkins as they need to find a kicker with a dependable leg and solid accuracy. That is never an easy thing to find, but there are always some promising options available on the free agent market. The old adage is that you can always sign a kicker off the street.

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That said, it’s possible that Hopkins could end up losing his job if the Redskins sign a kicker who performs well. Hopkins has struggled with his deep accuracy in recent weeks with the Redskins, and he really can’t be relied on from 50-plus yards. During his career, he is only 5-of-13 from that distance. In the modern NFL, it’s a prerequisite to be able to have a shot at making a 50 yarder, so that may work against Hopkins if the Redskins can find a suitable replacement.

The Redskins are likely to work out new kickers on Tuesday, so we will keep you posted on who they bring in. There are a few solid options out there, and it will be interesting to see if the team elects to bring in a veteran, like Mike Nugent, to offer consistency or a younger kicker, like Younghoe Koo, who offers upside.

Next: Redskins should consider trading for Martavis Bryant

In the short term, Hopkins will be missed. But this will give the Redskins a chance to find a potential replacement for their kicker, if they can find someone with a big leg. At the same time, it seems unlikely that they will find anyone to fill that role long term. Hopkins is still very accurate from inside 50 yards, so unless the new kicker starts his career out with a bang, he’ll have a hard time replacing Hopkins.

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