Grading the Arizona Cardinals top free agent moves
By Sion Fawkes
Matt Prater will see some competition
Like Green, this one was a head scratcher. Sure, the Cardinals needed to upgrade over Zane Gonzalez and Mike Nugent. What they got was Matt Prater, who connected on just 21 of 28 field goals in 2020.
I was a huge advocate of getting rid of and replacing Gonzalaz. Sometimes, we need to be careful what we wish for, because Prater’s production in 2020 was murky, at best. Plus, he experienced the same struggles as Gonzalez.
Like Gonzalez, Prater was automatic from within 40 yards. Beyond 40, he finished 4 of 7 and beyond 50, 6 for 10. Overall, Prater went 10 for 17 on field goals beyond 40 yards, and a perfect 11 for 11 regarding anything 39 yards or closer.
This is a red flag if we think Prater will serve as an upgrade to Gonzalez. However, chances are the Cardinals will bring in a camp leg to compete with and hopefully win the job over Prater. For two reasons: One – While you don’t know what you will get, you know Prater’s career is all but finished. And for another, the camp leg could serve as the long-term solution.