While the last original Panther, kicker John Kasay, is probably in no way fighting for a job, he might find himself one of two placekickers to make the final roster this year.
Rhys Lloyd (pronounced “reese,” for those of you who didn’t get the title), a kicker born in Dover, England, could very well earn a roster spot in 2008 due to his powerful leg. The son of a former pro soccer player, Lloyd moved to Minnesota in 1997 and at first participated in only soccer and track at his high school. His potential as a football kicker was discovered by his school’s football coach during his sophomore year. He chose to continue to play football at the University of Minnesota, where he was best known for his game-winning kick against Oregon in the 2003 Sun Bowl. Lloyd went undrafted in the 2005 NFL Draft, but has spent time with the Ravens and Packers organizations.
During the 2007 season, John Kasay sent only two of his kickoffs into the endzone for touchbacks, a number that Lloyd equaled in his one game appearance in the season finale at Tampa Bay. He has since signed a two-year contract with the Panthers.
While I’m sure some would dislike using up three roster spots on kickers (the third being punter Jason Baker), Lloyd stands a great chance of making the team as a kickoff specialist, with Kasay continuing to kick field goals until he chooses to retire. I wouldn’t mind both being on the roster, as I love Kasay, but Lloyd could be the future longtime kicker for Carolina. This will be an interesing story to follow during the offseason.
