Every team has roster battles, and that is certainly a fun part of training camp for fans but not necessarily for the players. Someone is going to have a job in the NFL when camp is done, and the other player is going to be looking for a job. That is the case with Indy kickers Blake Grupe and Spencer Shrader.
Kicker battles are not new to Indianapolis, of course. The team had one last year too between Shrader and Maddux Trujillo. Shrader won, but he shouldn't this season for one seemingly obvious reason that doesn't appear to be obvious to Indianapolis's special teams coordinator, Brian Mason.
Speaking about the kicker competition on Saturday, Mason went into great detail about how Indy reviews kickers and what Grupe and Shrader have done in offseason practice as well as training camp so far. The coordinator also pointed out something that hasn't borne out in games, however.
Indianapolis Colts' kicker battle is one that shouldn't be happening
Mason said, according to The Athletic's James Boyd, "You saw Grupe miss (in Thursday's evening practice) from 53 (yards)...which is the first time he's missed a live kick in any situation since being a Colt both last year in the regular season. He never missed in practice or a game, and he didn't miss in OTAs or training camp (until Thursday)...He has a very good leg for his size, but he's not gonna have elite leg strength. (When he's kicking from distance) he's going to have to get a little more into (the ball)...more so than what Shrader would have to do."
That doesn't appear correct, and no offense to Mason, of course. But in camp last season and in the limited time that Shrader played for the Colts before he hurt his knee in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders, what was clear is that Shrader struggles from long distance. Inside 50 yards, he's very accurate, but beyond 50, he is limited.
The 6'2" kicker made one of two kicks beyond 50 yards last season, but the one he converted was 52 yards and not something like 58. He also missed a 60-yard attempt that was well short of the uprights in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. A 15-yard penalty was called on Denver on the play, though, and Shrader was able to make the 45-yard field goal to win the game.
Meanwhile, the 5'7" Grupe has spent three seasons in the NFL and has made 19 of his 27 attempts from beyond 50 yards. He made all four of his tries from beyond 50 yards after being signed by the Indianapolis Colts last season. That included a long of 60 yards in Week15 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Brian Mason certainly knows what goes into making a successful kicker, but his words about leg strength between Shrader and Grupe are based on statistical data. Grupe might be smaller, but he has a clear history of being able to make long field goals.
And the execution of those kicks could be the difference between the Colts winning tight games late and possibly making the playoffs and not. If not for the 15-yard penalty on Denver (a penalty that had nothing to do with Shrader missing or making the 60-yard attempt), Indianapolis would have lost the game.
Later in the season, Grupe made a kick from the same distance. That is why the Colts shouldn't have a kicker battle. Blake Grupe needs to hold the spot for Indy. If a true roster battle is happening, that doesn't speak well of the team's roster decisions.
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