NFL Player News

Lions kicker Matt Prater is concerned that the NFL's new rule moving extra points back to the 15-yard line could have some major effects toward kickers. 

"Am I thrilled about it? No, I don't think any other kicker is," Prater said in an interview with ESPN.com. "You know, they make these rules and they never talk to any of us about it. I don't know. I just feel that eventually they are just trying to weed kicking out of the game completely. It's something we'll have to deal with and hopefully make them all."

He also questioned the motive from the league with making this kind of rule change. 

"I don't know what the owners and (NFL commissioner Roger) Goodell and all them are thinking," Prater said. "But I'm just going to try and do my job and keep my mouth shut for the most part."

Vikings kicker Blair Walsh said that he's discussed a contract extension with the team, per the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Walsh said there's been "a little bit of communication" about a new deal. 

"I would love to stay a Viking," he said. "This is the team that drafted me and put that faith in me to be an NFL kicker. But at the same time, I’ve had a Pro Bowl year here, I’ve had success and there’s been a lot of long attempts that we’ve made, so the numbers are going to have to be right for both of us. But when it comes down to it, I hope I can stay with the Vikings." 

The Saints released kicker Shayne Graham on Tuesday, which comes just a few months after he signed a one-year, $970,000 contract. The remaining kickers on the Saints roster are Dustin Hopkins and Zach Hocker.

Graham is a 14-year veteran of the NFL. He appeared in all 16 games for New Orleans in 2014, going 19 of 22 on field goals and 46 of 47 on extra points.

The Browns announced Monday that they have waived kicker Garrett Hartley, along with wide receiver Phil Bates, defensive lineman Christian Tupou and defensive back Varmah Sonie, per the Akron Beacon Journal. 

Hartley was signed by the Browns prior to Week 15 last season and was 3-for-3 in his only field goal attempts. Prior to that, he played for six seasons with the Saints. 

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker signed his second-round restricted free agent tender Thursday, the team announced.

The tender was for $2.356 million. Tucker never received another offer sheet from another team.

The Lions' contract with kicker Matt Prater is for two years and $4.55 million, with a team option for 2017, reports the Detroit Free Press. Prater, 30, hit 21 of 26 field goals and all 21 of his PATs last season.

The Bills announced that they've signed kickoff specialist Jordan Gay to a contract extension. 

Gay was an exclusive-rights free agent for the Bills. 

The Lions have signed kicker Matt Prater to a three-year deal on Friday, per the team's official website. Terms of the deal were not made public.

Prater was signed to a one-year deal after being cut by the Broncos on Oct. 3. He converted 21 of 26 field goals in 11 games for the Lions in 2014. Prater noted in January that he would like to return to Detroit in 2015, and now his wish has come to fruition.

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The Falcons announced they have locked up kicker Matt Bryant to a contract extension, per the team's official website. Bryant was due to become a unrestricted free agent on March 10 before signing a new deal.  Last season, he converted 29 of 32 field goals, with an NFL-best seven kicks from 50-plus yards out. He will turn 40 in May.

The Raiders have added free-agent kicker Giorgio Tavecchio to the roster for 2015, the team announced Tuesday in a press release.

Tavecchio played with Oakland in the preseason last year before being cut. He was claimed by the Lions, but never played.