NFL Player News

Gay was elevated to the active roster Friday, BuffaloBills.com reports.

Dan Carpenter owners need not worry; the Bills simply had an extra roster spot and appear to prefer Gay kicking off now that the Ravens have signed dangerous return man Devin Hester.

McManus converted all three of his extra-point attempts, but did not attempt a field goal in Thursday's win over Carolina.

It was a quiet game for McManus, and his night certainly wasn't helped by the Broncos turning the ball over three times while in scoring range. One benefit of Denver's tendency to play ball-control offense and lean on the defense is that McManus should be the beneficiary of his team often settling for three points instead of going for seven. A similar strategy helped McManus rank among the NFL's top five in field goals last season.

Sturgis signed a one-year extension with the Eagles on Wednesday, The Inquirer reports.

The deal will pay Sturgis $900,000 for the 2017 season, which isn't enough to ensure he'll be kept around. The 27-year-old converted 81.8 percent of his field-goal attempts (18 of 22) and 94.6 percent of his PATs (35 of 37) last season, but his career field-goal percentage still like south of 80. As a middling kicker attached to an offense led by a rookie quarterback, Sturgis is only worth a look in deep formats.

Lutz is on track to be the Saints' starting kicker to open the regular season, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

With Kai Forbath let go Tuesday, Lutz -- an undrafted rookie out of Georgia State -- is now poised to handle the Saints' kicking duties, an assignment that could carry with it some fantasy utility if the team's Drew Brees-helmed offense clicks out of the gate.

Lutz signed with the Saints on Tuesday, NOLA.com's Josh Katzenstein reports.

An undrafted rookie out of Georgia State, the 22-year-old Lutz spent most of August in Baltimore, where he had no shot to crack the final roster unless Justin Tucker suffered an injury. This likely means Kai Forbath will be released, but it is possible Lutz is merely being signed as a kickoff specialist. The Saints kicker, whoever that is, will be a viable option in any format, so long as Drew Brees stays healthy.

Sam Ficken was released last week, leaving Myers as the only placekicker on Jacksonville's roster, The Florida Times-Union reports.

Myers responded to his victory in the kicking battle by missing both of his field-goal attempts in Thursday's preseason finale against Atlanta. While he does offers upside in the event Jacksonville's young offense takes another step forward, Myers could quickly lose his job if he struggles early in the season. He made 26 of his 30 field-goal attempts (86.7 percent) as a rookie last year, but converted PATs at a horrid 82.1-percent clip (32 of 39).

Barth signed a contract with the Bears on Monday, Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Barth was expected to sign with the Bears, so this announcement comes as more of a formality. Now, despite losing the kicking battle in New Orleans, Barth will still be one of the 32 starting kickers in the NFL come Week 1, but it's unlikely he ever flirts with upper-end fantasy value in 2016.

The Bears are expected to sign Barth, who was released by the Saints on Saturday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Despite losing to Kai Forbath in a preseason battle, Barth is positioned to enter Week 1 with one of the 32 starting kicking jobs. The Bears are releasing long-time kicker Robbie Gould, who was often useful for fantasy purposes despite being attached to mediocre and sub-par offenses. Barth may be worth a look for the kicker-needy, but he's unlikely to emerge as a high-end option.

Graham was cut by the Falcons on Friday, ESPN's Vaughn McClure reports.

Graham was brought into Atlanta after fellow Matt Bryant got injured last season with five games remaining. In his abbreviated stint with the team, Graham converted 11 of 13 field goal tries, which earned him the opportunity to compete with Bryant to start this season. However, following the preseason, the Falcons have apparently now opted to stick with Bryant, sending the 19-year veteran Graham packing.

Bryant connected on a 27-yard field goal and hit both of his extra points in Thursday's preseason finale against the Jaguars.

Bryant had missed some time during training camp with an undisclosed injury, but it appears that's behind him now. The fact that he made all three of his attempts while Shayne Graham missed a 32-yard attempt bodes well for the veteran's chance of winning the job. We'll know for sure come Saturday.