The New England Patriots made a bold move in the draft by selecting a punter and kicker at the same time. After letting go of their veteran punter Jake Bailey, they selected kicker Maryland’s Chad Ryland and Michigan State’s Bryce Baringer, making them the first team in 23 years to select both a kicker and a punter in the same draft.
Less than a year after the New England Patriots agreed upon Bailey, his time with the team came to an abrupt end. His back injury and a two-game suspension for violating team rules seemed to be the main reasons for his release. The missed appointments for rehabilitation also led up to his eventual suspension.
Patriots release punter Jake Bailey: https://t.co/mcZyW2JufZ
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) March 10, 2023
Ex-Tom Brady Patriots is going to start a challenging season with the teams draft pick
Following Bailey’s injury and suspension, Michael Palardy was given the position, but he failed to perform up to the team’s expectations, and as a result, New England finished the season with one of the most disappointing punting structures in the NFL.
HC Bill Belichick lost faith in them as a result of this failure, and after releasing Bailey, he moved forward with selecting Punter Baringer in the sixth round with the No. 192 pick on terms that are anticipated to be four years/$4.01 million.
One of the most distinguished punters in Michigan State history, he led his state in punting for two consecutive seasons in 2021 and 2022, terminating his career with 64 punts of 50 yards or more and 55 inside the 20.
Two more Patriots draft picks agree to terms: Punter Bryce Baringer (sixth round, No. 192) and WR Demario Douglas (sixth round, No. 210).
Baringer terms expected to be four years/$4.01 million, with Douglas four years/$3.97 million.
All rookie deals are slotted.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) May 11, 2023
Following the punter in the sixth round, Tom Bradys’ former team added a second wide receiver. The team selected Demario Douglas, 210th overall, in order to strengthen their wide receiver room. The Liberty wide receiver is an interior receiver at the upper levels, delivering a mixture of strong speed and a lot of quickness.
He had his best year in 2022, leading the team in receiving with a career-high 79 receptions for 993 yards and six touchdowns. At the time, he was No. 22 in the nation in receptions made per game (6.1).
The signing of the punter and kicker at the same draft as well as one more wide receiver shows that Belichick is more focused on his team’s performance and is willing to make any adjustments necessary to help the Patriots win.
