The Jaguars Trade Patterson
JT: Riley? Really? After the Chargers game? Ugh!
Many things have happened in this offseason month of May. The latest of which is the ousting of place kicker Riley Patterson. Such a sudden and surprising move to literally everyone not directly involved in punting the clutch kicker out of Jacksonville. What happened to the love of competition? Haven’t we all heard Pug Dederson say that he loves competition? He has exclaimed time and time again that competition is good for the game. So why not keep Riley on board to compete for the job that was once his alone? I get that, thin air specialist, Brandon McManus from the mile high city of Denver has been signed to the Jaguars roster. But literally anyone can kick a field goal in that stadium, there is no gravity. Plus, if McManus is the answer in Jacksonville then how was he NOT the answer in Colorado, the easiest place for a kicker in the entire NFL? He has spent his entire professional career in Denver where he made 40 field goals of more than 50 yards. But again I say…DENVER.
Okay, when it comes to Riley Patterson, let me break it down like the guy with the really deep voice from Boyz II Men. If we are being honest, many times last year I found myself wondering why every kick off didn’t carry into the end zone. I was worried on every field goal over 40 yards. Hell, as it turns out I should have been more worried than I was about the game winning field goal against Herbert and company in one of the greatest comeback victories in the history of the NFL. You see my seat didn’t afford me an end zone view showing just how close to hitting the upright that kick actually was. So maybe, just maybe, this move is an upgrade at the position.
The reason I can’t quite be so sure about that yet is, well…Denver. It is literally the easiest place to kick in the entirety of the NFL. I know I’ve already written essentially that exact sentence but I really want to get this point across. The people of Denver look down to see clouds, and folks, you can’t get much more sea level than Jacksonville. These two locations are exact opposites. Like Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat (give it a second. Hint: 1989 mega hit song). Let’s hope McManus remembers his days at Temple when gravity played a part in everyday life. I’m just not ready to check off the upgrade box until I see how far this guy can kick at TIAA Bank under the extra weight of extreme Florida humidity. Air don’t get much thicker than a 1pm. summer scorcher in Duuuval.
There are some positives here, however. Mr. McManus has a Super Bowl championship under his belt. He earned the ring in the 2015-16 season when the Broncos beat the Panthers. That big-game experience has to count for something since the Jaguars are, spoiler alert, headed to the SB this year. So maybe this acquisition was in preparation for a trip to Vegas. Speaking of which I need to make some reservations now. Move over Chris Moneymaker, there is a new hold-em king coming to town.
All of the above taken into consideration, the most important point concerning this kicker move is the fact that it very well may represent another lesson in the Baalke Masterclass series. You see Riley Patterson was cut by the Detroit Lions last season. The Jaguars scooped him up at no cost and rode him to a playoff victory and trip to KC (which we all know we should have won). Now, Baalke added a perceived upgrade at the position and instead of releasing Patterson, he traded him back to the very same team that released him a year ago. That’s right, Trent Baalke Draft Day’ed the Detroit Lions for a seventh round draft pick. So, to sum up, the Detroit Lions released Riley Patterson and Trent Baalke of the Jacksonville Jaguars picked him up for no cost. Baalke and the Jags then had the most special season of their entire existence (arguably) aided tremendously by the foot of Riley Patterson. Then, Baalke upgraded from Patterson to McManus and traded Patterson back to the very same Detroit Lions gaining a late round draft pick. We all know how much Baalke loves his late rounders. If McManus pays off in Jacksonville, this would be a masterclass move of which even Kevin Costner would be proud. Now, Trent Baalke, go get you some Jennifer Garner and I’ll be first in line to put your name on the new stadium…Whenever that happens. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.