Panthers Re-Sign Joey Slye
Joey Slye is set for another season in Carolina. On Thursday, the club announced a new deal with the kicker for the 2020 season. 
Slye was set to be an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, which means that he was more or less bound to the Panthers no matter what. But, with the new deal, he has a bit of early security and, perhaps, a modest pay bump over the slotted salary.
Slye wasn’t supposed to the Panthers’ kicker last season, but Graham Gano‘s sore knee forced him to the injured reserve list just before the start of the season and the Panthers had to pivot. Slye went on to connect on 25 of 32 field goals, and 31 of his 35 extra point attempts.
It was enough to get another look on a low-cost contract, but his misses won’t be automatically forgotten. In late November, for example, Slye left five points on the board against the Saints, who went on to win by three. That loss dropped the Panthers to 5-6 and more or less crushed their playoff hopes.
Gano, meanwhile, is under contract through the 2021 season. In 2020, he’s set to count for a $4.5MM cap charge.
Panthers May Look At Kickers
Joey Slye might not be long for Carolina. The Panthers will discuss bringing in kickers to try out for the team, head coach Ron Rivera says (Twitter link via Joe Person of The Athletic).
Slye left five points on the scoreboard on Sunday as the Saints won by three points. Slye missed two extra point attempts, plus a potential game-winning 28-yard try. It was an extremely costly loss – the Panthers are now 5-6, with only a 1% chance of making the playoffs, per the New York Times‘ odds calculator.
In the longer term, Slye’s spot was already in jeopardy – Graham Gano, the Panthers’ longtime kicker, is slated to return next season. Recently, he vowed to comeback better than ever on social media, so Slye is probably going to be peddling his wares elsewhere in 2020 no matter what.
Unfortunately, the Panthers’ season is effectively over, regardless of what they do at the kicker spot. On Sunday, they’ll look to return to the .500 mark when they face the Redskins in D.C.
Panthers Place Graham Gano On IR
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?
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.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/19
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: S Brynden Trawick
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: G Rishard Cook, K Joey Slye
- Waived/Injured: G Dorian Johnson, LB Brandon Chubb
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL Dee Liner
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DT Anthony Rush
Giants Sign T.J. Jones
In the wake of Golden Tate’s four-game suspension and Corey Coleman’s season-ending injury, the Giants have added reinforcements. On Saturday, they signed fifth-year wide receiver T.J. Jones and former practice squad player Amba Etta-Tawo, per a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Reactions, Notes On Golden Tate’s Suspension]
Jones, 27, had 64 total catches for 814 yards and four touchdowns in his first four NFL seasons with the Lions. Etta-Tawo, 25, spent some time on the Giants’ practice squad and played for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football League.
To make room, the Giants formally placed wideout Coleman on injured reserve and waived kicker Joey Slye in corresponding moves to free space.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Houston Texans
- Released: LB Dexter Wright
New York Giants
- Waived/Injured: DB Jacob Thieneman
- Waived: K Joey Slye
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: G Johnny Gibson
- Waived: WR Dorren Miller
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: WR Devin Ross
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/9/19
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: T Justin Evans, G Zack Golditch, G Will House, DT Pasoni Tasini, WR Jalen Tolliver, T Brant Weiss
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: LB Blair Brown, G Parker Ehinger, FB Dimitri Flowers, LB Donald Payne, RB David Williams
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: TE Austin Roberts
New York Giants
- Signed: K Joey Slye
- Waived: LB Ukeme Eligwe, DE Myles Humphrey, DB Michael Hunter, RB Robert Martin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: CB Jack Tocho, K Matt McCrane
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: FB Nick Bellore, OL Marcus Martin
Buccaneers Audition Three Kickers
The Buccaneers brought Nick Rose in for a workout, but he’s not the only kicker on their radar. The Bucs are also auditioning Joey Slye and Drew Brown on Friday, according to Greg Auman and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links).
[RELATED: Buccaneers Work Out Nick Rose]
The good news for Chandler Catanzaro is that the workouts are not tied to his two missed field goals on Thursday night, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. The Bucs actually scheduled the workouts earlier this week, after the team waived No. 2 kicker Trevor Moore. In theory, one kicker from this trio may have a shot at the job, but it sounds like they would be brought in as camp competition more than anything.
Slye, a Virginia Tech product, was invited to join the Bucs for their rookie minicamp this year, but opted to go to attend other minicamps instead. Brown, who played at Nebraska, is the younger brother of former NFL kicker Kris Brown, who had a 12-year career with the Steelers, Texans and Chargers.
Catanzaro’s three-year deal includes $3.75MM in guarantees, so it would take a heck of a performance from another kicker plus a serious cold streak from Catanzaro for the Bucs to make a change.