6 kickers the Commanders could target to replace Brandon McManus

When the Washington Commanders opted to part ways with kicker Joey Slye this offseason, those in power believed they had a more reliable veteran option in Brandon McManus. He's had a productive 10-year career in the NFL, mostly with the Denver Broncos, so this was an undoubted upgrade.

In 2023, he performed reasonably well for the Jacksonville Jaguars, converting field goals at an 81 percent clip, which is consistent with his career numbers. Though his long-range accuracy dipped a bit last year, McManus still showed enough leg to boot a 56-yarder.

The Commanders have not indicated that they are unhappy with the decision to sign McManus. On Monday, news broke that the kicker is being sued by two women who have accused him of sexual assault. The women worked as flight attendants on a trip carrying the Jaguars to London last September. The alleged assault occurred on the flight.

McManus’s representatives have vowed to fight the allegations and deny any wrongdoing. The Commanders have issued a statement saying they are aware of the situation. No further information is currently available.

We have no way of knowing how this will play out. But we can assume that Adam Peters and his staff have lists of available players at every position should a sudden change become necessary.

Kickers occupy one of the most volatile positions on an NFL roster. Most teams only carry one placekicker and except for several well-established veterans, most of those are only a few bad games away from facing potential replacement.

If the Commanders decide to look at other kickers, here are five to keep an eye on.

Commanders could target Jake Bates

Jake Bates is a 24-year-old graduate of Arkansas who was signed as an undrafted free agent last year by the Houston Texans. He never saw the field, but he has become something of a sensation in recent months based on his performance for the Michigan Panthers.

He has converted three field goals this season of more than 60 yards. Bates also nailed a 64-yarder to win a game for the UFL outfit. All-world kicker Justin Tucker is the only player who has made a longer attempt during a professional game.

Bates is under contract to the Panthers until the end of the UFL season in mid-June. He cannot negotiate with NFL teams until then.

When he is eligible, expect multiple teams to vie for his services. Fans of the Detroit Lions, whose kicker position remains unsettled, are chomping at the bit to get Bates onto their roster.

Commanders could target Lucas Havrisik

The Cleveland Browns currently have three kickers signed to their roster. The incumbent is former Washington Commanders veteran Dustin Hopkins.

After a subpar season in 2020, Washington released Hopkins early in 2021 in favor of Joey Slye. He went on to perform very well for both the Los Angeles Chargers and Browns in subsequent campaigns. However, Cleveland is at the very least considering a change.

When Lucas Havrisik was a freshman at Arizona in 2017, he converted a 57-yard field goal. He routinely booted kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. He has shown he has the big leg required of a professional kicker.

Havrisik bounced around several practice squads in the NFL and played in nine games for the Los Angeles Rams last season. He did not miss from inside 40 yards, converting 11 attempts. However, he was much less reliable from over 40 yards, making fewer than half his kicks. He also missed three extra points in 22 attempts.

There are a few kinks to work out, but there is no question about Havrisik's raw talent. Sometimes, kickers need a little extra time to figure out how to handle the elevated pressure of performing in the NFL. In the past, Washington moved on from very talented kickers like David Akers and Graham Gano because of some rough patches early in their careers.

We have no way of knowing whether Adam Peters and Dan Quinn would be willing to take a chance on an unproven young talent like Havrisik, or even if he will become available. He may win the job outright and be off the market. Should he lose out, he might be a good prospect to try out.

Commanders could target Cade York

The third kicker in Cleveland this offseason entered the league with the most acclaim. Cade York was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of LSU. He was chosen as AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after his first game. But he was unable to build on that burst of early success and seemed to struggle as the season went on.

He kicked in all the Browns’ games as a rookie. But he was released the following season in training camp, when they signed Hopkins.

York was on the practice squad of both the Tennessee Titans and the New York Giants last season. He hurt his leg in practice and was placed on injured reserve. When the G-Men failed to re-sign him, Cleveland brought him back, presumably to compete with both Hopkins and Havrisik in an open competition.

This would be another talented, unproven commodity that could be available before the start of the 2024 season should the Commanders be looking.

Commanders could target Andre Szymt

Andre Szmyt’s career at Syracuse got off to a spectacular start. After a redshirt season in 2017, he was a unanimous All-American and Lou Groza Award winner during his first full season in 2018. That is a very rare accomplishment for a freshman kicker.

He struggled in subsequent seasons, before recording a very good final campaign. That drew the interest of NFL teams, and Szmyt signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears before the 2023 season. He was released soon after.

Szmyt has performed extremely well with the St. Louis Battlehawks. Jake Bates may be grabbing all the headlines, but he's converted more field goals at a higher percentage. He also has booted a long of over 60 yards.

In all, Szmyt has made 17 of 19 attempts in the UFL. Part of that may be due to the comfortable rapport he has developed with the holder from his Syracuse days, Sterling Hofrichter. It’s further evidence of how much kickers - especially younger ones - need to be in a comfortable environment to succeed.

Bates will certainly draw interest, but Szmyt may well turn out to be just as good if not better down the road.

Commanders could target Will Reichard or John Parker Romo

Greg Joseph has been the Minnesota Vikings kicker for the last three seasons, but they opted to move on this year. He is now with the Green Bay Packers along with two other kickers competing for the job.

Meanwhile, the Vikings drafted Will Reichard - the NCAA all-time leading scorer - in the sixth round. He is the presumed frontrunner for the job. Last year at Alabama, he was excellent, making 88 percent of his attempts and all five of his kicks from more than 50 yards.

However, they also have the former Virginia Tech kicker John Parker Romo (no relation to Tony) in camp. He has not kicked in the NFL, but like Bates and Szmyt, he performed very well in the XFL (the precursor to the UFL) back in 2022.

He made more than 89 percent of his kicks with a long of 57 yards. He was selected as the kicker on the 2023 All-XFL team. Last year, Romo had brief stints on a couple of practice squads before signing with the Vikings as a free agent this year. If he is unable to beat out Reichard for the job, he is another young kicker the Washington Commanders might have their eye on.

At this point in the offseason, there are no magic bullets out there. Randy Bullock is the only proven veteran free agent, and his best days are probably behind him. He might serve as an emergency solution should one become necessary.

However, even if Bullock, or some other veteran who becomes a surprise release before the season, is brought to Washington, Adam Peters might be looking for a young guy ready to explode.

If you find the right kicker who has figured out how to handle NFL pressure, he can become a mainstay for the next 10 years.