3 underrated storylines to watch at Commanders training camp in 2023

Commanders kicker battle

Joey Slye was acquired after Ron Rivera decided to release Dustin Hopkins with seven games remaining in the 2021 campaign. The former Virginia Tech kicker came in and did his job perfectly, connecting on all of his field goal attempts (only three) and 9-of-10 extra point attempts.

Slye regularly set the team up with good field position with touchbacks on kickoffs. Therefore, it made sense to bring him back last season.

While Slye wasn't awful by any means, he cost the Washington Commanders critical points that could have turned losses into wins. He finished 25-of-30 when it came to field goal attempts with an impressive long of 58 yards. The more disturbing statistic was his four missed extra points (24-28) during the 2022 campaign.

Last week, Washington made a somewhat surprising move by signing veteran kicker Michael Badgley following his shock release from the Detroit Lions. Unlike Slye, he didn't miss a single extra point while connecting on 20-of-24 of his field goal efforts last season.

Some say kickers don't matter in the grand scheme of things. But anyone who watches football on a regular basis knows the value of having a clutch guy delivering under pressure.

Badgley isn't just a camp body. There's a legitimate kicker competition heading into 2023 and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.