Lions To Sign Matt Prater
7:16pm: Prater is indeed signing a one-year deal with the Lions, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
6:19pm: The Lions are expecting to sign ex-Broncos place kicker Matt Prater over Jay Feely, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Connor Barth was also among those in consideration but it sounds like he’ll continue to seek employment.
Not long ago, Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News tweeted that Prater’s tryout had yet to get underway and it was increasingly likely that the Lions would wait until tomorrow morning to make a call. Last season Prater was rock solid for the Broncos, nailing 25 of his 26 field goal tries, including a record 64 yard three-pointer against the Titans in December. During his time in Denver, Prater converted 82.9% of field goals. The kicker was suspended for the first four games of 2014 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy and by the time he was eligible to return, his job was given to Brandon McManus.
The Lions are desperate for a reliable foot after watching Nate Freese and Alex Henery combine for a 33% field goal percentage. For what it’s worth, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter) spoke with Feely, who says that he hasn’t heard one way or another on the Lions job.
Earlier this week, our own Dallas Robinson looked at Prater’s market and noted Detroit as an obvious fit.
Lions Release Alex Henery
12:15pm: Connor Barth will be a part of the auditions tomorrow too, according to Birkett (via Twitter).
12:06pm: Former Broncos kicker Matt Prater will join Feely for the workout, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
11:53am: Jay Feely is on his way to Detroit to work out for the Lions tomorrow, a source tells Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter).
11:25am: That didn’t take long. Lions coach Jim Caldwell told reporters, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter), that the team has cut kicker Alex Henery. The Lions have not signed his replacement yet, but that should be coming rather soon.
Henery missed all three of his field goal attempts yesterday, including a 50-yard attempt that would have given Detroit a 17-14 win. Instead, it was the Bills and kicker Dan Carpenter who got the field goal opportunity and the win by the same score. Henery missed a 52-yarder but made a 51-yard field goal try against the Jets, giving him a 1-5 completion percentage over his two weeks for Detroit.
The Lions will now move on to their third kicker in the 2014 season. Nate Freese, who won the preseason battle over Giorgio Tavecchio for the job, was axed after he missed a costly field goal against the Packers in Week 3.
Caldwell said experience will be a factor in the selection of their next kicker, tweets Birkett.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Matt Prater
Kicker is among the most volatile positions in the NFL — in fact, 41% of kickers (13-of-32) weren’t with their current team as recently as 2012. With a position that fluid, teams look fondly upon stability, meaning available solid veterans won’t be out of work for long. In the case of Matt Prater, it might be mere days until he finds a new job.
Prater, 30, entered the league in 2005 as an undrafted free agent out of Central Florida. Like most kickers, he was extremely nomadic during the early portion of his career, spending time with the Lions, Dolphins, and Falcons before becoming the Broncos’ full-time kicker in 2008. During his time in Denver, Prater converted 82.9% of field goals. 2013 was perhaps his best season to date, as he made 25-of-26 field goals, and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 placekicker (subscription required).
Though other external factors could have been at play, it seems that two components played a part in the Broncos releasing Prater on Friday — off-the-field issues and cap space. Prater was suspended for the first four games of 2014 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy; he was also arrested for DUI in both 2008 and 2011. Given the NFL’s hyper-sensitivity to distractions, it’s no wonder Denver decided to part ways with a relatively replaceable player who was causing trouble.
Replacing Prater as the Broncos kicker is Brandon McManus, a second-year player earning just $410K this season. Prater, meanwhile, was set to count more than $7MM against Denver’s cap during 2014-15. As Jason Fitzgerald observed on yesterday’s Over the Cap podcast, the Broncos have several extensions looming, as both Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas are in line for new contracts. Additionally, said Fitzgerald, Denver’s high-octane offense means the team isn’t often settling for field goals, lessening the need for a high-priced kicker. It simply didn’t make financial sense for the Broncos to keep Prater around, so they cut him before his 2014 salary became guaranteed.
The list of teams in need of a kicker could certainly change as the season progresses, but right now, it seems as though the Lions could be a perfect fit for Prater. After waiving Nate Freese following his early-season struggles, Detroit brought in ex-Eagle Alex Henery. Henery, however, missed all three of his field goal attempts in today’s game against the Bills, and is now 1-for-5 on the season. Both Kyle Meinke of MLive.com and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com suggested that the Lions could be interested in Prater, and that was before Henery’s misfires this afternoon. Fitzgerald notes (via Twitter) that Detroit, which only has about $1MM in cap space, might have to restructure some contracts or defer money until 2015 in order to sign Prater.
La Canfora also mentioned the Saints as a possibility for Prater, while I’d add that the Titans could soon be interested in moving on from Ryan Succop, who missed both of his field goal attempts in Week 3 and is 6-for-8 on the season. Ultimately, Prater will likely find a new team shortly, and it seems as though Detroit could be his destination.
NFC Links: Harbaugh, Donnell, Prater, Eagles
The 49ers have a very volatile situation on their hands, as tensions between management and head coach Jim Harbaugh are only outmatched by those between the coach and his players. Much has been made about this ongoing situation, but the team was still playing at a high level last week. Their defense suffocated the Eagles’ offense, and the team still looks like a Super Bowl contender despite currently sitting at third in the NFC West.
Seth Wickersham of ESPN profiled Harbaugh, writing that he thrives in chaos and that it doesn’t matter what the atmosphere is in the locker room. His competitiveness could be enough and overcome the tensions and the 49ers could be looking at another deep playoff run.
Here are some more links from around the NFC:
- The Harbaugh situation is also the focus of Matt Maiocco’s mailbag for CSNBayArea.com. He also addressed the injury situation of Marcus Lattimore, noting that he is eligible to return to the 49ers after week six, but will likely only see playing time if there is an injury to either Carlos Hyde or Frank Gore.
- Giants‘ tight end Larry Donnell has been one of the great breakout stars of the first quarter of the NFL season, but he will not go unnoticed any more, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- The Lions signed former Eagles’ kicker Alex Henery to replace Nate Freese, but Kyle Meinke of MLive.com points out that Matt Prater‘s recent release could change things. Meinke believes if Henery shows any reason to be worried about him, the Lions could be aggressive in their pursuit of Prater next week.
- Even though it is only the beginning of October, Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com has already pointed out five college prospects who the Eagles could target in the 2015 NFL Draft in Chicago.
Broncos To Release Matt Prater
6:40pm: The Broncos’ decision to stick with McManus over Prater has to do with the NFL’s early termination rules, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. According to Klis, waiting until after the game Sunday could have subjected the team to paying the rest of Prater’s $2.117 million salary.
The team was also worried about Prater’s status going forward, knowing that after serving a four-game suspension, the next transgression would result in a year-long ban from the NFL.
1:24pm: The Broncos confirmed the move in a press release.
“Parting ways with Matt Prater—the longest-tenured player on our roster—was a very difficult football decision,” Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager John Elway said. “On behalf of our entire organization, I want to thank Matt for his seven seasons with the Broncos and wish him well going forward.”
12:47pm: The Broncos are releasing kicker Matt Prater, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Prater, who has been one of the NFL’s most successful kickers in recent years, is coming off of a four-game suspension.
Last season Prater was solid for the Broncos and fantasy owners alike, nailing 25 of his 26 field goal tries, including a record 64 yard three-pointer against the Titans in December. Considering his resume, it’s hard to see Prater being out of work for long and he’s certain to have tryouts in the next few weeks for teams that have unstable kicker situations. As cap guru Brian McIntyre (via Twitter) notes, the move saves the Broncos $2.294MM in cash/cap space in 2014. Prater will count about $812K against the team’s 2015 cap.
With Prater gone, understudy Brandon McManus will take over in Denver. Through three games this season, the Temple product has nailed all three of his field goal attempts and all eight of his extra point tries. McManus’ field goals weren’t exactly difficult ones – he connected from 24 yards or less on each one – but he boasts a strong leg and is capable of hitting from deep.
Today’s news is cause for celebration in the McManus household and at Giants headquarters. The McManus deal called for Big Blue to receive a conditional seventh round pick that would only be conveyed if he stayed on as Denver’s kicker after Prater’s suspension was through. That seemed unlikely at the start of the season, but it’s now the reality and the Giants have now tacked on an extra draft pick, albeit a very late one.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos Cut Duke Ihenacho, 13 Others
Six of the Broncos’ 22 cuts to get from 75 players to 53 were reported yesterday, and now the team has confirmed those moves and filled in the blanks on the other 16. Via a press release, here are Denver’s latest transactions to get to 53 players:
Waived:
- Shaquil Barrett, LB
- Kapri Bibbs, RB
- John Boyett, S
- Zac Dysert, QB
- Bennie Fowler, WR
- Sione Fua, DT
- Duke Ihenacho, S
- Vinston Painter, G
- Nathan Palmer, WR
- Matt Paradis, C
- Gerell Robinson, TE
- Louis Young, CB
Released:
- Brian Sanford, DE
- Kevin Vickerson, DT
Placed on reserve-suspended list:
- Matt Prater, K
Placed on injured reserve:
- Kenny Anunike, DE
Matt Prater Suspended For Four Games
MONDAY, 3:45pm: Prater has issued a statement through the Broncos’ Twitter account: “I’m really sorry. I’ve made mistakes. I addressed the team and apologized.” Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today notes (on Twitter) that although Prater will be allowed to lift weights at the Broncos’ facility during his suspension, he will be forced to practice kicking alone at a high school field.
SUNDAY, 8:37am: Broncos kicker Matt Prater has been suspended for the first four games of the 2014 regular season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Klis writes that the violation was alcohol-related, and adds that Prater has been in the league’s alcohol program since being charged with driving under the influence in 2011.
Although Prater certainly benefits from a production standpoint by playing for the league’s most prolific offensive club, there is no denying his ability. He converted 25 of 26 field goal attempts last season and led the league with 81 touchbacks. His suspension will certainly hurt, and it will certainly enter into head coach John Fox‘s strategy over the first four games of the season.
An official announcement is expected to be made on Monday. The four-game ban was part of an agreement between the league and Prater’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg, so Prater is not expected to appeal. The league had been threatening a one-year suspension.
Brian McIntyre tweets that Prater will lose $705,882 in base salary.
Cap Work Remaining For Broncos
Until rosters are cut down to 53 players, teams are required to be under the $133MM salary cap with their top 51 salaries. In the wake of an aggressive offseason which included signing big-ticket free agents Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, DeMarcus Ware and Emmanuel Sanders, the Broncos’ top 51 costs $132MM, meaning John Elway and Co. have some bookkeeping to do between now and the end of training camp, explains ESPN’s Jeff Legwold.
Key points:
- The team is trying to lock up free agents-to-be Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas long-term.
- Including rollover, the team has about $4.6MM of workable cap space.
- “Quarterback Peyton Manning has the team’s highest cap figure, at $17.5 million and the Broncos have the biggest cap gap of any position between starter and backup with No. 2 Brock Osweiler, still on his rookie deal, coming in at $959,094 against the cap.”
- The team has seven tight ends on the roster, five of which — including Thomas, Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen — are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in 2015.
- “Dead money” hits include Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie ($2.1MM), Chris Kuper ($1.83MM) and Willis McGahee ($500k).
- Terrance Knighton‘s representatives were seeking a renegotiation of his contract which calls for him to make $2.75MM in 2014 before the big defensive lineman hits free agency, but the team did not acquiesce.
- Kicker Matt Prater and punter Britton Colquitt will cost a combined $7.4MM against the cap this season.