HEADLINES

Brayden Narveson

Commanders To Sign Zane Gonzalez

November 8th, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Commanders are signing Zane Gonzalez to their practice squad after a workout with the team, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Washington’s starting kicker, Austin Seibert, has been dealing with a hip issue in practice this week, raising doubt about his availability for Sunday’s game against the Steelers.

Gonzalez owns a career field goal percentage of 80.5% with an extra point conversion rate of 94.8% after 63 appearances with the Browns, Cardinals, and Panthers since 2017. He has not played in the NFL since 2021, though it was the best season of his career with 20 of 22 field goal attempts made, including a career-long 57-yarder.

If Seibert is unable to play on Sunday, the Commanders will elevate Gonzalez from the practice squad to replace him.

Losing a kicker for a week isn’t disastrous for an NFL team, but Seibert has been one of the NFL’s best this season with 25 makes on 27 attempts, both league-highs. He has also converted all 22 extra point attempts to ensure the Commanders are getting the most out of their explosive offense.

The Commanders also worked out former Packers kicker Brayden Narveson, per Garafolo. Both kickers made all but one kick in their workout, but Washington opted for Gonzalez due to his familiarity with the coaching staff. He played under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona in 2019 and 2020 when Kingsbury was the Cardinals’ head coach.

Jets’ Kicker Workout Includes Zane Gonzalez, Brayden Narveson, Cade York, Others

October 29th, 2024 at 3:40pm CST by Ben Levine

OCTOBER 29: Zane Gonzalez and the recently cut Brayden Narveson took part in the Jets’ kicker workout, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. The workout also included Patterson, York, Spencer Shrader and Andre Szmyt. Shrader kicked in one game for the Colts this season, filling in for Matt Gay. Szmyt has never kicked in an NFL game.

Narveson missed five field goals in six Packers games, doing so despite not attempting a 50-plus-yarder during his rookie season. The Pack cut him for Brandon McManus this month. Gonzalez has not kicked in a regular-season game since 2021 but was a regular for five straight seasons. The Commanders cut Patterson and traded for York in August, eventually moving on from the latter after Week 1. The Jets have not yet made a signing, but several options are on the radar.

OCTOBER 28: Greg Zuerlein‘s days in New York may be numbered. Following another dreadful outing from the Jets kicker, coach Jeff Ulbrich acknowledged that his team would hold a kicker competition this week (per ESPN’s Rich Cimini). Ulbrich added that the team intends to make a choice before Thursday’s matchup with the Texans, and he strongly hinted that Zuerlein may be sent packing.

“We’re exploring all the options right now,” Ulbrich said (via Brian Costello of the New York Post). “We really are. So we’re going to bring the kickers in for a workout, see where they stand and make a decision after that.”

This isn’t the first time this season that the Jets have considered pivoting away from Zuerlein. The team brought in Cade York, Riley Patterson, and Matt Coghlin earlier this month, but the Jets ended up sticking with the veteran for the time being.

Zuerlein has struggled during his age-37 season, with the kicker missing six of his 15 field goal attempts. In a three-point loss to the Patriots, ‘Greg The Leg’ missed a 44-yard attempt and an extra point. He previously missed a field goal in a one-point loss to the Broncos, and he missed a pair of FGAs during the Jets’ three-point loss to the Bills.

Following an underwhelming start to his New York tenure in 2022, Zuerlein seemed to bounce back in 2023, connecting on 35 of his 38 field goal attempts and 15 of his 16 XP tries. The Jets brought in Austin Seibert as some competition this offseason before ultimately deciding to stay with their incumbent. Seibert proceeded to join the Commanders, where he’s made a league-leading 23 of his 25 field goal attempts.

Packers Sign K Brandon McManus, Waive K Brayden Narveson

October 15th, 2024 at 7:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:11pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Packers have gone forward and signed the veteran kicker, McManus. In order to make room on the roster, Green Bay has officially waived the undrafted rookie, Narveson, after his five missed kicks in the first six games of his NFL career, per Tom Peliserro of NFL Network.

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel adds that the Packers don’t intend to release practice squad kicker Alex Hale. This is a likely indication that Narveson will not be expected to return as a practice squad signee. Also an undrafted rookie, Hale may have gotten the nod due to his Australian roots which qualify him for an international roster exemption, allowing him not to count toward the team’s 16-man limit on the practice squad.

4:20pm: Kicker issues have gripped the Packers for a bit now, with the team unable to find a stable option following Mason Crosby‘s exit. As a result of their most recent kicker’s struggles, Brandon McManus is back on the NFL radar.

Brayden Narveson has missed five field goals this season, and while the rookie UDFA was on Green Bay’s radar while it waged an Anders Carlson–Greg Joseph offseason competition, the team’s support looks to be wavering. McManus auditioned for the Packers on Tuesday, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.

The NFL recently revealed McManus would not be suspended for his role in an alleged sexual assault that occurred on a plane last season while he was a member of the Jaguars. A civil suit against the veteran kicker is on going, but he is back under consideration to return to the league soon after the NFL’s statement.

Green Bay added Narveson via waivers from Tennessee, doing so after cutting both Joseph and Carlson. The rookie swooped in to win a competition he was not part of, with the Packers having eyed him for a bit before that transaction. But Narveson’s miss count ballooned from three to five during the Pack’s win over the Cardinals; Narveson has gotten there without attempting a 50-plus-yard try.

McManus signed a one-year, $3.6MM deal with the Commanders in March, but the team dropped him after the civil suit emerged. The Broncos had cut McManus after nine seasons, leading to the Jaguars agreement. Last season, McManus made 81.1% of his field goal tries (30-for-37, with five of the misses from beyond 50 yards) and did not miss an extra point. Narveson has not missed a PAT, either, but the Packers appear close to ending this experiment.

McManus, 33, denied the two flight attendants’ allegations and is aiming to resume his career. The Commanders paid the 10-year veteran his full $1.5MM signing bonus. This audition comes after the Packers worked out Chad Ryland and Lucas Havrisik earlier this month.

Packers Audition Kickers Chad Ryland, Lucas Havrisik

October 2nd, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Sam Robinson

Green Bay’s kicker plan is not off to a good start. After cutting both Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph, the Packers have seen the player they ultimately chose — waiver claim Brayden Narveson — miss four field goals thus far this season.

Matt LaFleur expressed support for Narveson, despite his two-miss Week 4, but he is 9-for-13 thus far this season. And none of the misses have come from beyond 50 yards. Three misfires came from between 40 and 49, while Narveson has also missed from inside 40 yards to start his Packers tenure that could be short if he cannot turn it around soon.

LaFleur’s vote of confidence notwithstanding, ESPN.com’s Field Yates notes the Pack worked out two other options — Chad Ryland, Lucas Havrisik — who carry more experience. Ryland kicked for the Patriots in 2023, while Havrisik kicked in nine games for the Rams last season.

Before bailing on the kicker they chose in the 2023 draft, the Packers became the rare team to carry three kickers on its 90-man roster throughout training camp. The team had signed Joseph to push Carson but ended up dissatisfied with both. Narveson went to camp with the Titans, but the Packers had targeted him as a UDFA earlier this year. A waiver claim sent a player who kicked at three schools (Iowa State, Western Kentucky, NC State) to Wisconsin.

Ryland beat out Nick Folk for the Patriots job but lost a training camp battle to Joey Slye this summer. He was just 16-for-25 as a rookie, though a 56-yard game-winner did down the Broncos in Week 16. Havrisik was 15 of 20 for the Rams last season, but the team waived him just before the playoffs. Havrisik could not win the Browns’ job this summer.

The Packers do have Alex Hale, who vied with Joseph and Carlson for the job this offseason, on their practice squad. Teams do not make a habit of carrying two P-squad kickers. Unless Green Bay is looking to upgrade its Narveson competition on its taxi squad, the hunt for Narveson replacements is underway. It is safe to say the 25-year-old rookie is on notice.

Packers Targeted K Brayden Narveson As UDFA?

September 2nd, 2024 at 3:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers’ multi-faceted kicker competition included a number of faces seeing time in the offseason, training camp and preseason. In the end, neither incumbent Anders Carlson nor veteran Greg Joseph earned the Week 1 gig. Instead, that job has gone to Brayden Narveson, a waiver claim following roster cuts.

Narveson joined the Titans as an undrafted free agent this spring. Tennessee already had veteran Nick Folk in place, and the 39-old will indeed handle kicking duties in 2024. As a result, the Titans attempted to have Narveson pass through waivers and land on the practice squad. The Packers’ decision to claim him changed that plan, though.

“I was fully anticipating re-signing with the Titans on the practice squad,” the 24-year confirmed (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). “Even from the forefront, when they were recruiting me, if you will, during the draft, that was the guiding idea that that was probably what was going to happen. But at the same time, I prepared, I got opportunities in the games, I executed in the games.”

Narveson’s performance in the preseason put him on the Packers’ radar as they attempted to sort out their kicking situation. General manager Brian Gutekunst noted in an interview with Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette that the team attempted to sign Narveson after the draft had concluded. The Packers still had Carlson (a 2023 sixth-round pick) in the fold at that time, and Lambeau Field is certainly not the most attractive setting for rookie kickers to attempt to launch their careers compared to other venues.

Notably, Demovsky reports the Packers did not, in fact, make an offer to Narveson as a UFDA. The Iowa State, Western Kentucky and NC State product’s only known offer came from the Titans, explaining his decision to sign with the team despite having to compete with Folk. Now, he will aim to earn a long-term stint in Green Bay in his first regular season action. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur expressed his confidence in Narveson after only two practices with the Packers, during which he went 10-for-11 on field goal attempts.

Narveson’s college career saw him convert at an accuracy rate above 79% only once in a season, during the 2020 campaign. After Carlson had an up-and-down rookie year, Narveson will look to carry over the momentum he built for himself during the summer. Gutekunst added (via Dougherty) Green Bay showed interest in free agent kickers likes Matthew Wright and Chad Ryland – cut by the Steelers and Patriots, respectively, last week – but the team will rely on a less experienced option to start the season.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC North

August 28th, 2024 at 2:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bears, Lions, Packers and Vikings moves are noted below.

Chicago Bears

Signed:

Claimed:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Detroit Lions

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Green Bay Packers

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Minnesota Vikings

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Packers Release K Greg Joseph

August 28th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

All three of the kickers in Packers training camp are now off the 53-man roster. A day after moving on from 2023 kicker Anders Carlson, the Packers released offseason pickup Greg Joseph.

The former Vikings kicker is off the Pack’s roster. This comes after Green Bay added a hopeful replacement, picking up Brayden Narveson, who had gone to camp with the Titans. Tennessee, which re-signed Nick Folk this offseason, waived Narveson on Tuesday.

Narveson spent five years as a college kicker, playing at three schools. The Iowa State recruit made his way to Western Kentucky and NC State. After kicking plenty of extra points during Bailey Zappe and Austin Reed‘s time with the Hilltoppers, Narveson made 78.3% of his field goal tries with the Wolfpack last season.

The Titans saw Narveson make 6 of 7 field goal tries during the preseason; the aspiring rookie drilled a 59-yarder as part of that effort. The team is sticking with Folk, which appears to have piqued the Packers’ interest.

As the Packers continue to search for a Mason Crosby replacement, they have cycled through a few options. Joseph, however, spent most of the offseason on Green Bay’s 90-man roster. He had been the Vikings’ kicker for the past three seasons. The South Africa native endured some struggles at points in Minnesota but kicked in every Vikings game from 2021-23. He made 80% of his FG attempts last year. As a vested veteran, the former Browns draftee will head straight to free agency.

Titans Release T Geron Christian, Reduce Roster To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 8:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how the Titans trimmed their offseason roster to the regular-season limit:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR:

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

The Titans cut a player they acquired in an offseason trade. Watson played for new O-line coach Bill Callahan in Cleveland, but Tennessee could not find room for the former seventh-round pick. Watson must pass through waivers before a practice squad invite can be extended. Christian will head straight to free agency as a vested veteran. The former Washington and Houston starter did not make Tennessee’s roster as a swing option. Christian (25 career starts) finished last season as the Browns’ left tackle under Callahan, as injuries ravaged Cleveland’s O-line. With Christian also playing for Callahan in Washington, he could be a player to monitor for a veteran practice squad slot.

Once a Titans slot receiver hopeful, Philips is off the roster with an injury designation. Philips saw shoulder and hamstring trouble derail his route to Tennessee’s starting lineup as a rookie, and he returned for nine games in 2023. Tennessee made some key additions to its receiving corps this offseason, signing Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to join DeAndre Hopkins and former first-rounder Treylon Burks. Another hamstring issue limited Philips ahead of this season.

Campbell suffered a torn ACL, while McLendon also did not receive a return designation. That will put the second-year player out of the mix for the 2024 Titans.

Titans Sign 16 Undrafted Free Agents

May 11th, 2024 at 7:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Titans have a seven-man draft class, some of whom have already inked their rookie deals. Their draftees will be joined in minicamp by the following UDFAs:

  • Brian Dooley, OL (Eastern Michigan)
  • Khalid Duke, DE (Kansas State)
  • Keaton Ellis, S (Penn State)
  • X’Zauvea Gadlin, OL (Liberty)
  • Rod Gattison, CB (Western Carolina)
  • Isaiah Iton, DT (Rutgers)
  • Robert Javier, DB (Towson)
  • Dillon Johnson, RB (Washington)
  • Gabe Jeudy-Lally, CB (Tennessee)
  • Brayden Narveson, K (NC State)
  • Bryce Oliver, WR (Youngstown State)
  • David Martin-Robinson, TE (Temple)
  • Sam Schnee, WR (Northern Iowa)
  • Jamari Small, RB (Tennessee)
  • Cole Spencer, OL (Texas Tech)
  • Steven Stilianos, TE (Iowa)

Spencer is one of three O-linemen the Titans have brought in, and he has received a notable financial investment. Tennessee has given him $75K in guaranteed money, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Spencer spent considerable time at left tackle when he was at Western Kentucky, but he moved to guard with the Red Raiders. A leg injury limited him to just six games in 2023, but he will look to parlay a return to health into at least a practice squad spot.

The Titans were among the teams to move quickly on the running back front in free agency, signing Tony Pollard as part of a depth chart already featuring Tyjae Spears. Both Johnson and Small will look to join them in a rotational capacity. The former led the Pac-12 in rushing touchdowns last season (16), helping him earn second-team All-Conference honors. The latter, meanwhile, led the Volunteers in rushing during the 2021 season and ranks 12th in school history with 24 career rushing touchdowns.

Veteran Nick Folk was the Titans’ lone kicker on the roster prior to the addition of Narveson. Folk, 39, led the NFL in field goal percentage (96.7%) in his debut Tennessee campaign and he is under contract for one more year. Narveson will look to provide competition during training camp or at least insurance by taking up a taxi squad slot. After spending time at Iowa State and Western Kentucky, he went 18-for-23 on field goal attempts in 2023.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.