Washington Commanders send strong message to recent free agent signing with latest kicker news
The Washington Commanders aren't done looking into adding UFL talent following the release of Brandon McManus earlier this month. Last week, the front office added kicker Ramiz Ahmed, making him the instant favorite to win the starting role as the Commanders' kicker room looked significantly empty. But fans shouldn't be fooled: The competition for the job […]
The Washington Commanders aren't done looking into adding UFL talent following the release of Brandon McManus earlier this month.
Last week, the front office added kicker Ramiz Ahmed, making him the instant favorite to win the starting role as the Commanders' kicker room looked significantly empty. But fans shouldn't be fooled: The competition for the job hasn't even begun yet.
Insider "UFL analyst" reported the Commanders are working out two more kickers on Tuesday: Matt McCrane and Andre Szmyt.
McCrane is no stranger to the area as he went 16-of-20 for the D.C. defenders this season, hitting a 58-yard bomb among his attempts. He was fourth in kicking points scored.
Back in 2018, McCrane spent time with three NFL teams and had a 66.7% field goal rate with his four misses coming in 40+ yard range, per Pro Football Reference. He's found success in spring pro football since then and could be a solid option for the Commanders.
As for Szmyt, he was the UFL leading scorer with 57 points to his name. Szmyt made 90% of his attempts with a long of a whopping 61 yards.
We might be talking about a hidden gem here, too: Not only did he lead the UFL kickers in points but did so in style with a 4-5 mark in 40+ yard attempts and the same for 50+ yard attempts.
At Syracuse, Szmyt also won the Lou Groza award in 2018, which is awarded to the best place-kicker at the collegiate level.
Who knows who will be manning the kicker duties come September Sundays but in the meantime, one thing is clear: The Commanders are throwing darts at the board and they're doing so with a solid process.
As for now, Ahmed is the lone signing so far with McCrane and Szmyt being set to work out for the team on Tuesday.
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