3 kickers that would have been better options than Badgley

Roberto Aguayo

Roberto Aguayo is an obvious place to start, particularly because he spent the offseason in Los Angeles and if you ask me, kicked the ball better than Sturgis during the preseason.

Aguayo has become the punchline whenever bad kicker jokes are told, but that’s mainly because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at one time chose to use a second-round pick to select him.

There’s no doubt that the former Florida State star has struggled at the professional level, as the Chargers were already his fourth NFL team in just three seasons.

But Aguayo struck the ball better in the exhibition season this summer, even winning the team’s final preseason game with a last second field goal. He was given his walking papers just days later.

Sturgis signed a two-year contract as a free agent this past spring and that likely gave him a leg up, no pun intended, in the kicking competition. But if you knew you were going to keep him for that reason, why even have a kicking competition? Unless of course, Sturgis just outshined him in practice.

One thing seems to be sure, Sturgis is not a great kicker and though the team likely wants to shut down the revolving door it has had at the position, a permanent option needs to be determined.

Of course, one could easily argue that Aguayo doesn’t fit that bill either. But is he better than Sturgis? Possibly. Is he better than Badgley? Most definitely.