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Joey Slye

Patriots To Hold Open K Competition Between Chad Ryland, Joey Slye

July 8th, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots selected Chad Ryland in the fourth round of the 2023 draft as Nick Folk‘s successor. The latter was ultimately traded to the Titans in a sign of confidence for the rookie.

While Folk delivered a strong season which landed him a new Tennessee contract, Ryland endured an inconsistent debut campaign. The 24-year-old connected on just 16 of 25 field goal attempts, including five of 10 kicks between between 40 and 49 yards. Ryland only missed one of his 25 extra point tries, but it came as no surprise when the Patriots added a veteran competitor this offseason.

New England signed Joey Slye in May shortly after he was released by the Jaguars. Jacksonville already had Riley Patterson in the fold before becoming one of the teams which drafted a kicker, leading to the decision to let go of Slye. The 28-year-old is a veteran of 78 games spent with four different teams, including a stint in Washington which ran from midway through the 2021 campaign through the end of last season.

Slye has a career accuracy rate of 82.3%, a figure buoyed by the 12-for-12 start to his Commanders tenure. He saw his success rate dip over the past two seasons, though, and he will need a strong showing this summer to cement the Patriots’ kicking role. As team reporter Paul Perillo notes, both Ryland and Slye will have the opportunity to win the position during training camp and the preseason in what is “expected to be a true competition.”

Perillo adds that Slye was the more accurate of the two during OTAs and minicamp, but summer practices and exhibition games will provide plenty of further chances for Ryland to gain an advantage. The latter is on the books for the next three years via his rookie contract, and he would be subject to waivers if New England elected to keep Slye on the active roster instead of him. Ryland could be a developmental practice squad candidate if no outside team showed interest, though.

Slye’s deal is worth the veteran minimum, and releasing him during the summer would create $1.28MM in cap savings without any dead money accruing. Neither contender for the kicking gig therefore has much in the way of security, so their performances in the coming weeks will be crucial.

Patriots Sign K Joey Slye

May 2nd, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Adam La Rose

Joey Slye has not needed to wait long to find a new employer. The veteran kicker has an agreement in place with the Patriots, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports. The team has since announced the move.

Slye was let go by the Jaguars on Tuesday. Jacksonville – which already rostered Riley Patterson – was one of the teams which added a kicker during the draft, making Slye expendable. The latter is a veteran of 78 games, however, and he will provide experienced competition for Chad Ryland in training camp.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, Ryland had an underwhelming rookie season. The 24-year-old connected on only 64% of his field goal attempts, including just five of 10 kicks from between 40 and 49 yards. Ryland did miss only one of his 25 extra point attempts, but his 2023 performance did not compare well with that of Nick Folk, whom New England released last offseason.

Ryland is still under contract for three more years on his rookie pact, but teams often move quickly in terms of finding replacements at the kicker position when it is deemed necessary. Slye, 28, could step in as the team’s preferred option depending on how he fares during training camp and the preseason. The former UDFA has experience with the Panthers, Texans and 49ers, but much of his regular season action has come with the Commanders.

Slye spent six games in Washington during the 2021 season, and he went 12-for-12 on field goals in that span. That earned him an extended stay in the nation’s capital, and he remained the team’s full-time kicker in 2022 and ’23. Slye saw his accuracy drop to 83.3% then 79.2% over the past two seasons, though, and the Commanders added Brandon McManus in free agency. That left Slye on the move to Jacksonville before the draft, but he will now turn his attention to earning a roster spot in New England.

Jaguars Release WR Zay Jones, K Joey Slye

April 30th, 2024 at 9:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Zay Jones‘ time with the Jaguars has come to an end. The veteran wideout was released by Jacksonville on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

Jones joined Jacksonville on a three-year, $24MM pact in 2022. During the first year of that accord, the 29-year-old posted career highs in receptions (82) and yards (823), scoring five touchdowns. The 2023 campaign did not go according to plan, however. Jones missed considerable time due to injury, and in December he was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge.

While the former Bill and Raider returned in time for the regular season finale, his final statline (34-321-2) reflected his time on the sidelines as well as his reduced role in Jacksonville’s offense. The team did lose Calvin Ridley in free agency, but Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay were among the receivers added to help replace him. Jacksonville also used a Day 1 selection on LSU product Brian Thomas Jr. during the 2024 draft.

With those new faces in place, the Jags will move on and Jones will now join the list of veterans in search of a post-draft agreement. The former second-rounder was due a non-guaranteed base salary of $7MM this year, and he was set to carry a cap hit of $10.75MM. This move will generate a larger dead money charge ($6.56MM) than cap savings ($4.18MM) if processed immediately. Designating Jones a post-June 1 cut, though, would free up more than $7.7MM in space against a dead cap charge of only $3MM.

Jacksonville also announced the release of veteran kicker Joey Slye. The 28-year-old spent the past two full seasons in Washington, going a combined 44-for-54 (81.4%) on field goal attempts during that stretch. He signed with the Jaguars early in free agency after Jacksonville lost Brandon McManus to the Commanders. Before even taking part in a training camp competition, however, Slye is once again on the open market. The Jags were among the teams which selected a kicker in last weekend’s draft, adding Cam Little in the sixth round. The latter is now joined by Riley Patterson as the only two kicking options on the team’s roster.

Jaguars Sign K Joey Slye

March 18th, 2024 at 9:20am CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars and Commanders are set to complete a free agent swap of kickers. Brandon McManus joined Washington on a new deal last week, and Joey Slye will be taking his place in Duval County.

The latter has agreed to a one-year deal with the Jaguars, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Slye spent the past two full seasons with the Commanders, having impressed at the end of the 2021 campaign. His efforts that season landed him a two-year pact worth $4.2MM to remain in the nation’s capital. McManus took a one-year deal worth $3.6MM to join the Commanders, however, leaving Slye in need of a new opportunity. His Jags deal is now official, per a team announcement.

The 27-year-old will be playing on his fifth career NFL team provided he wins the kicking gig during the offseason. Slye served as the Panthers’ full-time kicker in 2019 and ’20 before splitting time with three franchises the following season. Slye’s first full campaign in Washington saw him convert 25 of 30 field goal attempts, one of his better showings but a drop-off in accuracy compared to his perfect audition period prior to signing his new deal. In 2023, the former UDFA’s success rate dropped to 79.2% (19-of-24 on field goal kicks).

Slye also missed a combined seven extra points across the past two seasons, so it comes as little surprise the Commanders elected to let him depart and moved quickly in adding a replacement. The Virginia Tech product could see competition brought in during the latter waves of free agency or the draft, as was the case with Washington last offseason. The Commanders added Michael Badgley as an alternative option, but he was ultimately released in August after Slye fended him off for the placekicking role.

The latter will join an otherwise-intact kicking battery in Jacksonville. Both punter Logan Cooke and long snapper Ross Matiscik are under contract for 2024 and beyond, so the team will have stability at those positions moving forward. Slye will look to earn a short- and long-term opportunity with the Jaguars this offseason.

Commanders Release K Michael Badgley

August 20th, 2023 at 8:46am CST by Rory Parks

The Commanders’ kicking competition is over. Washington is releasing K Michael Badgley, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, which means that Joey Slye will remain the team’s placekicker.

After two disappointing seasons with the Panthers from 2019-20 that saw him post a poor 79.4% success rate on field goal tries, Slye had three-game cameos with the Texans and 49ers in 2021 before winding up in the nation’s capital for the second half of that season. His performance (12/12 on field goal attempts, 9/10 on extra point attempts) earned him a two-year contract last April.

Unfortunately, the 2022 campaign was not as successful, as Slye hit on just 83.3% of his FG attempts and missed four of his 28 PATs. Badgley, meanwhile, also had an 83.3% FG conversion rate in 12 games with the Lions last season, though he made all 33 of his PATs. Detroit re-signed him in March, and while it appeared as if he was the frontrunner in the club’s kicking battle, he was released last month. He quickly caught on with the Commanders but will have to search for another new home.

Now 28, Badgley has been unable to replicate the success he enjoyed during his 2018 rookie season with the Chargers. His 93.8% success rate on field goals and 96.4% success rate on PATs that year earned him his “Money Badger” nickname and appeared to solidify him as a fixture on the Bolts’ special teams unit for the foreseeable future. However, he appeared in just eight games in 2019 due to injury, and he endured an awful 2020, converting 72.7% of his field goal tries and missing several crucial kicks. The Chargers cut him prior to the 2021 season, and he bounced around to the Titans, Colts, Bears, and Lions over the next two years.

Washington has played one preseason game this summer, a 17-15 victory over the Browns. In that contest, Slye hit his lone FG attempt, a 49-yarder, and his only extra point try. Badgley also converted his one extra point attempt and did not get a shot at a field goal. As ESPN’s John Keim tweets, Slye and Badgley performed similarly in training camp with respect to their field goal and PAT work, but Slye had the clear advantage in terms of kickoffs.

Commanders Re-Sign K Joey Slye

April 11th, 2022 at 10:56am CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders will be retaining their kicker for the short-term future. The team announced on Monday that Joey Slye has be re-signed. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport adds that the sides have agreed on a two-year deal with a maximum value of almost $5MM. (Twitter link). 

Like many others at his position, Slye has bounced around during his three years in the NFL. He spent two seasons with the Panthers, converting 54 of 68 field goal attempts (79.4%). He also went 64-for-71 on extra point tries. Carolina cut him on the eve of the 2021 season, though, after they traded for Ryan Santoso.

That led him to the Texans, although he only played in three games for them. He made the same number of appearances with the 49ers shortly thereafter, before finally ending up in the nation’s capital. The Virginia Tech product stabilized the kicking situation in Washington, making all 12 of his field goals and missing just one extra point.

That success rate has earned him this multi-year deal, and a degree of stability for the first time since his Carolina days. With Slye in place, Washington can move forward with a relatively strong kicking game and an element to what they hope will be an improved offense.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/16/22

March 16th, 2022 at 2:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/25-12/26/21

December 26th, 2021 at 11:05pm CST by Ely Allen

We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed on or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Christmas and today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Steven Sims

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/21

December 23rd, 2021 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

  • Signed to active roster: LB Sam Kamara

Houston Texans 

New York Jets

  • Signed off 49ers’ practice squad: S Kai Nacua

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Designated for return: OL Jamarco Jones

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Washington To Sign K Brian Johnson

November 30th, 2021 at 1:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Washington Football Team is moving on to its fourth kicker of the season. In the wake of Joey Slye‘s injury, Washington has agreed to sign kicker Brian Johnson off the Bears’ practice squad (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).

[RELATED: Washington K Joey Slye To Miss Time]

Johnson, a Virginia Tech alum, actually succeeded Slye as the Hokies’ kicker. He kept that job from 2018 through 2020 and sank 20 of his 26 field goals as a senior. After graduation, he hooked on with the Bears’ taxi squad, before being plucked by the Saints in October.

Johnson went on to make all eight of his field goals across four games. Unfortunately, he also bricked three point-after attempts across his last two games in New Orleans, including a pair that cost them a win over the Titans. The Saints moved on to Brett Maher, but Johnson will have a chance at redemption in D.C. He’ll try to match Slye’s mostly solid work in Washington — 6-of-6 on FGs with only one missed/blocked XP.

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