Extra Draft Pick for the NY Giants
Aug 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Denver Broncos place kicker Brandon McManus (8) in game action against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Denver beat Dallas 27-3. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
According to the ESPN article titled, Notes: Giants pick up extra draft pick, the New York Giants will receive an extra seventh round draft.
"The Broncos surprisingly released kicker Matt Prater on Friday, sticking with Brandon McManus instead. The Giants traded McManus to the Broncos in late August for a conditional seventh-round pick. McManus was thought to be just filling in for Prater, who was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Prater holds the NFL record for longest field goal (64 yards), set last season."
Now, Matt Prater is 30 years old with approximately 30 DUI’s (sarcasm), so he will be a risky pick-up for any team, but some team will sign Prater for his leg. There are people in the NFL that think Prater could make it from 65 yards + and he’s clutch. He won’t be out of work for too long in the estimation of GMEN HQ.
The interesting thing is that Wes Welker and Von Miller can pop Molly’s like it’s a warehouse rave and the Broncos support them, but they kick the kicker to the curb for alcohol? Sounds a bit off…
This was a quote from August in a USA Today post titled, Broncos K Matt Prater suspended for 4 games:
"“This guy was off probation. There’s no allegation that he used PEDs or illegal drugs,” Harvey Steinberg said. “He was on vacation, had three beers three years after a DUI. Come on, give me break.”"
Roger Goodell would probably say, ‘NFL Policy is NFL policy’, but Harvey Steinberg (Prater’s Lawyer) obviously didn’t want his player suspended, so making a statement like that is in his best interest.
Overall, for the New York Giants, they benefit, the team gets an extra draft pick for trading a kicker they were just going to release anyway. What a deal.
For the Broncos, they’ll probably say it was all about money as Prater was scheduled to a lot more money than McManus and his $420,000 salary, but they also had dead money tied up in Prater, so it seems like a push.
Whatever the case for the Denver Broncos, the New York Football Giants now have an extra draft pick in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft.