NFL Player News

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.

Zuerlein has reached agreement on a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Cowboys, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Coming off a down season with nine missed field goals, Zuerlein will settle for a contract that leaves him outside the top tier at his position, and he may even need to compete with Kai Forbath -- who recently signed a one-year contract -- for the placekicking job. Zuerlein, the presumptive favorite, still has plenty of leg strength, as evidenced by his five conversions from 50-plus yards for the Rams last season. The 32-year-old primarily struggled on medium-distance kicks, going 5-of-11 in the 40-49 range. The winner between Zuerlein and Forbath should be useful for fantasy purposes, considering Dallas led the NFL in yards (6,904) and field-goal attempts (40) last year.

The Cardinals applied a second-round tender to Gonzalez on Monday, Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic reports.

The 24-year-old converted 31 of 35 field-goal attempts and 34 of 35 extra-point attempts in 2019, finishing the season fourth in the NFL in points. Gonzalez is a restricted free agent and can still receive an offer sheet from interested teams, but it's unlikely any are willing to fork up a second-round pick.