The New England Patriots entered a new era once Mike Vrabel returned to the franchise to take over as the team's next head coach. That regime change, like many others, has brought with it several changes to the roster.
Unfortunately, one player selected in this past April's draft who was expected to be a contributor from the moment he arrived is not looking the part after two games. It certainly isn't the norm for franchises to spend draft picks on specialists, but that is what New England did in the offseason when it selected Andy Borregales in the sixth round. He's quickly played himself out of the fan base's good graces, as the rookie kicker has already missed one field goal and a pair of extra point attempts.
It Only Took 2 Weeks for Patriots to Regret Drafting Andy Borregales
The Patriots were fortunate to pick up a win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 2 after Borregales managed to miss the mark on his first two attempts at converting extra points on the day. To be fair, Borregales did convert on a 53-yard field goal that, ultimately, put the game out of reach for Miami. The fact that New England left points on the board for the second straight week, though, cannot sit well with the fan base or Vrabel's coaching staff.
What makes Borregales' struggles even more frustrating for Vrabel and Patriots supporters is the fact that the other kicker the franchise brought in to training camp and ultimately released, Parker Romo, just led the Atlanta Falcons to a win on Sunday Night Football by going 5-of-5 on his field goal attempts, including one from 54 yards out, and connecting on his lone extra-point attempt.
New England's hope remains that Borregales will find his stride, and these misses will not become an issue the Patriots have to fight to overcome week after week. Beyond the fact that it will directly hurt the team's ability to win close games, mediocrity in the kicking game is something that Vrabel can't afford to allow.
So much of being a kicker in the NFL is the mental side of the game. For a rookie kicker with expectations placed on their shoulders, early struggles can avalanche into bigger issues. We haven't hit that point in New England with Borregales just yet, but it is something that the coaching staff must keep an eye on.
No matter what happens from this point forward, Patriots fans have been treated to another example of why using a draft pick on a kicker is a risky game to play.