in a move that's sending shock waves through the NFL the New England Patriots have decided to part ways with their leading scorer from last season Chad Ryland after a rookie year plagued by inconsistency and missed kicks the Patriots have opted to bring in veteran Joey Sly leaving Ryland out in the cold in this video we'll explore why the Patriots made this surprising decision and what it means for the team's future in a surprising turn of events the New England Patriots have decided to part ways with their leading scorer from the 2023 season kicker Chad drafted with high expectations after the Patriots traded up to select him in the 2023 NFL Draft ryland's time in Foxboro has come to an abrupt end after just one season ryland's rookie year was anything but smooth despite leading the team with 72 points his performance left much to be desired particularly in terms of accuracy Ryland connected on only 64% of his field goal attempts converting just 16 of 25 tries placing him last in the NFL in this iCal statistic his struggles were most evident from Beyond 45 yards where he managed to hit just five of 11 attempts a concerning 4.5.5 per accuracy rate the Patriots known for their high standards and Championship pedigree couldn't afford to wait for Ryland to develop in a bid to improve their special teams they brought in veteran kicker Joey Sly to compete for the position during training camp Sly who has bounced around the league showcased his experience and consistency outperforming Ryland by hitting nearly 80% of his kicks in Camp compared to ryland's 75.9% the difference was Stark in Long Range kicks with Sly making eight of nine attempts from 50 to 59 yards while Ryland managed just three of seven from the same distance sly's journey to New England has been a winding one after going undrafted he spent his first two seasons with the Carolina Panthers before moving through three teams in 2021 Houston Texans San Francisco 49 ears and Washington Commander now as he joins the Patriots Sly looks to bring stability to a position that has seen its share of ups and downs in recent years as for Chad Ryland his brief tenure with the Patriots now becomes a footnote in the team's storied history marking him as the final kicker drafted under the watchful eye of head coach Bill bellich ryland's release is a reminder of the high stakes and unforgiving nature of the NFL where even a single poor season can cost a player their spot on the roster this decision under scores the Patriots Relentless pursuit of Excellence as they aim to return to their winning ways with Sly now in place the team hopes to solidify their kicking game and eliminate the inconsistencies that plagued them last season in the Cutthroat world of professional football every decision counts and for the Patriots the choice to move on from Ryland is a clear statement that they are committed to finding the right pieces to build a championship caliber team this decision marks a significant shift in the Patriots approach to their special teams as they aim to to correct the inconsistencies that plagued them last season with Joey Sly now taking the Reigns New England is clearly focused on returning to their winning ways stay tuned as we continue to follow this developing story and see how it impacts the Patriots 2024 season