Thursday Cheese Curds: NFL proposes rules changes, Packers look for kicker competition

Anders Carlson isn’t safe, though the Packers were unsuccessful in bringing in a veteran to compete with him recently.

Saying that Anders Carlson had an inconsistent rookie year for the Green Bay Packers in 2023 would be a study in understatement. The 6th-round draft pick missed more place-kicks than any other kicker in the NFL last year, with six missed field goals and five missed PATs. Those 11 misses were one more than New England’s Chad Ryland, a fellow rookie who missed ten total kicks.

It should come as no surprise that the Packers are looking to provide Carlson with competition this year. The team already signed another young kicker, but reportedly was interested in bringing in a veteran in free agency.

That is an interesting, if unsurprising, bit of news to come out of Lambeau Field this week. Meanwhile, the NFL is gearing up for its annual meetings next week with a bevy of rules change proposals, one of which would change the concept of a kickoff entirely and another — banning the hip-drop tackle — that could prove nearly impossible to officiate. But there are a few others in the list that are somewhat intriguing, and it’s worth taking a look at the full list of proposals.

Give these links a look while you’re gearing up for the start of today’s men’s basketball tournament or during some breaks in the action.

Packers add to coaching staff | Packers.com
What an unglamorous headline! Green Bay has brought on a new strength and conditioning assistant, Todd Hunt, who held the same position with the Cincinnati Bengals over the past five seasons and played defensive line at Fresno State from 2012-15.

New kickoff format, ban on hip-drop tackle among 10 rule proposals to be heard at Annual League Meeting | NFL.com
Yes, yes, those two are the rules proposals that are picking up big headlines. But in the other proposals, there’s also the idea to allow a team to attempt a 4th-and-20 on offense instead of an onside kick, a little bit of expansion of plays that are reviewable on instant replay, and guaranteeing a team a third challenge if they win either one of their first two.

Packers Seeking Veteran to Challenge Kicker Anders Carlson – Sports Illustrated
Ooh, a mystery! The Packers nearly signed a veteran kicker last week, but he had a change of heart and agreed to a deal elsewhere. Perhaps it was Greg Joseph or Brett Maher or Randy Bullock, who all signed deals recently.

Packers’ Sean Clifford reacts to Josh Jacobs getting his jersey number | Packersnews.com
At least Clifford had a good sense of humor about losing his jersey number to the Packers’ new starting running back.

NFL beat writer mock draft 2.0: Vikings, Broncos trade up into top 10 to grab QBs – The Athletic ($)
Three QBs start the draft, followed by three WRs, with the first defensive player coming at 9 (Dallas Turner to the Bears). Meanwhile, the Packers’ beat writer continues to stick with a 180-pound cornerback in Clemson’s Nate Wiggins.

NFL free agency: Roster additions, cuts, remaining questions – ESPN
Nothing in here about the Packers comes as a surprise to those who follow them closely, but there is some useful info recapping the other 31 teams’ offseasons so far.

Why a pyramid is keeping this SLC bakery from obtaining a liquor license | Salt Lake Tribune
A Utah law barring businesses from holding liquor licenses if they’re within a certain distance of a church is the reason. The pyramid belongs to a religious institution founded by a man who called himself “Corky Ra,” who founded it after claiming he was visited by aliens, and whose mummified body is on display inside.