Patriots recent kicker performance latest example of front office blunder

New England drafted Ryland in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Drafting kickers is generally regarded as a risky move, but it can end up being the difference-maker for a team if the pick pans out.

The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Sebastian Janikowski in 2000 with the 17th overall pick. Janikowski spent 17 seasons with the team and is currently the leading scorer in Raiders history. 

The Bengals drafted Evan McPherson in 2022 with a fifth round pick. As a rookie, McPherson excelled, and he made crucial plays that helped Cincinnati win the divisional and championship rounds of the AFC playoffs.

Ryland was brought expected to be a reliable and consistent kicker that would stay with the team for several seasons, much like Janikowski did and McPherson likely will do. Instead, his start with the team has been a disaster. 

The worst part is that Patriots not only spent a valuable draft pick on Ryland; they also traded away veteran kicker Nick Folk to the Titans in late August to make Ryland the starter, and Folk has been lights out since. 

For comparison, Folk is currently 22-23 on field goals this year (95.7%), and Ryland is a horrendous 12-18 (66.7%).

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made his disappointment in the rookie known.  

"[Ryland] is a very talented player but this is two weeks in a row that we basically missed extra points. It’s not good enough,” he said.

The bad decisions made surrounding Ryland are just the latest examples of blunders made by the Patriots front office, and it further shows New England's need for new roster management. 

Belichick has called the shots on many of New England's recent roster mistakes — including the ones with Ryland, so he could be the first one to go once New England's disastrous 2023 season comes to a close. 

Ryland's next chance to improve will be Sunday, when the Patriots take on the Los Angeles Chargers (4-7) at 1 p.m. EST.