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Lions Release Nate Freese, Sign Alex Henery

ALLEN PARK (CBS DETROIT) - Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell announced Monday that the team has released kicker Nate Freese and signed Alex Henery.

The Lions drafted Freese in the seventh round this year, and Freese beat out Giorgio Tavecchio in training camp.

In the regular season, however, Freese has not fared well. He is 3-for-7 on the season, and he has not made a kick of more than 40 yards in a regular season game. He missed two kicks against the Carolina Panthers in week two and another on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

"In this particular sport, at this particular level, it's difficult," Caldwell said. "You get heavily scrutinized. The pressure mounts on you as well. He's a guy that is very capable. It's pretty obvious that we thought he was very, very good at what he does, and I still think, in the long run, he's not the first guy that's been released in terms of that particular position. Most of them, I think, when you look at their records and where they have been several different places and then at one point in time they sort of get settled in and kick for a long period of time ... I think you'll see the same thing happen with him at some point in time because he does have talent.

"A lot of positives about him," Caldwell added, "and I think they're still there, but obviously performance is what counts in this league, and that's no matter who you are."

Alex Henery, 27, most recently kicked for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013 and made 23 of 28 attempts. In Henery's career, he is 74-for-86 in three seasons with the Eagles. Henery was a fourth round pick for the Eagles in 2011.

Henery worked out for the Lions last week.

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