Tag: Will Reichard

Vikings sign three draft picks as rookie minicamp opens

The Minnesota Vikings announced the signings of rookies Michael Jurgens, Will Reichard, and Levi Drake Rodriguez as rookie minicamp opens.

The 2024 NFL draft was less than a month ago, but the work has just begun for the incoming class. The Minnesota Vikings kicked off their rookie minicamp and while the headlines are J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner taking the field for the first time, it’s not the only noteworthy thing to come out of the first day.

Today, the Vikings announced they have reached contract agreements with three more members of their rookie class: offensive lineman Michael Jurgens, kicker Will Reichard, and defensive lineman Levi Drake Rodriguez.

The Vikings took Jurgens and Rodriguez with their two picks in the seventh round, while they were able to get Reichard in the sixth. With the signings of those three, the Vikings are left with four members of the 2024 draft class unsigned: the aforementioned McCarthy and Turner, along with fourth-round pick Khyree Jackson and sixth-rounder Walter Rouse.

With the rookie wage scale, signing the draft class is largely a formality, and fans should expect all four remaining unsigned rookies to be under contract before too long. Certainly, before the pre-season starts in earnest this summer.

Minnesota Vikings sign punter Seth Vernon

The Minnesota Vikings have signed punter Seth Vernon to the roster. He will be the second punter on the team when camp starts.

The Minnesota Vikings have signed punter Seth Vernon to the roster. He will be the second punter on the team and will likely compete with Ryan Wright for the starting job.

Vernon most recently played in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons during their 2022 training camp. He signed with the Falcons after being undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. He attended Portland State, where he played his entire career for them.

Vernon averaged 43.9 yards per punt and an average hangtime of 4.06 seconds. His career-long is 66 yards, and 26 of his 87 career punts went inside the 20-yard line while only six went for touchbacks.

The signing of Vernon is only the latest addition to what is gearing up to be a revamped special teams room.

Vernon and Wright will compete for the punting job, while 2024 NFL Draft selection Will Reichard and John Parker Romo will compete for the kicking job. The Minnesota Vikings will have many competitions across various positions; special teams are looking for special players who can make special plays.

Former Alabama K Will Reichard drafted by Minnesota Vikings

Former Alabama kicker Will Reichard is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings after being selected in Round 6 of the 2024 NFL draft!

Former Alabama Crimson Tide kicker Will Reichard will begin his professional career with the Minnesota Vikings after being selected by the franchise in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Reichard will be remembered in Tuscaloosa as a Crimson Tide legend. Not only did he leave a lasting legacy in the program, he left his mark on college football history. In 2023, Reichard became the highest-scoring college football player in NCAA history.

In his five seasons at Alabama, he made 99.3% (295/297) of his extra points, and 84% (84/100) of field goals and is responsible for 547 total points.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow former Alabama players as they look to begin their NFL careers in the upcoming 2024 season.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Mock draft watch: Breaking down the Lions haul in The Athletic’s 7-round projections

Mock draft watch: Breaking down the Lions haul in The Athletic’s 7-round projections from Dane Brugler

The latest projections from longtime NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler from The Athletic are now out, and it’s a massive undertaking. Brugler projected all seven rounds in his latest mock draft.

For the Detroit Lions, Brugler projected a trade out of the first round. This mock draft has the Las Vegas Raiders moving up to No. 29 and sending the Lions No. 44 and No. 77 overall so the Raiders can snag Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.

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That leaves Detroit with two second-round picks and two more in the third. The Day 2 picks focus on most of the team’s primary needs.

Brugler’s final haul for Detroit:

2 (44). Zach Frazier, G/C, West Virginia
2 (61). Braden Fiske, DT, Florida State
3 (73). Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
3 (77). Caelen Carson, CB, Wake Forest
5 (164). Braiden McGregor, Edge, Michigan
6 (201). Will Reichard, K, Alabama
6 (205). Sione Vaki, S, Utah
7 (249). Johnny Dixon, CB, Penn State

A lot of those names should look familiar for Lions fans. Frazier, Fiske and Polk have all been common second-round names in recent Detroit projections. Selecting a kicker in the sixth would surely be a debatable point in the fanbase, as would ignoring the giant hole at offensive tackle behind starters Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell–especially in light of Decker’s recent foot surgeries (yes, plural).

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None of the players selected here would be projected to start in 2024, a prevailing theme for Detroit’s championship-caliber roster.

Lions GM Brad Holmes attends Alabama’s pro day

Lions GM Brad Holmes attends Alabama’s pro day to check out several prominent 2024 NFL draft prospects in person

Lions general manager Brad Holmes doesn’t typically attend many collegiate pro days. However, he made his annual pilgrimage to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday for the Alabama Crimson Tide pro day workouts.

Holmes has been to the Alabama pro day every year. Last year he selected defensive back Brian Branch in the draft after seeing him up close and personal on the Crimson Tide pro day.

Holmes was joined by at least four other GMs and dozens of NFL coaches and scouts. The pro days for USC and Ohio State were also on Wednesday and the Lions were confirmed to have representation at both of those workouts as well, but the head man was in Alabama.

Among the many Crimson Tide prospects who could pique Holmes’ interest in the draft, listed in order of projected draft slot:

EDGE Dallas Turner

OL JC Latham

CB Terrion Arnold

CB Kool-Aid McKinstry

EDGE Chris Braswell

DL Justin Eboigbe

WR Jermaine Burton

K Will Reichard

 

Full 7-round 2024 NFL mock draft: Patriots pull off two blockbuster trades

Patriots pull off two major trades to fix their offense in this latest mock draft

The New England Patriots have a rare opportunity to make one of the greatest splashes in recent memory at the 2024 NFL draft. They manage to do so in this week’s seven-round mock draft by pulling off two blockbuster trades with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.

The Patriots have a long history of snubbing their noses at high-end offensive playmakers, but that is likely to change now that Bill Belichick is gone and Eliot Wolf is leading the personnel decision-making.

Of course, the team is also in dire need of offensive line help and a future face of the franchise at the quarterback position. The revolving door of Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and a third wheel veteran signal-caller has worn out its welcome.

In one fell swoop, this mock draft has the Patriots boosting their positions of need, while also creating a roster capable of competing in 2024. Here are the results from the latest seven-round mock draft:

Full 7-round 2024 NFL mock draft: Blockbuster trade helps Patriots address major needs

The Patriots swing a blockbuster trade early to rebuild their offense the right way in this 2024 NFL mock draft

Everyone is assuming the New England Patriots take a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft. That appears to be the most likely scenario, but there’s also the possibility the team goes in the roster building direction before reaching for a new signal-caller.

It doesn’t matter if it’s Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. Any rookie quarterback is going to have a rough go under center for a Patriots team severely lacking in offensive talent at receiver and on the offensive line.

The Patriots might want to avoid another Mac Jones situation by simply focusing their resources at other positions, while utilizing a bridge quarterback for the time being. Whether that bridge quarterback is Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe or an experienced veteran, like Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins, is an argument for another day.

But this mock draft explores the possibility of a trade down by New England to accumulate more picks and fix other trouble spots on their roster. Here’s an updated full seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft for the Patriots:

Will Reichard makes college football history as all-time points leader

Alabama kicker Will Reichard has officially made history as the all-time points leader in college football

Alabama football kicker Will Reichard officially stands alone as the all-time leading points scorer in college football history.

Reichard tied former Navy wide receiver Keenan Reynolds with 530 career points scored with an impressive Iron Bowl performance to end the regular season. He wasted no time in surpassing him, and setting a new record with a first quarter field goal.

He will have an opportunity to build on his record and separate himself from the pack throughout the remainder of the SEC Championship as the Crimson Tide closes out the 2023 season.

A native of Hoover, Alabama, Reichard was a member of the 2019 recruiting class and his impact was felt as soon as he stepped on campus.

Reichard’s college career was special in the eyes of Alabama fans and he will now be remembered as one of the best to ever play the game as he will likely look to continue his career at the professional level.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to cover Will Reichard and Alabama football as they finish their season.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Will Reichard continues to close in on college football history

Alabama kicker Will Reichard is only 21 points away from becoming the all-time points leader in college football history

Alabama kicker Will Reichard is already the football program’s all-time leading points scorer, but he’s likely got a bigger goal in mind: becoming the all-time college football leader in points.

A native of Hoover, Reichard joined the Crimson Tide in 2019 as one of the nation’s highest-rated kickers. Now in his fifth year with the team, Reichard has amassed a total of 509 points scored.

His freshman season in 2019 got things started with a total of 33 points, then 126 in 2020, followed by his career-high 137 in 2021, he came close last season with 130 and currently has 83 on the 2023 season.

How far away is he from history? Well, he currently sits at No. 3 on the all-time leading points list. He’s 13 points behind Louisiana Tech running back Kenneth Dixon, and Reichard is only 21 points behind the first-place spot, currently held by Navy’s Keenan Reynolds.

Only time will tell if Reichard will be able to surpass Reynolds, but with two regular season games, a conference championship, and a bowl game (with the possibility of a national championship appearance, if applicable), things look good for the Alabama native.

He only needs seven field goals, or 21 extra points, or any combination of the two. We can sit here and list out the possibilities, but all that’s important to know is that every time you see Reichard out on that field from now on, remember that he’s getting one step closer to making history.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2023 regular season comes to a close.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Brad Nessler apologized to Alabama for the ultimate announcer’s jinx on kicker’s perfect streak

Oh no, Brad Nessler jinxed Alabama’s kicker.

CBS Sports commentator Brad Nessler put on a clinic for how to jinx a kicker on a hot streak during Alabama’s home game against LSU on Saturday night.

Crimson Tide kicker Will Reichard, who recently became the SEC’s all-time leading scorer, hadn’t missed a single kick in 28 attempts for Alabama dating all the way back to Oct. 15, 2022.

Nessler pointed out Reichard’s incredible streak ahead of a 47-yard attempt, and like clockwork, the kicker shanked the attempt as it went wide right of the goalposts.

The broadcaster immediately apologized for the jinx, which is all at once kind of hilarious and just so, so brutal for Reichard and Alabama.

It’s literally Nessler’s job to point these things out during the game for the viewers at home, but the timing of it is just so unfortunate.

Crimson Tide fans will likely blame Nessler’s bad luck for the attempt, but even the great kickers miss a field goal every now and again.

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