Mason had a serious slup last season. Still, the Packer brass remained confident that he would eventually snap out of it.

That confidence has apparently been shaken.

It looks like the Packers will be trying out a new kicker, Michael Barnard. Barnard was atrocious as a kicker at Farleigh Dickenson University. But, he has worked his tail off in the meantime trying to improve his craft and has made enough of a name for himself to warrant a tryout with the Packers.

This means one of three things for Mason. The Packers are seriously looking for a replacement for him, they’re hoping competition can shake Crosby out of his stupor, or they’ve decide to go back to using up a roster spot for an extra kicker.

My guess is that, while Thompson and McCarthy still have confidence in Mason’s ability to kick the ball, they’ve begun to lose confidence in his ability to break out of the slump and become the Mason Crosby of old.

Here’s a clip of Michael in action. Lots of kickoffs here, but field goals begin at the 7:00 mark.