Broncos will release Matt Prater (updated)

[MrBill]

Big hit to Denver out of the gate losing Prater through week 5 of the season. If his attorney is to be believed and the suspension was triggered over Prater having a few beers at home on vacation

Matt Prater to be suspended by NFL for first four games



Broncos kicker Matt Prater has been notified by the NFL he will be suspended through the first four games of the season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

The violation was alcohol-related. Prater has been in the league's alcohol program since soon after he was charged with driving under the influence Aug. 12, 2011.

The four-game suspension, which is expected to be announced Monday, was part of an agreement reached between Prater's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, and the league, so an appeal is not expected. The NFL had initially threatened a one-year suspension.

"No one feels worse about this than Matt Prater," Steinberg said. "He feels terribly for his teammates. It's cost him personally, both professionally and financially. I wonder if we shouldn't take a second look at the policy when only a couple beers were consumed at home while he was on vacation. Having said that, the NFL under the constraints of the policy couldn't have treated us better."

This is potentially a major blow to the Broncos because Prater by nearly any measure is the league's best kicker. He topped the NFL last season with a 96.2 field-goal percentage by making 25-of-26 — including a 64-yarder in a December win against the Tennessee Titans that broke a 43-year league record.

Prater also led the NFL by a wide margin last season with 81 kickoff touchbacks and was second with 150 points.

"I've made some mistakes," Prater said. "I'm accepting full responsibility. I'll learn from it and come back a better person. I want to apologize to my teammates, my coaches, the Broncos' organization and the fans."

It's unclear how the Broncos will replace Prater. The team's backup kicker, Mitch Ewald, is a rookie from Indiana University. Ewald has been getting his share of field-goal attempts during training camp and converted all four of his 33-yard extra points during the Broncos' first two preseason wins against the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.

Then again, the Broncos as Super Bowl contenders may also consider an NFL kicker with regular-season experience. As it pertains to the game of football, kickers don't do much except decide outcomes.

Perhaps, the best way for the Broncos to overcome Prater's absence would be to score touchdowns. The Broncos scored a league-best 71 touchdowns last year — 55 on Peyton Manning passes — and had the best red-zone percentage (.761) by converting 51-of-67 attempts from inside the opponents' 20.

Prater's suspension covers five weeks of the 17-week season because of a Week 4 bye.

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

This is just the NFLs sneaky way to try out its future plans of eliminating FGs and kickoffs. You heard it here first folks.

[Guest]

A bit surprising here, but if the Broncos feel they have a good kicker, it's best to move on. Prater should have no shortage of suitors, and I really hope the Redskins go for him to finally lock down the position, but the Lions and Saints seem like more likely options.

When Matt Prater returns from his four-game suspension on Oct. 6, he won't be doing it with the Broncos. That's because Denver has decided to release the veteran kicker, the team announced on Friday.

"Parting ways with Matt Prater -- the longest-tenured player on our roster -- was a very difficult football decision," general manager John Elway said in a statement. "On behalf of our entire organization, I want to thank Matt for his seven seasons with the Broncos and wish him well going forward."

Prater's reaction to being released?

"I'm a little surprised," Prater told the Denver Post. "The Broncos look like they're going to do some great things this year. It's too bad I won't be a part of it. I'm just going to concentrate on keeping myself in shape and hopefully I'll be kicking for someone this year."

Prater was suspended in August and he handled his suspension a little differently than most NFL players. Instead of waiting for the NFL to announce his suspension, Prater and his lawyer came out and said that the kicker would have to sit out four weeks for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

"I've made some mistakes," Prater said at the time. "I'm accepting full responsibility. I'll learn from it and come back a better person. I want to apologize to my teammates, my coaches, the Broncos' organization and the fans."

Prater's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, says that Prater was suspended for drinking a few beers at home during the offseason.

"[Matt] feels terribly for his teammates. It's cost him personally, both professionally and financially," Steinberg said. "I wonder if we shouldn't take a second look at the policy when only a couple beers were consumed at home while he was on vacation. Having said that, the NFL under the constraints of the policy couldn't have treated us better."

Prater has been in the NFL's alcohol program since August 2011, when he was arrested and charged with DUI. The 2011 DUI was Prater's second in three years, according to USA Today. Prater also got a DUI in Orlando in 2008.

Despite his problems off the field, Prater shouldn't be out of work long.

The Broncos kicker scored 150 points in 2013, second only to Sebastian Janikowski's 158 points. Those 150 points include a 64-yard field goal in Week 13 that set the NFL record for longest field goal.

Prater led the NFL in field goal percentage last season by hitting 96.2 percent of his kicks. No other NFL kicker hit over 94.5 percent.

Teams that could be in the market for a kicker include the Lions and Saints. Detroit has already cut one kicker this season, in Nate Freese, and it's not clear how comfortable the team is with new kicker Alex Henery.

As for the Saints, they actually cut kicker Shayne Graham in late August before re-signing him on Sept. 2. Other teams that might take a look at Prater are the Chiefs and Browns, who have both seen their kickers struggle this season.

The Broncos will move forward with Brandon McManus, who's 3 for 3 on field goal attempts this season and has nailed all eight of his extra point attempts.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-...or-new-orleans

[Tailback U]

I don't get this. So you're not allowed to drink at home if you have a DUI? Legally that is not even a crime so I don't get how the NFL can punish you for this.

The broncos are obviously using this to clear up money so I get that decision. I'm sure when Von miller was getting in trouble for molly and drinking they didn't think for a second about releasing him.

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

Just revoke his license and force him to cab and bus it everywhere. Who gives a shit what he drank in his own house.

[buckeye]

We will take him in Cleveland!

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk