The Los Angeles Rams just cut kicker Harrison Mevis this week and immediately snagged Blake Grupe as a replacement. But don’t let that fool you into thinking general manager Les Snead’s search is over. Not even close. There are still big questions lingering, and it looks like one or even two potential options could be coming straight from the trade market.
The Trade Market Is Heating Up For Kickers From Winless Teams
We’re talking about veterans on seriously struggling 0-5 teams who might be open to any kind of deal that gives them a future. Nick Korte from OvertheCap pointed out that Joey Slye of the Tennessee Titans and Riley Patterson of the Miami Dolphins fit this bill perfectly. These guys are cheap veterans on winless teams. Slye is only due $1.16 million for the rest of the season, and Patterson clocks in at $931,000. That’s a price tag L.A. can absolutely afford for a potential upgrade, making a trade a real possibility as we get closer to the deadline.
Joey Slye’s Big Leg vs. His Wandering Career
Let’s dive into Joey Slye first. This season, he’s been pretty solid, nailing 5-of-6 field goals and all 5 of his extra points. Playing for the Titans, he doesn’t exactly get a ton of chances to put points on the board, does he? But man, this guy’s got a leg. In his career, Slye’s made 81.4% of his kicks. Even better? He’s hit 35-of-56 from 50+ yards! Last season, he went 28-of-35 with the Titans, including 9-of-14 from beyond 50 yards. That’s the kind of long-range power the Rams were definitely missing with Mevis. The catch? Tennessee is his seventh team, which, yeah, kinda hints that he eventually loses the job.
Riley Patterson: Accurate Up Close, But Not So Much From Deep
Then there’s Riley Patterson, currently kicking for the Dolphins. He’s hit 7-of-9 field goals this season and 5-of-6 on extra points. Over his six years in the league, Patterson’s struggled a bit on those monster kicks, only going 7-of-14 from 50+. But here’s the kicker: he’s been super accurate inside 50 yards. Miami is his eighth team, another guy who seems to bounce around the league.
So, the Rams are rolling with Grupe right now. But let’s be real, if Grupe doesn’t pan out, pivoting to a proven veteran from a desperate 0-5 team is totally within the realm of possibility for L.A. Snead’s keeping his options open, and these two vets are definitely on the radar as the trade deadline looms.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
Leave a Reply