Matt Bryant To Stick In Atlanta
May 8th, 2010
Of all the veterans purged by Mark Dominik over the last couple of years, kicker Matt Bryant seems to be one of the select few that will keep playing at high level in the NFL.
Dominik passed on Bryant, who turns 35 this month, in favor or $2 million bust Mike Nugent, who was quickly tossed aside for youngster Connor Barth last year.
Vacation Man, NFC South beat writer for Moscow-based BSPN.com, who spent a chunk of this week at Atlanta Falcons’ minicamp, reports Bryant looks like a sure bet to keep Atlanta’s No. 1 kicker gig that he scored after a stint in the UFL last year.
Who’s the kicker? This was a big issue last year and the Falcons finally parted ways with veteran Jason Elam after he lost his consistency. Atlanta believes it has the answer in veteran Matt Bryant, who joined the team late last year. Bryant used to be one of the league’s more reliable kickers. But his career got thrown off track in Tampa Bay by injuries and a family tragedy. The Falcons believe Bryant is healthy and ready to get back to being the kind of reliable kicker he once was.
Joe’s happy for Bryant, yet Joe is having unsettling visions of him kicking game-winning field goals against the Bucs in 2010. Maybe Joe needs more sleep.
Joe’s a big fan of Barth, who shocked every Bucs fan alive with those three 50-yard field goals in one game against Miami last year. Like every team — and maybe more than most — the Bucs desperately need their kicker to be consistent, and great at times.
Hopefully, Barth’s up for it.
May 8th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Great for him. Hard to imagine a more deserving person.
May 8th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
I really do not miss Bryant. He missed several FGs in 40 yd range in 08, he even missed a couple in 4th qtr when we were trailing against Atlanta and Minnesota. Of course management did not get better guys to replace him, but this is the time to get rid of mediocre junk and find dynamic younger ones.
May 8th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
If you don’t mind your kickoffs routinely going no further than the 10-yard line, Bryant’s your man.
May 8th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Bryant had his downfalls on the field. But off the field there couldn’t be a better person. I hope his career continues to get better for him. I do like Conner Barth better. Hopefully he will miss some important FG’s for Atl. and help us out all season long!!!! haha
May 8th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
I’ll always be a Matt Bryant fan for that 63 yarder he kicked for us to beat the Eagles. But I don’t mind moving on to Connor Barth, kid could turn out to be great.
May 9th, 2010 at 12:57 am
Last year’s signing of Clayton and Nugent were Duminik’s biggest screw-ups. Maybe that’s why the Bucs no longer re-sign their own players to long term contracts and are afraid to sign any free agents?
May 9th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Dumbinik’s guy was Nugent .
He totally lucked into Barth . He was just bringing guys in at random for try-outs, and we might have fell into a gem.
SHows what an idiot DUmbinik is – all his best moves were pure luck ( see Sammie Stroughter)
May 9th, 2010 at 10:54 am
truth be told about the kickers:
i liked bryant, however he was not good on long field goals and distance….under 40 he was a good kicker and over 40 he was quite shakey….and over 50 some of the time gruden would pass up the option of him even attempting one…..with all that said, he did kick that 62 or 63 yarder vs. the eagles…and i commend him for that….but realistically, either a wind gust carried it through or it was G*ds leg that hit that one because bryant can’t really hit a 50 yarder cosistantly, let alone a 60 yarder….and i was in the stands to see that one go through the uprights…..
as for connor barth: he has a nice leg, but he has consistancy issues….im not sure if its physical or mental, it could be due to bouncing around the league a little and being young and inexperienced….either way, he needs to get his sh*t together because i would like to see him secure the spot as our regular kicker….consistancy is key for him or he will lose his job to camp fodder, because they certainly aren’t just handing him the job…..he hasn’t quite done enough to earn it….he had that one really nice game with three 50 yarders….otherwise most other games he was ok to spotty…..
adam from ny
May 9th, 2010 at 11:17 am
also once he nailed that 60 yarder to beat philly, i think as buc fans we all officially embraced him as our guy…before that no one gave a particular hoot about him…but after that kick he became more special…then the tragedy with his kid made him even more special to the fans…finally we fall in love with the guy and then the bucs dump him…….the nfl = not for long……for sure……adam from ny