It's fair to say, however, that Carlson is still one of the 32 best kickers in the NFL. Yet, now into training camp and with preseason games on the horizon, he remains available on the open market. There hasn't even been any word of a team bringing him in for as much as a workout. Or maybe he just wants a clear-cut opportunity to be someone's kicker that has yet to materialize. Carlson would clearly fit that bill, if not tilt toward eventually being the outright replacement for Smack.