Chicago Bears Missed Their Chance to Sign this Ex-Super Bowl Champion
Just last week, the Denver Broncos announced the release of one of their star players. He didn't stay on the free agency list for long, though, quickly finding a new home with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although we can't say for certain if Ryan Poles was planning to bring on a new kicker, it's pretty clear he should have considered it. Not referring to the undrafted rookie kicker from Syracuse here, although that was a smart decision. But when an accomplished player like Brandon McManus pops up in free agency, it would have been wise for the Chicago Bears to show some interest.
It appears there might have been a bit of tension brewing with McManus, given his outspoken stance on OTAs over the past couple of years and his efforts to encourage player boycotts. Last season, McManus took a personal stand by boycotting OTAs until the final session. The year before that, he played a significant role in supporting the player's union by avoiding voluntary workouts. With his nearly $4 million earnings for this season, his activism might have been the last straw for Sean Payton, leading to McManus's release. Payton made the following statement:
«Ultimately, you're constantly looking at what's in the best interest for your team. A lot of the time, money and what your �musts' are come into it. You guys know this better than anyone, the transactions continue here from now until training camp. There may be a player of two that we are still looking to sign. We factored a lot of that in and then we made that decision.»
- Sean Payton, Broncos HC
In my view, Cairo Santos can be a bit of a risk. Despite his strong accuracy, his kicking range beyond 50 yards leaves much to be desired. With a career field goal percentage of 84.5%, Santos's record might look good, but his weak long-range ability is a concern. Last year, Santos successfully made 91.3% of his field goals and only 84.4% of his extra points. During his time with the Bears, Santos has only attempted and successfully made 7 of 10 kicks from 50+ yards. Out of 116 games, he's only attempted 27 kicks from that range.
On the other hand, Brandon McManus might not have Santos's accuracy, but his superior long-range ability makes him a valuable asset. McManus made 77.8% of his kicks last season, but that's because he tried 13 from over 50 yards - three more than Santos has attempted in his three years with Chicago. Out of these, McManus was successful with eight. He scored perfect in the 40-49 yard range and nailed 10 of 13 within the 20-39 yard range. Over 144 games, he's attempted 72 kicks from 50+ yards.
Also worth mentioning, Santos is due to make $4.5 million this year. The Bears could have let him go, saved $3.5 million, and likely signed McManus for less. The specifics of McManus's one-year contract with the Jaguars are yet to be revealed, but it's unlikely to exceed $3.5 million. The decision not to bring on a player of McManus's caliber won't necessarily spell disaster, but if undrafted rookie kicker, Andre Szmyt, can't outperform Santos, we might find ourselves treating long field goal attempts like punts in the future.
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28 MAI | 1 ANSWERS Chicago Bears Missed Their Chance to Sign this Ex-Super Bowl Champion Should the Bears sign a new kicker? | ||
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| No | 0 | 0 % |
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