Patriots cut unconventional hero who is responsible for Drake Maye

The Patriots are in the midst of trimming down their offseason roster to the season-allotted 53-man team for the 2024 season as the cutdown deadline nears at 4 pm EST. Nearly all of the cuts they have made already have not been surprising, including the decision to waive kicker Chad Ryland.

Similar to the inevitable fate of quarterback Bailey Zappe, it seemed all but official that Ryland's days with the Patriots were numbered. His struggle-filled rookie season put the team in a difficult situation on multiple occasions, some of which forced Bill Belichick to keep the offense on the field for fourth down plays.

Despite becoming known for his impressive skills during his time at the University of Maryland, he was never truly able to showcase it, whether it be due to nerves or something else, which inevitably put his stability on the roster on shaky ground this offseason.

But the new regime decided to give him a fighting chance to win the job over the last several months, signing veteran Joey Slye to make it a true roster battle. By the end of the preseason, the kickers were neck and neck with their completed kicks vs. attempts, but Slye won the job with his knack for successful long kicks.

While cutting Ryland wasn't unexpected and most fans are okay with seeing him off the roster, there is room to be thankful for his contributions, limited as they might be.

Chad Ryland might go down as a New England legend if things pan out with Drake Maye

Although he contributed to more losses than wins last year, Ryland's misses benefitted the Patriots in a potentially significant way to set up their success for the future.

Because many of his missed field goals and extra points ensured the Patriots lost some games, most notably his missed game-tying field goal against the Giants, Ryland helped the team lock up the third overall pick in the 2024 Draft, a selection that eventually became Drake Maye.

It's too early in the quarterback's career to come to any conclusions, but if he becomes the next face of the franchise and their quarterback of the future, Ryland should receive far more thanks from the fans for how he helped make that happen.

It's a much nicer way to remember the kicker who was said to have so much potential than thinking of him as the latest draft bust.

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