AFC West castoff could answer a big question for the Bucs
It's May. Baseball is in full swing, and the NBA and NHL playoffs are on the verge of reaching their respective finals. But the NFL never sleeps in its seemingly eternal offseason. Offseason training activities take place, giving teams first looks at new players. And roster moves still take place, some of which can quietly […]
It's May. Baseball is in full swing, and the NBA and NHL playoffs are on the verge of reaching their respective finals. But the NFL never sleeps in its seemingly eternal offseason. Offseason training activities take place, giving teams first looks at new players. And roster moves still take place, some of which can quietly determine a team's fortunes in the upcoming season.
A case in point is in Denver, where the Broncos released K Brandon McManus on Tuesday. McManus spent 9 years in Denver and was the last remaining member of the 2015-16 Super Bowl champion Broncos.
McManus has been a staple in the Mile High City for the past 9 seasons, converting 80% or greater of his field goal attempts in every season except for 2014 (rookie year), 2017, and 2022.
What McManus would bring to the table is something that Todd Bowles made no secret about his desire to improve in 2023: a better conversion rate on longer kicks. McManus' career percentage on kicks of 50+ yards is 55.6% (40-72). Some may argue that kicking through the thin air of Denver adds help, and it's impossible to argue that it doesn't. However, McManus has a strong career percentage from 40-49 yards, having made 61-71 (85.9)%, for which the thin air doesn't factor as much.
By way of contrast, Ryan Succop's career percentage of 50+ is 48.9% (23-47). Succop is 102-132 for his career from 40-40 (77.3%). During his three-year span in Tampa, he made 26 of 31 (83.9%) from 40-49 and 3-10 (30%) from 50 and beyond.
So while it appeared that Succop was almost infallible from 40-49 yards – the argument often made by those in favor of keeping him – it turns out that McManus has been more accurate over a lengthy career at the range that Succop received praise for.
There's also the question of money, as the Bucs are last in the league in cap space with $471,791, per OverTheCap.com. However, they could extend Mike Evans to create additional cap room. McManus was seventh in the NFL last year in average salary of all kickers at $4.3 million, per SpoTrac. If the Bucs feel he's still a top-notch option, they could potentially sign him to a multi-year deal in the 3.5-4.5 million/year range and structure it to ease the salary hit in 2023.
For three years, Succop's mostly reliable leg eased the frustration Bucs fans had dealt with in the kicking game since Matt Bryant left town. Perhaps signing a proven veteran like McManus would avoid a return to those dark days.
