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Lions rookie Nate Freese to remain team's kicker despite struggles

The Detroit Lions will keep rookie Nate Freese as their placekicker for now, head coach Jim Caldwell said. 
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The Detroit Lions will keep rookie Nate Freese as their placekicker for now, head coach Jim Caldwell told the Detroit Free Press on Thursday.

Freese is just 2-of-5 on field goal attempts so far this season, with a long of 28 yards. He misses both of his attempts in Detroit's game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, a 24-7 loss.

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Caldwell said after that game the team would explore other options at kicker. Several free agent kickers were brought in for tryouts this week but none were signed.

“At this point in time, he is our guy,” Caldwell said. “He’s a young guy who has potential. But just like anything else in our business, it’s a performance business. We all understand that, and he understands it as well.”

The Lions selected Freese in the seventh round of this year's NFL draft. He went 70-for-81 on field goals during his career at Boston College.

Ben Estes