NFL Player News

The Panthers have announced they have made the following nine cuts: Quarterback Colby Cameron, punter Jordan Gay, cornerback Nick Hixson, placekicker Morgan Lineberry, wide receiver Dale Moss, defensive end Louis Nzegwu, linebacker Ryan Rau, safety Ricardo Silva and guard Justin Wells.

The Bills have released kicker Rian Lindell, making rookie Dustin Hopkins the team's placekicker for the 2013 season. 

Lindell spent a decade with the Bills and holds the franchise record for career field goal percentage of 83.3 pct. Hopkins made 25 of 30 field goals as a senior with the Florida State Seminoles and left college with 88 of 112 field goals made including 9 of 15 from 50-plus yards. 

The Dolphins cut kicker Dan Carpenter, apparently handing the job to rookie Caleb Sturgis. Sturgis is a fifth-round pick out of Florida. 

Carpenter hit 22 of 27 fields goals in 14 games last year, his fifth season with Miami.

Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter appears to be taking the lead in the competition for the starting job with rookie Caleb Sturgis, reports the Miami Herald.

With Sturgis' injured groin still mending, Carpenter has pounced in the kicking competition.

"I'm not changing anything I'm doing," Carpenter said. "I'm working just as hard as I was the last two years when no one was here. Nothing's changed. I'm just going to work and trying to make every kick."

The Buccaneers announced a series of moves on Wednesday, the most significant of which being the placement of kicker Connor Barth on the reserve/NFI list. Barth hurt his Achilles in a charity basketball game and will be replaced by Lawrence Tynes on the roster. 

Also the Buccaneers signed guard Jeremy Lewis, put running back Jeff Demps on the reserve/Did Not Report list, listed punter Michael Koenen on the active/NFI list and posted tight end Luke Stocker and defensive end Markus White on the active/PUP list. Of those players, only Stocker and Koenen figure to be key contributors this season. 

Dolphins rookie Caleb Sturgis missed two more field goals Wednesday and has fallen behind veteran Dan Carpenter, reports ESPN.com. A fifth-round pick out of Florida, Sturgis must improve dramatically to unseat Carpenter, who hit 22 of 27 field goals last year.

Sturgis’ big advantage is that he’s much cheaper than Carpenter; Miami would save more than $2 million by replacing Carpenter with Sturgis.

Buccaneers kicker Connor Barth, who ruptured his right Achilles in a charity basketball game and will miss the entire season after having surgery Monday, said he "hopes" to begin kicking in six months and was "feeling good" after the surgery.

The Bucs called the surgery successful and placed Barth on the Non-Football Injury list. The move allows the team to rework Barth's four-year, $13.2 million contract in a way that would reduce Barth's salary while he's on the reserved list.

Lawrence Tynes was signed as a replacement.

The Buccaneers announced Wednesday that kicker Connor Barth suffered a torn Achilles tendon on July 12 in his hometown of Wilmington, N.C. Barth will be placed on the Non-Football Injury list and miss the 2013 season after undergoing successful surgery Monday.

The team also announced that it has signed nine-year veteran kicker Lawrence Tynes to a one-year deal.

"We are disappointed to lose a productive player like Connor, but are very fortunate to be able to sign an experienced kicker at this time of year," general manager Mark Dominik said. "Lawrence and his agent, Ken Harris, had other standing opportunities, but we are pleased that they thought this was the right place for Lawrence to continue his career."

The Browns might wind up carrying two kickers this season: veteran Shayne Graham for field goals and rookie Brandon Bogotay for kickoffs. Bogotay was a kickoff specialist in college, attempting only three field goals. Graham has been kicking field goals for NFL teams since 2001. 

Coach Rob Chudzinski alluded to a kicking competition between the two, something that might last into the preseason, according to ESPN.

The Dolphins are having a fierce battle for their kicking job this offseason between veteran Dan Carpenter and rookie Caleb Sturgis, a former University of Florida standout.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that coach Joe Philbin said the coaches are tracking every kick and kickoff and the most consistent player will get the job. The report says so far Sturgis has a leg up on Carpenter.