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6 Patriots Playing for Their Jobs in Training Camp

A lot of pressure is mounting on certain Patriots to step up their game when training camp begins. As a result, these six New England players are playing for their jobs this summer.

By Devon Platana

QB Bailey Zappe will be playing for his job in training camp.
QB Bailey Zappe will be playing for his job in training camp. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
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3. Chad Ryland, K

Patriots fans were left shocked when the franchise used a 2023 fourth-round pick on kicker Chad Ryland. Although he was among one of the NCAA's best legs during his draft year, a lot of people felt that taking a kicker that early when there were many other pressing needs was a mistake. A true Bill Belichick move, if you will.

The doubters would've been shut up if Ryland had a strong rookie showing, but that wasn't the case. Even though he only missed one of his 25 extra-point attempts (96.0%), the former Maryland special teamer struggled with a 64.0% field-goal percentage, which including going 7-of-14 (50.0%) from 40 yards back or further.

After being blessed by Adam Vanatieri and Stephen Gostkowski for nearly 23 years, the Patriots know that it's crucial to possess a reliable kicker. That's why the team gave Ryland some competition by bringing in veteran Joey Slye for a training camp battle.

While Slye is far from the NFL's top kicker, he still owns an 82.3 FG% and 88.5 XP% across 78 career games, giving him a clear experience edge over Ryland. Additionally, Slye outperformed his second-year counterpart throughout this offseason's team activities by a decent margin.

If the 28-year-old veteran can bring his best stuff to training camp, the Patriots may have to go with the more proven leg.

Hopefully, Ryland can prove why he deserved to be the 112th overall selection one year ago. Otherwise, it might be time for him to look for a new employer.

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