NFL Player News

Pineiro added eight pounds of muscle to strengthen his leg as he prepares to compete against Ramiz Ahmed for the Bears' kicking job during training camp and the preseason, Larry Mayer of the Bears' official site reports.

Although Pineiro connected on just 82.1 percent of his field-goal attempts last year, he rebounded well from a mid-season slump. Add strength to his leg could help Pineiro on both kickoffs and long-distance field goals, which would come in handy during his job battle with Ahmed. The presence of Ahmed may ultimately not prove to be much of a concern, as he hasn't kicked competitively since 2018, when he made just 15 of 20 field-goal attempts in his final collegiate season at Utah. Regardless, unless the Bears can make significant progress on offense, the team's kicker is unlikely to be more than a fantasy reserve in typical leagues.

Slye is expected to compete with Graham Gano for the Panthers' kicking job during training camp and the preseason, Alaina Getzenberg of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Slye replaced Gano as the Panthers' kicker after the latter went down with a season-ending knee injury during the 2019 preseason. The 24-year-old went on to convert 25 of 32 field-goal attempts and 31 of 35 extra-point attempts during his inaugural NFL campaign. Gano had been the team's main kicker since 2013 prior to his injury.

Gano (knee) is expected to compete with Joey Slye for the Panthers' kicking job during training camp and the preseason, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Gano is still completing his rehab for the left knee surgery he underwent in November, but he looks like he'll be ready to stake his claim to kicking duties once the Panthers resume working out, according to Alaina Getzenberg of The Charlotte Observer. He had served as the Panthers' kicker since 2013 before being placed on injured reserve prior to the 2019 season. Slye ultimately replaced him and had an up-and-down debut season, converting 25 of 32 field-goal attempts -- including an 8-for-11 mark from 50-plus yards -- and 31 of 35 extra-point tries.

Special teams coordinator Heath Farwell confirmed Friday that Stephen Hauschka will enter the summer as the team's top kicker, but Bass will have a chance to unseat the veteran in an open competition, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports. "Then you have a young player like Tyler who is loaded with talent," Farwell said. "He has a lot of ton of upside, but he's got to prove it in the preseason and training camp."

Hauschka has been Buffalo's kicker for three seasons, and while he's lost some accuracy and leg strength from his Seattle days, he's done fairly well in a tough climate, especially on pressure kicks. Coach Sean McDermott also values leadership, which Hauschka provides. That said, Bass has a booming leg and is the rare kicker that actually got drafted, so it's a competition not to be dismissed. Perhaps with the extra roster flexibility rules for 2020, the Bills might even be sold into keeping two kickers, Hauschka for anything inside 50 and Bass for long kicks and kickoffs.

Coach Dan Quinn said that the Falcons are hoping to add some competition for Koo at the kicker position, Will McFadden of the team's official site reports.

While in-person workouts remain inconceivable for the time being, Koo is still going to have to prove himself during the lead-up to the regular season. The 25-year-old is currently the only kicker on the depth chart, but Quinn has remained adamant throughout the offseason that he is seeking competition at the position. Though Koo knocked down an impressive 23 of 26 field goals during his debut campaign in Atlanta, Quinn is wary of anointing his starter prematurely. Giorgio Tavecchio entered 2019 as the lone kicker on the roster, and proceeded to make just four of nine preseason field-goal attempts before being cut.

Bass has signed his rookie deal with the Bills, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Bass and his booming leg were taken out of Georgia State in the sixth round of the recent draft. It'll be tough for him to unseat incumbent Stephen Hauschka with what could be a limited tryout this summer, though the Bills did select him for a reason. With slightly expanded rosters there's a decent chance the Bills keep him around, at minimum, as a kickoff and long field goal specialist.

The Bills selected Bass in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 188th overall.

Bass (5-foot-10, 185) was a three-year starting kicker at Georgia State, where he made 54 of 68 field goals (79.4 percent). He'll compete with Stephen Hauschka and Kaare Vedvik.

The Patriots selected Rohrwasser in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 159th overall.

Following the release of longtime kicker Stephen Gostkowski (hip) and 2019 stand-in Nick Folk, Rohrwasser now joins New England as the sole placekicker on the team's roster. He converted 18 of 21 field-goal attempts in 2019 with Marshall.

Gonzalez signed his restricted free-agent tender with the Cardinals on Thursday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

In his first full season in Arizona last year, Gonzalez finished fourth in the NFL with 127 points, powered by 31 field goals (fourth) and 34 extra points (tied for 15th). His accuracy was on point as well, as evidenced by him making 89 percent of his field-goal attempts and missing just one PAT. The performance was enough for the Cardinals to place a second-round tender on the kicker, who should be among the league leaders yet again in 2020 supplementing an ascendent offense led by Kyler Murray.

General manager Jon Robinson suggested Wednesday that the Titans plan to bring in some competition for Joseph, who finished the 2019 campaign as the team's kicker, Erik Bacharach of The Tennessean reports.

Robinson acknowledged that Joseph did a good job of "steadying the rudder" after he took over kicking duties last December, but the Titans won't hand him the job outright heading into 2020. Specifically, Robinson mentioned that the Titans are still "looking at some guys" in free agency and the upcoming draft. The 25-year-old appeared in five games with Tennessee (including the playoffs) last season, making his only field-goal attempt and converting all 18 of his extra point tries in that span.