Falcons Cut Matt Bryant, Sign Younghoe Koo
Matt Bryant‘s second stint as the Falcons’ kicker is over. The Falcons have released the longtime veteran, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Atlanta worked out kickers Younghoe Koo and Elliott Fry yesterday, foreshadowing this move. Shortly after we heard Bryant was getting released, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweeted that the team is indeed signing Koo. Bryant spent ten years as the Falcons’ kicker from 2009-18, then was cut after last season. He spent all summer as a free agent, then was re-signed right before the start of the season when Giorgio Tavecchio and Blair Walsh struggled during the preseason.
Bryant is 44 and has been one of the league’s most recognizable kickers for the better part of two decades. After originally spending some time in the AFL and NFL Europe in the early 2000’s, he was finally able to latch on with the Giants. Bryant has already missed five field goals and an extra point this season, and this is likely the end of the road for him. In Atlanta’s Week 6 loss to the Cardinals, he missed a crucial extra point late in the game as the Falcons ended up losing by a single point.
Koo started the 2017 season off as the Chargers’ kicker, but was quickly released after missing a few clutch kicks. He has bounced around soon, including a stint in the AAF, and was on the Patriots’ practice squad earlier this season. Koo, the South Korean native who played his college ball at Georgia Southern, is definitely talented and a worthwhile flyer for a rebuilding Falcons team.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/28/19
Here are today’s workout updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- K Elliott Fry, K Younghoe Koo
Chicago Bears
- DE Alex Barrett, DE Quinton Bell, OT Dino Boyd, DE Eli Harold
Houston Texans
- DB Anthony Chesley, DT Eddie Vanderdoes
Jacksonville Jaguars
- DL Willie Henry, DT Stacy McGee, DT Jamie Meder, DT Adolphus Washington
New York Giants
- WR Alex Bachman
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/15/19
A look at the latest NFL practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Carson Meier
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Denzel Rice
- Released: S A.J. Howard
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Jordan Veasy
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DL Fadol Brown
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Gehrig Dieter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Stephen Anderson, C Cole Toner
- Placed on practice squad IR: RB Detrez Newsome
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Nsimba Webster
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Davion Davis
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Tyler Gauthier, WR Devin Ross
- Released: K Younghoe Koo, TE Jason Vander Laan
New York Giants
- Signed: RB Jon Hilliman
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: RB James Butler, WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams
- Released: RB Damarea Crockett, DE Quinton Bell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: RB De’Angelo Henderson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Tony Brooks-James, T Christian DiLauro
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Deontay Burnett
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Brian Allen, S Adrian Colbert, TE Tyrone Swoopes, T Chad Wheeler
- Released: LB Malik Carney, CB Parry Nickerson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: LB Demone Harris, RB Darius Jackson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Nigel Harris
- Released: LB Ukeme Eligwe
Washington Redskins
- Signed: TE Wes Saxton, DB Maurice Smith
- Released: TE Drew Belcher, T Victor Salako
Patriots To Sign Younghoe Koo
The Patriots will sign Mike Nugent to serve as their new kicker, but they’re not stopping there. In addition to that move, they’ll also add Younghoe Koo to the practice squad, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Patriots Place Stephen Gostkowski on IR]
Koo, 25, appeared in four games for the Chargers in 2017, connecting on three of his six field goal attempts and all nine of his extra point tries. Recently, he had a stint in the Alliance of American Football, before its abrupt ending midway through its inaugural season.
Koo’s struggles with the Bolts are well-documented, but his talent is clear. He did enough in ’17 to beat out Josh Lambo for the top job and the Patriots see enough potential in him to keep him on the ten-man squad.
He’ll be on standby in New England as a safety net for Nugent, who is taking over for Stephen Gostkowski.
Patriots To Work Out Younghoe Koo, Josh Gable
The Patriots will work out more kickers on Thursday, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. They’ll audition free agent Younghoe Koo, plus Josh Gable, who became a viral video sensation for his ludicrous accuracy.
Gable plied his craft with the IFL’s Nebraska Danger and spent the 2017 rookie minicamp with the Pats. The Patriots liked what they saw from him, but did not have a pressing need for a kicker with the great Stephen Gostkowski handling kicking duties. That all changed this week, when the Patriots learned that Gostkowski was done for the season due to a hip injury.
Koo, meanwhile, has been on the workout circuit and the NFL’s fringes since his rocky start with the Chargers. As the Bolts’ kicker for the first quarter of the 2017 season, he bricked three key field goals that wound up costing them wins in the first two weeks of the season.
On Wednesday, the Pats took a gander at Kai Forbath, Elliott Fry, Mike Nugent, Blair Walsh, and Matthew Wright. It seems likely that they’ll reach a consensus and sign a new kicker before the end of business on Thursday. In a couple of days, they’ll travel to take on the Redskins.
Colts Hold Kicker Workout
Despite Adam Vinatieri not opting to retire, the Colts held a kicker audition. The team worked out Cody Parkey, Elliott Fry and Younghoe Koo, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This workout occurred today, after Vinatieri decided not to retire, NFL reporter Howard Balzer tweets. Also part of the audition: Greg Joseph, Chase McLaughlin and Cole Hedlund, per Balzer.
None of these kickers has signed with Indianapolis yet, but the 1-1 team is doing due diligence in light of Vinatieri’s rough start to the season.
Parkey worked out for the Jets recently, but Gang Green went with a Kaare Vedvik waiver claim instead. They now have Sam Ficken at kicker. Parkey has not kicked in a game since his infamous double-doink sequence ended the 2018 Bears’ season, but he has five seasons’ experience.
Koo has also participated in workouts but has not kicked since some late-game misses cost him his Chargers job early in 2017. A South Carolina alum, Fry has yet to kick in an NFL game. Neither has Hedlund, who kicked at Arkansas and North Texas. Joseph served as the Browns’ kicker last season, taking Zane Gonzalez‘s job in September 2018. He did not win Cleveland’s kicking competition this year. McLaughlin did not make the Bills out of camp. He kicked at the University of Illinois from 2015-18.
This is not yet an ominous sign for Vinatieri, but the 46-year-old kicking icon may now be on notice. The future Hall of Famer may be kicking for his job in Week 3.
NFL Workout Updates: 9/10/19
We’ve got another busy day of workouts, with many teams across the league hosting players.
Arizona Cardinals
- S Briean Boddy-Calhoun; CBs Andre Chachere, De’Vante Harris
Buffalo Bills
- QBs Keller Chryst, Taylor Heinicke; WRs Tommylee Lewis, Joe Parker, Terrance Williams; CB Marcus Sherels, WR Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi
Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions
- DEs Jesse Aniebonam, Andrew Ankrah, Markus Jones; S Josh Jones; CB Jeff Richards
Indianapolis Colts
- RBs Bruce Anderson, Darrin Hall; S Chris Banjo; DTs Earl Mitchell, Mike Pennel
Miami Dolphins
- DB Jordan Brown; Ts Christian DiLauro, Storm Norton, Chidi Okeke; CB Deatrick Nichols
New York Giants
- CBs Derrick Baity, Picasso Nelson; LBs Reshard Cliett, LaTroy Lewis; WRs Jamal Custis, Trenton Irwin; RBs Josh Ferguson, Austin Walter; DT P.J. Johnson; DEs Carroll Phillips, Kevin Wilkins; QB Jordan Ta’amu
New York Jets
- WRs Carlton Agudosi, Amara Darboh, Krishawn Hogan, Joe Horn, DeAndre Thompkins, Jordan Veasy, Kendall Wright; TEs Stephen Anderson, Donald Parham, Ross Travis; QBs Taryn Christion, Tyree Jackson, Mike White, Ks Elliott Fry, Greg Joseph, Younghoe Koo, Tristan Vizcaino
Philadelphia Eagles
Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans
Washington Redskins
Jets To Hold Kicker Tryout
While the Bears this offseason garnered more publicity than just about any kicker-seeking team ever has, the Jets are entering that realm. They are almost certainly set to move to a fourth kicker in less than a month.
The Jets will hold a kicker tryout on Tuesday, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. Sam Ficken, Greg Joseph, Elliott Fry, Younghoe Koo, and Tristan Vizcaino will vie to replace the struggling Kaare Vedvik, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News.
Adam Gase‘s official word has not yet sealed Vedvik’s fate, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes the first-year Jets coach was “fuming” regarding the recently acquired kicker on Sunday night (Twitter link). Vedvik missed an extra point and a 45-yard field goal in what became a one-point Jets loss to the Bills. The hybrid specialist is 1-for-5 on field goals since being traded from the Ravens to the Vikings in the second week of the preseason.
Vedvik loomed as a Ravens trade chip for two offseasons, and after spending the 2018 season on Baltimore’s IR list, the Ravens acquired a fifth-round pick for him. The Vikings were set to offer a practice squad spot to Vedvik before the Jets made a waiver claim. The Vikings have another kicker, Chase McLaughlin, on their P-squad.
The Jets opted to let 2018 Pro Bowl kicker Jason Myers defect to the Seahawks in free agency. Replacement Chandler Catanzaro retired in mid-August, and the team added AAF alum Taylor Bertolet. The Vedvik claim sent Bertolet back to the waiver wire. Despite a versatile skill set that stems from extensive punting experience as well, Vedvik looks set to head there again soon.
Jets Audition K Cody Parkey
With Jets kicker Taylor Bertolet struggling during the preseason finale, the team is apparently eyeing some alternative options. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that the Jets auditioned a pair of kickers today: Cody Parkey and Younghoe Koo.
Veteran Chandler Catanzaro, retired earlier this month, forcing the Jets to sign a kicker. After auditioning several veterans, the team landed on Bertolet, who was with the Jets last summer. The 26-year-old was shaky throughout the preseason; he missed a pair of extra points during the second game, was perfect in the third, and then missed three field goals during the finale.
Bertolet has shown that he can absolutely boot the ball, but accuracy has continued to be an issue. Still, the kicker is confident in his abilities.
“I’ve been that guy who goes out and makes long kicks,” Bertolet told Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com. “And that part of the reason why I think our coaching staff had confidence to put me out there. … It’s usually the kicks that I make, and I’m looking forward to correcting that.”
We haven’t heard from Parkey since he was released by the Bears back in February. The 27-year-old missed a potential game winner against the Eagles in the opening round of the playoffs, putting him on thin ice. He later made an appearance on NBC’s Today show that rubbed head coach Matt Nagy the wrong way. The veteran struggled during the 2018 regular season, connecting on only 76.7-percent of his field goal attempts.
Koo, 25, appeared in four games for the Chargers in 2017, connecting on three of his six field goal attempts and all nine of his extra point tries. He spent last season playing in the Alliance of American Football.
Bears To Workout Pair Of AAF Kickers
Chicago is leaving no stone unturned in their search to replace Cody Parkey. Parkey, of course, struggled all of last season and missed the last-second kick in the playoffs that would’ve sent the Bears through to the second round.
The Bears signed former Tulsa kicker Redford Jones after a group tryout in January, but they aren’t going to just hand the job. Chicago is hosting a pair of kickers just released from their AAF contracts when the league folded, sources told Brad Briggs of The Chicago Tribune. Younghoe Koo and Nick Rose will be brought in for auditions Wednesday.
Briggs adds that it’s “believed they might bring in at least one additional kicker that day,” and Briggs floats fellow AAF alum Elliott Fry as a likely option. Both Koo and Rose have seen regular season action, and both have spent time with the Chargers. Koo entered the 2017 season as Los Angeles’ starting kicker, but was replaced after a few missed clutch kicks early in the season.
Koo is talented though, and he beat out Josh Lambo with the Chargers for a reason. If he can get things sorted out mentally he has the potential to be a serviceable kicker. Rose has spent time with the Redskins and Chargers, and is 11/14 on field goals in his career. Kicker is clearly a priority for the Bears in 2019.