Kicker?

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Ryland has range that’s probably about as good as praters, is cheaper, much younger and has hit multiple game winners. Appreciate prater but it should be Ryland’s job
TBF Prater has more 50+ yard field goals than anyone in NFL history. Ryland has a tendency to kick low as witnessed in the SF game where they blocked it and ran it in for a TD. That’s why NE cut him. Today’s winning kick was close to being blocked. Just saying let’s not jump the gun.
 

Cheesebeef

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Keep him. He's got the ice water in his veins and hit a 50 yarder today. Young kicker with no fear is a decade and a half of solid play from an important position. Prater is 40. Love him, but he's 40.
And he missed the only game winning kick he had a shot at last year. From within 40 no less.

We haven’t had a clutch kicker since Chris Jacke. There is ZERO reason to be sentimental about Prater, who’s older than dirt and has never hit a big kick for us since he’s been here.

This dude has hit 3 game winners. Two on the road. For the Cardinals.

This is not a moment to overthink. He’s the guy.
 

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If they cut him on ir he even gets an injury settlement
Well after game one contracts are guaranteed I do believe. So his injury settlement would be his salary for the year. Outside of game day bonuses, if he had any.

If he wants to be released with an injury settlement??? Well I'm not sure how that works. My guess would be he would rather sit on IR and collect his checks.
 

BigDavis75

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TBF Prater has more 50+ yard field goals than anyone in NFL history. Ryland has a tendency to kick low as witnessed in the SF game where they blocked it and ran it in for a TD. That’s why NE cut him. Today’s winning kick was close to being blocked. Just saying let’s not jump the gun.
The Pats got rid of him because he was missing from all ranges, he was 65 percent on the year. I’m not sure it was specifically because he was kicking low. Not exactly a ringing endorsement but I don’t equate missing wide on 30s and 40s to mean he doesn’t have the leg/approach from 50.

Praters leg will go at some point and I’m not even sure his ability from 50+, assuming he can maintain it, stands out that much at this point with how good kickers have gotten from that range.
 

BACH

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The Pats got rid of him because he was missing from all ranges, he was 65 percent on the year. I’m not sure it was specifically because he was kicking low. Not exactly a ringing endorsement but I don’t equate missing wide on 30s and 40s to mean he doesn’t have the leg/approach from 50.

Praters leg will go at some point and I’m not even sure his ability from 50+, assuming he can maintain it, stands out that much at this point with how good kickers have gotten from that range.
Prater is 40 and in this final year of his contract. Time to make the shift.
 

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I'm dubious about crowning kickers. I'm pretty sure there are some "We found a kicker" posts about Zane Gonzalez from 2019 when he finished the 8th best kicker in the league.

Prater has a long and proven career. Ryland may just be benefitting from the psychological boost of not being the guy so can play pressure free. Or he may have found his groove. Hard to say.

He was the worst full time kicker in league last year by some distance. Joey Slye made 79.2% of kicks in 2nd to last place, Ryland made 64%.

I'd be wary about moving on from a proven vet just yet. Keep him on the PS, if anyone tries to claim him they can move him up. Or chances are if he goes elsewhere it would only be temporary and we can bring him back later.
 

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I'm dubious about crowning kickers. I'm pretty sure there are some "We found a kicker" posts about Zane Gonzalez from 2019 when he finished the 8th best kicker in the league.

Prater has a long and proven career. Ryland may just be benefitting from the psychological boost of not being the guy so can play pressure free. Or he may have found his groove. Hard to say.

He was the worst full time kicker in league last year by some distance. Joey Slye made 79.2% of kicks in 2nd to last place, Ryland made 64%.

I'd be wary about moving on from a proven vet just yet. Keep him on the PS, if anyone tries to claim him they can move him up. Or chances are if he goes elsewhere it would only be temporary and we can bring him back later.
I really like what he has done so far

But I would like to see more of him to make the final decision

The good thing is we have a young kicker with talent to check out
 

juza76

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I'm dubious about crowning kickers. I'm pretty sure there are some "We found a kicker" posts about Zane Gonzalez from 2019 when he finished the 8th best kicker in the league.

Prater has a long and proven career. Ryland may just be benefitting from the psychological boost of not being the guy so can play pressure free. Or he may have found his groove. Hard to say.

He was the worst full time kicker in league last year by some distance. Joey Slye made 79.2% of kicks in 2nd to last place, Ryland made 64%.

I'd be wary about moving on from a proven vet just yet. Keep him on the PS, if anyone tries to claim him they can move him up. Or chances are if he goes elsewhere it would only be temporary and we can bring him back later.

He may feel not to be the guy but has a lot of weight on his back to keep his career alive in the NFL
He had three kick in clutch moments, and he made all of three perfectly in the middle, didn't feel any pressure, Gonzalez face expression showed he, was very emotional, instead Ryland so cold
Its like kicking penalties in soccer, many are invincible in practice but then in real games they lack confidence, it's the mental aspect that make the difference
 

JosiahLee

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He may feel not to be the guy but has a lot of weight on his back to keep his career alive in the NFL
He had three kick in clutch moments, and he made all of three perfectly in the middle, didn't feel any pressure, Gonzalez face expression showed he, was very emotional, instead Ryland so cold
Its like kicking penalties in soccer, many are invincible in practice but then in real games they lack confidence, it's the mental aspect that make the difference
The mental aspect is the most important IMO. How many times have we seen our kickers make it all day every day when the game isn’t on the line? That’s great and all but to kick it straight down the middle with ice in your veins when you will lose (not tie) if you miss the kick is flat out special.
 

BritCard

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He may feel not to be the guy but has a lot of weight on his back to keep his career alive in the NFL
He had three kick in clutch moments, and he made all of three perfectly in the middle, didn't feel any pressure, Gonzalez face expression showed he, was very emotional, instead Ryland so cold
Its like kicking penalties in soccer, many are invincible in practice but then in real games they lack confidence, it's the mental aspect that make the difference

Also he may have been resigned to his career being dead and this is all a bonus for him. He's wasn't even on a PS, he was signed off the street.

As I said, hard to say, but he has more bad than good in the league so far in his career and the team should be cautious moving off a proven commodity like Prater.

Prater would also have made all these FG's BTW.
 

JosiahLee

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Also he may have been resigned to his career being dead and this is all a bonus for him. He's wasn't even on a PS, he was signed off the street.

As I said, hard to say, but he has more bad than good in the league so far in his career and the team should be cautious moving off a proven commodity like Prater.

Prater would also have made all these FG's BTW.
I like Prater overall but we can’t know for certain he would have hit those. In fact, he missed the last game winning fg attempt he took (the last game against Seattle last season)
 
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