With Monday's news that kicker Joey Slye had signed with the Tennessee Titans, the Patriots now have a new hole to fill on their roster, whether via free agency or the draft.
The 28-year-old Slye is moving on to Tennessee after just one year in New England, and suddenly, we can add special teams - along with wide receiver and left tackle - to the Patriots' most glaring needs.
After a relatively noisy start to free agency, the Patriots have been relatively quiet the last week-plus, save for a visit with free-agent wideout Stefon Diggs last week. The market for free-agent kickers is relatively thin at best. Still, by letting Slye sign with the Titans, it's one the Patriots will have to tap into, as New England only has the unproven John Parker Romo, who was signed to the practice squad in December, on its roster.
Free agent placekicking options that make sense for the Patriots
1. Nick Folk
Folk is 40 years old and does not have the range he did early in his career, but he did connect on 96 percent of his field-goal attempts in Tennessee last season. Not to mention, he spent some time with the Patriots (2019-2022), so he certainly knows how to perform once the New England weather gets nasty in the second half of the season.
The big drawback, as previously mentioned, is Folk's age, which has been a factor in his struggles from 50-plus the last few seasons.
With Joey Slye signed, it means the #Titans are officially moving on from 40-year old Nick Folk, who hit 50 of 52 FGs over two years with Tennessee, including 11 of 12 from 50+. He led the NFL in field-goal percentage in each of those two years. https://t.co/3YLeekUZeT
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 24, 2025
2. Matt Prater
The top free-agent kickers on the market are seasoned, to say the least, as Prater is 41 years old and tore the meniscus on his plant leg last season.
Like Folk, Prater is known for his accuracy, as he never missed a field goal or an extra point (16-16) with Arizona prior to his injury. Prater did connect on 85 percent of his kicks in 2023, so he appears to be another veteran the Patriots could bring in on a one-year deal.
3. Eddy Piñeiro
The 29-year-old has a solid 88 percent field-goal conversion rate during his career and spent the last three seasons with Carolina. Pineiro also represents the youngest player on this list, so if the Patriots are looking for a combination of range and accuracy, perhaps Pineiro is the way to go.
He was a solid 22-26 on field goals with the Panthers last season, with a long of 53 yards. Pineiro is also 11-14 from kicks covering 50 yards or more during his career and has been reliable on extra points (33-35 last season with the Panthers).
Folk and Prater are reliable veterans but are closer to the end of their careers than Pineiro is, and in the Patriots' case, beggars can't afford to be choosers.