MACOMB, Ill. - Coach Mike Martz has yet to sing out: "If I had a Hammer. ..."
But two weeks into training camp, finding a replacement for James "The Hammer" Hodgins has been tougher than anticipated. Hodgins, now with Arizona, was released in a cap-related move in February.
Auditions have been ongoing at Western Illinois University, and with each day of camp, the job appears to be more wide open.
"We've got a lot of good candidates," Martz insists.
Here's a rundown:
Heir apparent J.R. Niklos suffered a concussion Tuesday in practice, and has been ruled out of Friday's preseason opener in Oakland.
Unheralded Chad Kuhns, signed as a street free agent less than two months ago, made a dramatic move up the depth chart about one week into camp and was challenging Niklos for the starting spot. But Kuhns was sidelined for several days because of a stinger, and is just now getting back into the mix.
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But two weeks into training camp, finding a replacement for James "The Hammer" Hodgins has been tougher than anticipated. Hodgins, now with Arizona, was released in a cap-related move in February.
Auditions have been ongoing at Western Illinois University, and with each day of camp, the job appears to be more wide open.
"We've got a lot of good candidates," Martz insists.
Here's a rundown:
Heir apparent J.R. Niklos suffered a concussion Tuesday in practice, and has been ruled out of Friday's preseason opener in Oakland.
Unheralded Chad Kuhns, signed as a street free agent less than two months ago, made a dramatic move up the depth chart about one week into camp and was challenging Niklos for the starting spot. But Kuhns was sidelined for several days because of a stinger, and is just now getting back into the mix.
MORE