Throughout training camp, the New England Patriots had quite a few position battles brewing on their roster. While all eyes are on Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye to see who will end up being the team's starting quarterback, there was another fierce battle at the kicker position, where Joey Slye and Chad Ryland were duking it out.

Slye initially signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, but he ended up getting released in late April, only to sign with New England a few days later. It seemed like he faced steeper odds to win the job over Ryland, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but the second-year kicker's continued struggles opened the door for Slye, and he won the starting job, with Ryland getting released on Tuesday.

Via Adam Schefter:

“Patriots are releasing kicker Chad Ryland, per source.”

Patriots cut their losses with Chad Ryland

New England Patriots place kicker Chad Ryland (37) prepares to kick the winning field goal in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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The Patriots drafted Ryland in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and ended up making him their starting kicker after they traded Nick Folk to the Tennessee Titans. This decision backfired in spectacular fashion, as Ryland was a mess during his rookie campaign (16/25 FGM, 24/25 XPM), while Folk put together another consistent season of work with the Titans (29/30 FGM, 28/30 XPM).

Ryland was given the inside track to winning the job again this season, but he didn't really do much to stand out over Slye. Even though he was drafted just over a year ago, the new regime in New England didn't feel pressured to hold onto him, even though they have essentially burned a fourth-round pick on him.

Of course, there's a chance that Ryland could latch on with the team's practice squad if he doesn't land with another team, and that could be helpful given how inconsistent Slye has been throughout his career. However, Ryland hasn't shown much early on in his NFL career, and New England may be better off looking for another kicker to stash on their practice squad.

It's always tough when draft picks don't pan out, but Ryland's fall from grace in such a short amount of time is quite staggering. For the time being, he's without a team, but chances are he will find his way onto a practice squad and develop behind the scenes, which will hopefully help him figure things out after his early struggles in the NFL.