HEADLINES

Riley Patterson

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/23

December 28th, 2023 at 6:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed off 49ers practice squad: OT Ilm Manning

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Jets

Germain Ifedi‘s underwhelming stint with the Bills has come to an end. The veteran offensive lineman joined the Bills this past offseason and was expected to provide some experienced depth. Instead, Ifedi was inactive for every game this season, and the Bills have decided his roster spot could be put to better use. ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg believes this move will likely open a spot for defensive tackle DaQuan Jones.

Browns Sign K Riley Patterson

December 25th, 2023 at 6:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cut once again by the Lions, Riley Patterson cleared waivers on Christmas Day. After making more than 88% of his field goal tries this season, the young kicker has another gig.

The Browns added Patterson to their practice squad Monday, doing so after playing much of their Week 16 game without a kicker. Dustin Hopkins sustained a hamstring injury against the Texans, putting his availability for the Browns’ Thursday-night game in jeopardy.

Hopkins, whom the Browns traded for after Cade York struggled during the preseason, has kicked in all 15 Cleveland games this season. Patterson operated as Detroit’s kicker in 13 games this year, but after an ongoing competition against Michael Badgley during practices, the 24-year-old specialist lost his Lions job for the second time. Detroit also waived Patterson just before the 2022 season.

After spending the 2022 season with the Jaguars, Patterson returned to the Lions — via a trade featuring a late-round pick swap — following Jacksonville’s May Brandon McManus addition. Patterson made 15 of 17 field goals and 35 of 37 extra points during his second Lions stint, but Badgley — who closed out last season as Detroit’s kicker — evidently outperformed him in practice. Badgley has kicked in the Lions’ past two games.

Hopkins, 33, re-signed with the Chargers last year but missed 12 games. Cameron Dicker beat him out for the Bolts’ kicking job during training camp this summer. With Cleveland, Hopkins has made 91.7% of his field goals, connecting on an NFL-high 33 attempts. He is 24-for-26 on PATs.

The former Washington- and Los Angeles-based specialist landed on IR due to a midseason hamstring injury last year, making this his latest malady something to monitor for a Browns team closing in on what would be its third playoff berth since rebooting the franchise in 1999. The Browns placing Hopkins on IR would sideline him for the rest of the regular season and two playoff games, depending on how far Cleveland’s season goes. This P-squad move, thanks to Badgley’s quality practice work, gives the Browns some proven insurance.

Lions Waive Riley Patterson, Activate Hendon Hooker From Reserve/NFI List

December 19th, 2023 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

In his second stint with the Lions, Riley Patterson served as the team’s kicker for 13 games this season. The offseason trade acquisition made more than 88% of his field goal attempts, but the Lions are still moving on once again.

The Lions waived Patterson on Tuesday. This clears the path for Michael Badgley to take over. An internal competition will lead to Detroit making a full-on change. Dan Campbell said Patterson and Badgley had vied for the job over the past several weeks in practice. Despite Patterson remaining on Detroit’s active roster throughout this period, the Lions elevated Badgley to kick against the Broncos.

The job is now Badgley’s for good. Badgley operated as the Lions’ kicker to close last season. The team, however, swapped future seventh-round picks with the Jaguars to reacquire Patterson — a Lions kicker for seven games in 2021 — following Jacksonville’s Brandon McManus signing. Patterson now returns to the waiver wire.

Additionally, the Lions made the move to activate Hendon Hooker from their reserve/NFI list. Hooker suffered a torn ACL last November; the injury affected the Tennessee standout’s draft prospects. The Lions selected Hooker early in the third round but parked him on the NFI list. Tuesday’s activation will prevent Hooker’s rookie contract from tolling to 2027.

The Lions made the Patterson trade in May. Following a chain reaction that began with Sean Payton cutting McManus after a nine-season Broncos run, the Jags had discussed a trade with the Cowboys involving Patterson. But the Lions ended up sending a 2026 draft choice to reacquire the third-year specialist. The team used Badgley in 12 games last season and re-signed him on a practice squad deal after the Titans released him in August. Evidently impressive Badgley practice work will lead to the NFC North leaders shaking up their kicker situation.

Patterson has only attempted four field goals from beyond 40 yards this season; he is 3 of 4 on those kicks. Badgley was 9-for-11 from 40-49 yards last year and 2-for-3 from beyond 50. Patterson missed two PATs this season; Badgley did not miss an extra point last year with the Lions and was 6-for-6 in the team’s win over the Broncos on Saturday night.

This does mark an interesting switch for the Lions, who are on the verge of clinching their first division title in 30 years. The team initially cut Patterson to close out training camp in August 2022. Patterson ended up kicking throughout last season in Jacksonville. After the Lions went with Austin Seibert to start last season, they signed Badgley in early October. Badgley, 28, re-signed with Detroit in March but has been with three teams in 2023. Weeks after the Patterson trade, the Lions released Badgley, whom the Commanders and Titans subsequently cut. This complicated journey will lead him back into a role as the Lions’ primary kicker.

Hooker’s role suddenly looks clearer. The Lions are using Teddy Bridgewater as their backup quarterback this season, but the 31-year-old veteran is tied to a one-year contract. Bridgewater also announced over the weekend he plans to retire following the season. With Bridgewater planning to become a high school coach, the Lions have Hooker penciled in as Goff’s long-term backup.

The Lions have been cautious with Hooker, keeping him on the NFI list well into November and using his full activation window before moving him to the 53-man roster. Detroit now has three QBs on its 53-man roster and a fourth (David Blough) on its practice squad.

Cowboys Discussed Riley Patterson With Jaguars, Still Looking For Kicker

June 1st, 2023 at 3:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

In the months since Brett Maher‘s postseason accuracy crisis, the Cowboys have not made a major addition at kicker. Tristan Vizcaino resides as the only one on Dallas’ offseason roster.

At least one team kept the Cowboys in mind as it shopped its kicker. The Jaguars contacted the Cowboys when trying to unload Riley Patterson, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes. This came on a day in which the Jags signed longtime Bronco Brandon McManus, but after announcing they had cut Patterson, the AFC South team found a taker in the Lions. A low-level pick swap ensued to send Patterson back to Detroit.

The Cowboys did not show interest in McManus, according to Archer, who adds the team remains on the hunt at this position. Mike McCarthy mentioned XFL or USFL options. NFL teams are free to sign XFLers; several players who starred in the rebooted league are now on NFL rosters. The second USFL incarnation’s second season runs through July 1. The Cowboys found an All-Pro return man (KaVontae Turpin) from the USFL last year, though they may be eyeing more experience at kicker.

Maher, who worked out for the Broncos last week, remains available. Post-draft, the Cowboys did not shut down — Maher’s five playoff PAT misses aside — another agreement with their two-stint specialist. Maher, who holds the NFL record for most 60-plus-yard field goals (four), went 29-for-32 on field goals last year. That included 9 of 11 makes from beyond 50 yards. But Maher’s postseason issues hampered Dallas down the stretch.

Special teams coordinator John Fassel brought up free agents Robbie Gould, Mason Crosby and Ryan Succop. The 49ers chose Jake Moody in Round 3 to replace Gould, while Archer indicates the Cowboys were not interested in drafting a kicker in the third or fourth rounds like the 49ers and Patriots (Chad Ryland, Round 4) did. Gould, 40, has been an NFL kicker for 18 seasons. Crosby logged 16 with the Packers, who drafted Anders Carlson in the sixth round. Succop spent the past three seasons with the Bucs, stopping Tampa Bay’s near-decade-long kicker carousel.

This marks the second straight offseason in which the Cowboys are looking around at kicker. Their 2022 competition imploded during training camp. Both Jonathan Garibay and Lirim Hajrullahu ended up being waived in August, with Maher returning after a camp tryout. Vizcaino, 26, has kicked in 10 games for four different teams — the 49ers, Chargers, Cardinals and Patriots — from 2020-22. The Washington alum is 11-for-12 on field goals but was just 10 of 15 on PATs during his lone extended run — with the 2021 Chargers, who cut him after signing Dustin Hopkins.

Jaguars Trade K Riley Patterson To Lions

May 25th, 2023 at 10:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions’ decision to cut Riley Patterson led him to Jacksonville in August 2022. Nearly a year later, Detroit will step in to prevent Patterson hitting the waiver wire.

After the Jaguars announced they were cutting Patterson — complete with the customary farewell tweet — they have reached an agreement to trade him to the Lions. Patterson kicked in seven Lions games during the 2021 season. The Jags replaced Patterson with longtime Bronco Brandon McManus earlier Thursday.

Patterson provided the Jaguars with some rare kicker stability last season, kicking in all 19 games for the team after seven kickers came through from 2020-21. McManus obviously provides Jacksonville with much more experience, but the team will still collect an asset for its 2022 kicker. The Lions are sending the Jags a late-round pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. That asset will be a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

The Lions initially added Patterson off the Patriots’ practice squad in November 2021. The former UDFA out of Memphis then finished that season as Detroit’s primary kicker. Patterson made 13 of 14 field goals for the Lions that year, but the team waived him coming out of the preseason. In Jacksonville, Patterson made 30 of 35 field goal tries during the regular season and missed just one extra point (36-for-37). He also notched a game-winning field goal to complete a 27-point Jags comeback win over the Chargers in the wild-card round.

Patterson, 23, is due a $940K base salary this season. He can be retained via RFA tender next year. The Jags tendered Patterson as an ERFA in March, but the Broncos’ decision to cut McManus — in part due to cap savings, as they designated him a post-June 1 release — changed the AFC South team’s plans. It will impact the Lions’ path at kicker as well.

In signing XFLer John Parker Romo last week, the Lions already roster two kickers. They finished last season with Michael Badgley in that role. Badgley kicked in 12 games for the Lions last season and re-signed with the team in March. Badgley is tied to a one-year, $1.2MM deal. The Lions guaranteed their incumbent just $350K, opening the door to a kicking competition. Badgley made 20 of his 24 kicks as a Lion last year; both he and Patterson went 2-for-3 from beyond 50 yards.

This trade allowed Detroit to avoid losing Patterson via the waiver wire; the Lions’ 9-8 finish gave them the No. 18 spot in the waiver order. The Lions waived wide receiver Keytaon Thompson to make room for Patterson on the Roster.

Jaguars Sign K Brandon McManus

May 25th, 2023 at 9:35am CST by Sam Robinson

It did not take long for Brandon McManus to find a new home. The longtime Broncos kicker reached an agreement to join the Jaguars. The Jags announced the deal Thursday.

While Denver has enjoyed kicker stability over the past decade, Jacksonville has cycled through several options at the position in recent years. The defending AFC South champions will now add an experienced specialist. The Jags waived kicker Riley Patterson to make room on their roster.

McManus, 31, called his Broncos release an “absolute shock,” per Denver7’s Troy Renck. He will rebound quickly, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com noting this is a one-year Jaguars agreement (Twitter links). McManus will bring nine years’ experience as an NFL kicker, having taken over for Matt Prater in Denver in 2014. While Jacksonville will not offer the altitude advantage Denver provides kickers, the former Super Bowl-winning specialist will move to a team in better position to contend.

The Broncos had extended McManus on a four-year, $17.2MM deal before the 2020 season. Although two years remained on that contract, Sean Payton continues to make special teams changes with his new team. This marks a major change for Denver, which has only used three primary kickers (McManus, Prater, Jason Elam) since 1993. Patterson ended up lasting only one season as Jacksonville’s kicker.

Although McManus served as Denver’s kicker for a lengthy stretch, he is coming off his most inaccurate season since 2017. The former UDFA made just 77.8% of his field goals last season. While one of those was a 64-yard try at sea level — via Nathaniel Hackett‘s bizarre Week 1 decision that began an odd Broncos season — McManus missed four other attempts from beyond 50 yards and two from inside 40 yards. McManus did make eight 50-plus-yard field goal tries last season, marking the second-most of his career. He connected on 10 such attempts in 2020.

McManus served as a significant contributor to the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50-winning season. As Peyton Manning‘s injury-accelerated decline hit in full force in 2015, McManus went 10-for-10 on field goal tries during the playoffs. That included three Super Bowl makes. While the Broncos have largely struggled since that night, McManus represented the most consistent presence on the roster. He will now attempt to carve out a multiyear role with a second NFL employer.

Whereas the Broncos employed McManus since 2014, the Jaguars have used eight kickers in just the past three seasons. Patterson brought stability, after a six-kicker 2020 and multi-kicker 2021. The Jags brought in Patterson as a waiver claim just before last season, adding the young kicker shortly after the Lions waived him. Patterson made 85.7% of his field goal tries last year and was 36 of 37 on extra points. While Patterson only made three kicks from beyond 50 yards, that came on three attempts.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/23/23

March 23rd, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s lone tender decision in the NFL:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Patterson will be extending his stay in Jacksonville, having kicked for the Jaguars full-time in 2022. The 23-year-old went 30-for-35 on field goal attempts last season, making all but one of his extra point attempts. Those figures will earn him the opportunity to hold down the top spot on the depth chart again in 2023, as he and the Jaguars look to build on their shared success from last campaign.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC South

August 31st, 2022 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Colts, Jaguars, Texans and Titans moves are noted below.

Here are Wednesday’s AFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.

Houston Texans

Claimed:

Released:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Indianapolis Colts

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Claimed:

Released:

Signed to practice squad:

  • QB E.J. Perry

Tennessee Titans

Signed:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Jaguars Claim K Riley Patterson, RB JaMycal Hasty

August 31st, 2022 at 12:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars were one of the busiest teams to start the post-training camp waiver period, making four claims Wednesday. One of the moves will lead to another kicker switch.

Jacksonville, which has been rather active at this position this offseason, claimed Riley Patterson off waivers from the Lions. The team also added former 49ers running back JaMycal Hasty via waivers. The Jags’ other Wednesday claims: safety Tyree Gillespie, wide receiver Kendric Pryor (Bengals) and linebacker Ty Summers (Packers).

Patterson’s arrival will lead two kickers off Jacksonville’s roster. The team waived James McCourt and waived Jake Verity with an injury designation. This positions Patterson to be the Jags’ kicker, but given the events at this particular job this offseason, that cannot be considered a lock just yet.

The Jags waived 2021 kicker Matthew Wright and went with Ryan Santoso and UDFA Andrew Mevis for a stretch. Some Mevis practice struggles led him off the team, prompting the Jags to sign Elliott Fry to join Santoso. McCourt came later, with each of the transactions transpiring during camp. Fry, Santoso and McCourt are off the roster.

Patterson, 22, is the only kicker on the Jags’ 53-man team right now. Memphis’ kicker from 2017-20, Patterson kicked in seven Lions games as a rookie. The former UDFA made 13 of 14 field goal tries and was 16-for-16 on PATs.

Hasty played sparingly for the 49ers during his two years in San Francisco, being summoned from the practice squad due to the team’s injury troubles at the position in each year. The 49ers used him primarily as a pass-catching back last season, after they added Elijah Mitchell as their starter. This marks the second summer relocation for Gillespie, whom the Raiders traded to the Titans during camp. Summers spent three years with the Packers, working mostly as a backup. He played 17% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps in 2020, however. Pryor impressed at Bengals training camp but could not make their roster. The rookie UDFA spent five seasons at Wisconsin.

The Jags made room for these additions by cutting veteran offensive lineman Will Richardson, who signed a $2MM deal with the team this offseason. A 2018 fourth-round Jaguars pick, Richardson started five games for the team during his rookie contract. Jacksonville also waived outside linebacker Jamir Jones and safety Josh Thompson.

Load More Posts