HEADLINES

Graham Gano

Panthers Release K Graham Gano

July 30th, 2020 at 11:07am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have released Graham Gano, according to a social media post from his wife (Twitter link via Joe Person of The Athletic). The veteran kicker was slated to make $3MM this year.

Joey Slye, meanwhile, is under contract for just $675K. It’s a cost-cutting maneuver for Carolina, though the team will be left with even more dead money on the books. The Panthers have saved $2.8MM while taking on a leftover $1.5MM charge, to be dispersed over the next two years. All in all, the Panthers overhaul has saddled them with nearly $43MM in dead money in 2020.

Gano was tremendous in his last full season in 2017, sinking 29 of his 30 field goal tries for a league-leading 96.7% conversion rate. That performance earned him the first Pro Bowl bid of his career, and it also helped him secure a four-year, $17MM deal. Before his release, Gano had the fifth-highest AAV ($4.25MM) of any kicker in the NFL.

Now, the job belongs to Slye. Known for his strong leg, Slye nailed 78.1% of his kicks in 2019, with an 8-of-11 success rate from 50+ yards. He also missed four extra point tries, but the Panthers seem to think that he’ll tamp that number down moving forward.

Graham Gano’s Recovery Progressing Well

June 17th, 2020 at 1:11pm CST by Rory Parks

Panthers kicker Graham Gano is progressing well in his recovery from knee surgery, special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn tells Alaina Getzenberg of the Charlotte Observer. Gano was placed on IR towards the end of the 2018 season with a fractured femur, and though he was on the field during the early stages of training camp in 2019, he was unable to shake the injury and ultimately went under the knife.

Joey Slye took over kicking duties in Gano’s absence last year, hitting 78.1% of his field goal attempts, not a particularly strong mark. He also missed four PATs.

Gano, meanwhile, was tremendous in his last full season in 2017, sinking 29 of his 30 field goal tries for a league-leading 96.7% conversion rate (with his only miss coming from 50-yard territory). That performance earned him the first Pro Bowl bid of his career, and it also helped him secure a four-year, $17MM contract from Carolina the following offseason. His AAV of $4.25MM positions him as the fifth-highest-paid kicker in the game.

Because injured players have been allowed to be in team facilities even during the pandemic, Gano has been able to do some kicking work in familiar surroundings. Head athletic trainer Kevin King reported that Gano looks good, and it sounds as if he and Slye will be battling it out this summer.

“The (kicking) battle as far as that’s concerned, I mean, in reality, we’re in a very, very blessed situation, because we got two very capable kickers with really talented legs,” Blackburn said. “There’s plenty of teams around the NFL right now that would be very excited to have the competition that we have going. But at the biggest part right now, I haven’t seen (Gano) kick or anything, we’re just working on this offseason program and we’re just trying to finish this strong.”

Panthers Set 53-Man Roster

August 31st, 2019 at 12:29pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have officially set their 53-man roster, and there are few major surprises on the list. One of the most notable names is running back Cameron Artis-Payne, who spent the past four years in Carolina. The team also moved on from fellow offensive veteran Aldrick Robinson, who finished last season with five touchdown receptions for the Vikings.

Otherwise, the other notable names include recent draft picks, like 2018 seventh-round wideout Terry Godwin and 2017 fifth-round cornerback Corn Elder.

The rest of the Panthers’ roster moves are below:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/Injured:

Placed on IR:

Panthers Place Graham Gano On IR

August 30th, 2019 at 3:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have placed kicker Graham Gano on injured reserve (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). There was some discussion about Gano being carried on IR, but they’ll move on from him instead and turn to Joey Slye.

Gano, a kicker with a solid track record, was not a trade candidate because of his injury and his high cap number (roughly $3.7MM).

Slye, a Virginia Tech product, auditioned for the Bucs last year but ultimately remained unsigned. He’s impressed the Panthers enough to get a crack at the job for 2019, and potentially beyond if he performs well.

Panthers To Place Graham Gano On IR?

August 29th, 2019 at 5:59pm CST by Rory Parks

Graham Gano, one of the highest-paid kickers in the league, may be headed to the injured reserve, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes. Gano, who also finished the 2018 season on IR, continues to deal with a sore knee.

The team could carry Gano on its initial 53-man roster and then put him on IR, which would make him eligible for a return later in the season. As Newton observes, Gano is not a trade candidate because of the injury and his high cap number (roughly $3.7MM).

If Gano is not ready for Week 1, the Panthers will likely turn to Joey Slye, unless a more appealing kicker becomes available during final cutdowns. Slye, a Virginia Tech product, auditioned for the Bucs last year but ultimately remained unsigned.

He hooked on with the Giants in May, but Big Blue subsequently waived him. He signed with the Panthers at the beginning of this month and has impressed in the preseason, converting all six of his field goal attempts and both of his extra point chances. He could win the job with a strong showing in Carolina’s preseason finale tonight.

Panthers Place K Graham Gano On IR

December 19th, 2018 at 11:46am CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday, the Panthers placed kicker Graham Gano on injured reserve. The move means that Gano’s season is over and Chandler Catanzaro will continue as the team’s lead leg. 

Gano, 31, has been with the Panthers since 2012. The Panthers value him more than your average kicker and even entertained the possibility of using the franchise tag on him in the offseason. Instead of paying him near the top of the market for one year, however, they signed him to a new four-year deal worth $17MM in March.

In 12 games this year, Gano connected on 14 of 16 field goal tries (87.5%) and 30 of 33 extra point attempts (90.9%). It was a good showing, but one that pales in comparison to his 2017 campaign. Last year, he nailed 29 of his 30 field goal tries for a league-leading 96.7% conversion rate with his only miss coming from 50-yard territory.

Gano’s contract suggests that he will return as the Panthers’ kicker in 2019. In the meantime, Catanzaro has two more games to showcase himself. Those contests will come against the Falcons and Saints to round out the year.

Panthers Re-Sign K Graham Gano

March 6th, 2018 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers won’t be using the franchise tag on Graham Gano. Carolina has locked up the kicker with a four-year deal worth $17MM, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The pact includes $9MM guaranteed.

Heading into the offseason, outsiders assumed that the Panthers’ primary franchise tag candidate would be guard Andrew Norwell with an outside possibility that defensive tackle Star Lotulelei could be hit with the one-year placeholder. Instead, Gano was reportedly the only player in the mix for the tag. This year, the NFL set the tag for kickers at $4.939MM. That’s significantly cheaper than the offensive line tag ($14.077MM) and the defensive tackle tag ($13.939MM).

In theory, the Panthers can now use their franchise tag on another player now that Gano has been re-signed. However, everything we’ve heard up until this point indicates that the Panthers will allow both Norwell and Lotulelei to explore the open market.

Last year, Gano led the league in field goal percentage as he nailed 96.7% of his attempts en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance. He also led the league in touchbacks with 84.8% of his kickoffs resulting in the opposing team starting from the 20-yard line.

In terms of total value, Gano’s deal ranks fourth behind Dan Bailey, Ryan Succop, and Stephen Gostkowski amongst kickers. However, his average annual value of $4.25MM makes him the second-highest paid kicker in the NFL, trailing only Gostkowski. His total guarantee of $9MM puts him third in that category behind Justin Tucker and Gostkowski and just ahead of Succop.

After a shaky 2016, a lucrative long-term deal did not seem possible for Gano. Two seasons ago, Gano made just 30 of 38 field goal attempts and used a draft pick on Harrison Butker to open up a kicking competition. Today, Gano stands as one of the highest-paid players at his position.

Panthers, Gano Discussing Extension

March 5th, 2018 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers are working on a long-term deal with Pro Bowl kicker Graham Gano, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). If a deal does not get done by Tuesday at 4pm ET/3pm CT, they’ll likely use the franchise tag on him. 

Early on in the offseason, it seemed likely that guard Andrew Norwell would be the most likely of any Panthers player to receive the franchise tag, a designation that can only be used on one player per team. However, the Panthers do not see room in the budget for a one-year, $14.5MM placeholder on Norwell given that they have already given a lucrative long-term extension to right guard Trai Turner. From the outside, defensive tackle Star Lotulelei also seemed to be a candidate for the tag, but that has also been ruled out by Carolina brass.

It’s not typical for a kicker to receive the franchise tag, but the tag price for kickers – estimated to fall between $4.8MM and $5MM – is more palatable than the cost for offensive linemen or interior defensive linemen.

Gano’s representatives are likely to use Ryan Succop‘s recent accord with the Titans as a framework for his deal. Succop’s extension is worth $20MM over five years with $7.25MM guaranteed at signing and a healthy cash flow of $8.25MM over the first two years. In terms of yearly average amongst kickers, Succop’s $4MM year falls behind only Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots, $4.3MM/year), Justin Tucker (Ravens, $4.2MM/year), and Mason Crosby (Packers, $4.025MM/year).

Gano’s 96.7% field goal percentage led the NFL in 2017 and former Panthers GM Dave Gettleman is reportedly hoping to bring him to the Giants. If the Panthers get an extension done with Gano, or if they use the tag on him, Gettleman’s reunion plans will be scuttled.

Giants Expected To Target Graham Gano

March 1st, 2018 at 7:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants are expected to pursue free agent kicker Graham Gano, according to Dan Duggan of NJ.com.Graham Gano (Vertical)

Gano, of course, would need to actually reach the free agent market before New York can go after him. The Panthers, who have employed the 30-year-old Gano for the past six seasons, are reportedly considering using the franchise tag on their veteran kicker. The franchise tender for placekickers is expected to be worth $4.604MM, a steep raise over Gano’s current $3.1MM annual salary.

Gano led the NFL in field goal conversion rate with a 96.7% success mark in 2017, and that performance earned him his first career Pro Bowl nod. In terms of advanced metrics, Gano was worth 6.3 points through his field goal and extra point work, good for eighth in the league, per Football Outsiders.

The Giants are seemingly aiming to replace Aldrick Rosas, who converted only 72% of his field goal attempts in what was his rookie campaign. New York general manager Dave Gettleman previously served in the same role for the Panthers, so he’s clearly familiar with Gano’s ability.

Panthers May Franchise Tag K Graham Gano

February 22nd, 2018 at 1:17pm CST by Ryan Posner

The Panthers are leaning toward placing their franchise tag on kicker Graham Gano rather than guard Andrew Norwell, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). This is a shift from a report on Monday from Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer that said the team was unlikely to use its franchise tag. Graham Gano (Vertical)

The franchise tag for kickers and punters is expected to be in the $5MM range. Gano, 30, was selected to his first Pro Bowl last season, connecting on 29 of 30 field goals. There is a precedent for placing the franchise tag on a kicker, as the Ravens and Justin Tucker, as well as Stephen Gostkowski and the Patriots, have done so in recent years. Gano has a career 81.8% success rate through 257 field goal attempts.

Norwell was selected as an All-Pro for the first time last season and the offensive lineman franchise tag is expected to be $14.3MM. Rapoport went on to note (Twitter link) that Norwell is set to be one of the top free agents, regardless of position, but the Panthers are in a tough spot because the offensive lineman franchise tag is meant to apply to tackles. The Patriots were the last team to place a franchise tag on a guard, using it on Logan Mankins in 2011. Norwell has started all 16 games the last two seasons at left guard for the Panthers, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2014.

Also serving as a potential franchise tag candidate for the Panthers is defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, though Person noted in his story that the team may elect to give more playing time to 2016 first-round pick Vernon Butler at defensive tackle.

The window for teams to use their franchise tags began Tuesday and ends on March 6, a week before free agency opens.