The New England Patriots continue the process of filling out their roster following the NFL Draft, with the latest move addressing the place kicker position. On Thursday, the team acquired veteran free agent Joey Slye.
Slye is the second kicker on the Patriots’ roster at the moment. What does signing him mean for the club, though? Let’s find out.
The Patriots put some pressure on Chad Ryland
A fourth-round draft pick by the Patriots last year, Chad Ryland managed to secure the kicker job as a rookie over incumbent veteran Nick Folk. While the arrow appeared to be pointing in the right direction, the Maryland product had a rough first year in the NFL: he made just 16 of 25 field goal attempts (64%) on top of hitting 24 of 25 extra points (96%).
The Patriots remain optimistic that Ryland can turn the corner, but they have now added some competition to the mix — putting pressure on the sophomore to indeed show some progress heading into 2024. Signing Slye allows New England to cover its bases should he not do that.
New England adds experience to the mix
Statistically, Slye has been better than Ryland when comparing their respective NFL careers: the newest Patriot has made 82.3 percent of his field goal tries (121 of 147) as well as 88.5 percent of PATs (138 of 156). Slye also has experience on kickoffs.
Speaking of experience, Slye generally has plenty of it. The 28-year-old has kicked in 78 games at the pro level and spent time with six NFL teams before arriving in New England, including his most recent stop with the Washington Commanders.
Experience does not equal success, though. Slye has more of the former than the latter, but that alone might help give him a leg up over Ryland when all is said and done.
The 90-man roster is full, in theory
The Patriots entered the NFL Draft with 71 players on their active roster, leaving 19 spots open for rookies and other post-draft additions.
Since then, eight players were added through the draft with 11 more reported free agency signings. New England furthermore released offensive tackle Conor McDermott and signed edge linebacker Oshane Ximines, which put the roster at 89. The newly-signed Slye becomes player No. 90.
New England may not be done addressing the position
With two kickers now on their roster and competing for what will only be one spot on the 53-man team, the Patriots could very well decide they are done at the position. That might not be the case, however.
New England, after all, also invited another place kicker to their rookie minicamp later this month. Whether Vincent Blanchard will turn the opportunity into a contract will be seen. A native of Quebec City who attended Laval, the 25-year-old connected on 53-of-71 field goal attempts (74.6%) in 29 career games.
