NFL Player News
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John Parker Romo K | ATL
John Parker Romo: Waived by Detroit
The Lions waived Romo on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Romo signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent last year but was let go ahead of roster cutdowns. He impressed during a stint with the XFL's San Antonio Brahmas and earned a chance with Detroit this summer but ultimately lost the competition to Riley Patterson. Romo may be a practice-squad candidate if he clears waivers.
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Tanner Brown K | ATL
Tanner Brown: Cut by LAR
The Rams waived Brown on Tuesday.
An undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma State, Brown went 2-for-4 on field-goal attempts during the preseason. The Rams will likely opt to sign a veteran in free agency, but Brown could be brought back on a practice-squad deal if he clears waivers.
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James McCourt K | LV
James McCourt: Cut by Jacksonville
The Jaguars waived McCourt on Tuesday, John Oehser of the Jaguars' official site reports.
McCourt signed a future/reserve deal with Jacksonville in January but couldn't beat out veteran Brandon McManus. The undrafted kicker out of Illinois spent his rookie season on the Jaguars' practice squad and could be looking at a similar role in Year 2.
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Chad Ryland K | ARI
Patriots' Chad Ryland: Lands New England's kicking job
With Nick Folk having been traded to the Titans on Tuesday, Ryland is slated to open the season as the Patriots' kicker, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.
The Patriots took Ryland in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, so it would have been surprising if he didn't land the job. While Folk was a steady and consistent veteran option during his stint with the franchise, Ryland has a bigger kicking leg, which should prove to be an asset both on long-range attempts and on kickoffs.
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Nick Folk K | NYJ
Titans' Nick Folk: Traded to Tennessee
The Titans will send a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to the Patriots in exchange for Folk, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
With New England, Folk had been competing for a job with 2023 fourth-round pick Chad Ryland. Now that he's with the Titans, Folk is slated to fill a kicking void created by the recent release of Michael Badgley. During the 2022 season, the 38-year-old Folk made 32 of his 37 field-goal attempts, while hitting 32 of his 35 extra-point tries in 17 games.
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Blake Grupe K | NO
Saints' Blake Grupe: Wins kicking battle
Grupe is the only kicker on the Saints' roster after they traded WIl Lutz to Denver on Tuesday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
The Saints had enough confidence in the undrafted rookie to trade away a player who'd been their kicker since 2016, though Lutz missed all of 2021 and then had his worst season in 2022. Grupe is listed at 5-foot-7, 156 pounds, making him one of the shortest and lightest players in the NFL at any position, including among specialists.
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Brett Maher K | LAR
Brett Maher: Replaced by Lutz
The Broncos are slated to let Maher go, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.
With Wil Lutz on his way to the Broncos via a trade with the Saints, the team elected to move on from Maher, who had signed with Denver in July. The former Cowboy will now look to catch on with another squad ahead of the upcoming NFL regular season.
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Wil Lutz K | DEN
Broncos' Wil Lutz: Traded to Denver
The Saints are trading Lutz to the Broncos on Tuesday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Lutz will be reunited with coach Sean Payton and figures to replace Brett Maher as Denver's placekicker. Back in New Orleans, the Saints are set to enter Week 1 with undrafted rookie Blake Grupe as their kicker.
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Blake Grupe K | NO
Saints' Blake Grupe: Misses one FG in preseason finale
Grupe knocked through two of his three field-goal attempts and his lone extra-point try during Sunday's 17-13 preseason loss to the Texans.
Grupe hit field-goal tries of 38 and 50 yards before going wide right on a 60-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. The undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame converted all of his field-goal attempts this preseason up until this final try, and he's reportedly pushed veteran Wil Lutz for the Saints' starting kicker spot this preseason. However, Lutz was also perfect throughout the preseason, so it seems unlikely that he'll be unseated despite coming off a career-worst season in 2022 (23-for-31 FG, 33-for-33 PAT). If Grupe is waived ahead of Tuesday's cutdown deadline, it's likely the undrafted rookie receives an opportunity elsewhere ahead of the regular season.
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Cade York K | CIN
Cade York: To be cut following trade
The Browns are slated to waive York after having traded for Dustin Hopkins from the Chargers, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
York lost Cleveland's kicking competition by virtue of going 4-for-8 on field-goal tries in four preseason appearances, including back-to-back games in which he failed to convert what would have been a game winner. Now, the 2022 fourth-round pick's roster spot has been made expendable by the Browns' trade of a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Chargers in exchange for veteran placekicker Dustin Hopkins. If he clears waivers, York will look to land on a practice squad elsewhere in the league. He could even be a candidate to reunite with Cleveland, considering the draft capital invested in him by the team.