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5/17/2012

Connor Barth, K, TB

Barth signs four-year deal

News: The Buccaneers announced Thursday that they have signed kicker Connor Barth, the team's franchise player, to a four-year contract. "For the Bucs organization, [General Manager] Mark Dominik, Coach [Greg] Schiano and everyone to believe in me, to know that I'll be their kicker for the next four years, is awesome," said Barth. "It's just an amazing opportunity and I want to continue to perform like I have and live up to their expectations. I want to thank everyone - the fans, everybody, the team behind me - and I'm looking forward to getting back on the field." Barth is coming off his best season, finishing second in the NFL with a 92.9 field goal percentage (26-of-28), which also marked the best single-season field goal percentage in Buccaneers history. He ended the year making 15 consecutive field goals, the longest active streak in the NFL.

Analysis: Barth has the potential to be a No. 1 Fantasy kicker, but he should be viewed as a No. 2 option on Draft Day. Plan on using him as a bye-week replacement during the year.

5/14/2012	Brandon Coutu, K, JAC
	Jaguars sign kicker Coutu News: The Jaguars needed a kicker with veteran Josh Scobee on the franchise tag. They got one in little-used veteran Brandon Coutu. He made three extra points and missed one field goal in Week 17 last year for the Bills. Analysis: Coutu is a longshot to actually replace Scobee on the Jaguars roster. Leave him off rosters.

5/8/2012

Shayne Graham, K, HOU

Texans will have kicking battle

News: The Texans have signed kicker Shayne Graham to compete with rookie Randy Bullock, coach Gary Kubiak confirmed. Graham has kicked for the Patriots (12 for 12), Giants (0 for 0), Ravens (2 for 2) and Dolphins (4 for 5) over the last two seasons. He last spent a full season with the same team in 2009 when he made 23 of 28 field goals for the Bengals. "He's had some success in this league, and I think the competition will be good for them," Kubiak said. "I want to see them compete because it should bring out the best in them."

Analysis: This has the makings of a legit competition in Houston, which is horrible for Fantasy owners since we won't know which one will win the job until the preseason is in full swing. What's more, the Texans' offense sets up its kickers to put up good stats from year to year (their kicker finished in the Top 10 in standard scoring leagues each of the last two seasons), so it's a valuable option for Fantasy owners. We won't speculate on which kicker will win at this point as it's a legit toss-up -- just know that whichever kicker wins the job is worth starting in Fantasy play. There's nothing wrong with spending a final-round pick on one of them and then replacing him with the other off waivers. We'll keep you posted.

5/8/2012

Ryan Longwell, K, MIN

Longwell booted for Walsh

News: The Vikings have released veteran placekicker Ryan Longwell, who had three years remaining on his contract. The 37-year-old veteran of 15 seasons, including six with the Vikings, saw his job become tenuous when the team selected Georgia kicker Blair Walsh in the sixth round, and even more so when coach Leslie Frazier said last week keeping two kickers was "not in the thinking right now."

Analysis: Walsh is considered a reliable mid-range kicker who is not afraid to tee it up from 60-plus yards. But he hit 21 of 35 field goal attempts (60 pct.) in 2011 while setting an NCAA record with at least one field goal in 45 games in his career. It's tough to take a shot on Walsh knowing he hit just 60 percent of his kicks in school, and even tougher knowing that the Vikings' offense isn't expected to put him in position to kick a ton of field goals. We wouldn't take Walsh with a pick in Fantasy and wouldn't obviously take Longwell until he lands somewhere (if he lands somewhere).

5/8/2012

Randy Bullock, K, HOU

Bullock will battle Graham in camp

Analysis: Bullock was the first kicker drafted by Houston -- ever. He won the Lou Groza award, honoring the nation's top kicker, after connecting on 29 of 32 field-goal attempts in 2011. Bullock, born in Klein, Texas, is also a Texas A&M alum just like Kubiak. While this all sounds nice and could give him an edge over Graham (he's younger, he cost the team a draft pick, he's a native Texan, etc.), the reality is that if he stinks in camp and the preseason, he'll be out of a job. We won't know which one will win the job until the preseason is in full swing. What's more, the Texans' offense sets up its kickers to put up good stats from year to year (their kicker finished in the Top 10 in standard scoring leagues each of the last two seasons), so it's a valuable option for Fantasy owners. Whichever kicker wins the job is worth starting in Fantasy play. There's nothing wrong with spending a final-round pick on one of them and then replacing him with the other off waivers. We'll keep you posted.

5/4/2012

John Potter, K, BUF

Kickoff specialist picked by Bills

News: The Bills selected Western Michigan kicker John Potter with their ninth and final pick in the NFL draft. Potter completed his four-year career with 333 points to set a school record among kickers. Though he missed all three field-goal attempts from beyond 50 yards, the Bills were particularly impressed with how he consistently strong he was on kickoffs. He had 36 touchbacks last season. General manager Buddy Nix says the Bills would consider using him in kickoff situations in a bid to force opponents to start at their own 20. He becomes the first kicker the Bills have selected in the draft since picking John Nies in 1990.

Analysis: Do you get points for kickoffs in your Fantasy league? Chances are the answer to that question is no. Unless he can unseat Rian Lindell for the field-goal kicking job, he's not worth adding to rosters.

5/3/2012

Steven Hauschka, K, SEA

Hauschka re-signs with 'Hawks

News: The Seattle Times reports that kicker Steven Hauschka signed his one-year tender and will play in a contract year with the Seahawks. Hauschka was a restricted free agent. He made 25 of 30 field goals last season including two from 50-plus yards.

Analysis: The Seahawks' offense added some talent this offseason but still isn't expected to be dominant. They should set up Hauschka for about as many field goal attempts this season, but he's just not quite among the Top 12 Fantasy kickers to trust right off the bat this season. Expect him to be a kicker available off waivers for one-week use during the season.

5/2/2012

Josh Brown, K, NYJ

Jets pick up kicker Brown

News: The Jets have signed veteran kicker Josh Brown, bringing in an experienced leg to compete with incumbent Nick Folk for the starting job. The 33-year-old Brown was released by the Rams last weekend after St. Louis drafted his potential replacement, Greg Zuerlein of Missouri Western, in the sixth round Saturday. Brown is a career 81 percent kicker but was 21 for 28 on field goals last season. Speaking at a charity event Tuesday night, coach Rex Ryan says Brown gives the team "two excellent kickers" and it will be "a great competition" between him and Folk this summer.

Analysis: We think Brown can edge Folk in the battle in camp and be the reliable leg the Jets have been lacking. If the Jets' offense had some more firepower, we'd like Brown as a last-round pick. But since the Jets seem meandering, and since there is a kicking competition, we wouldn't consider Brown. If he wins the job you should expect to find him off waivers during the season as a potential one-week replacement.

5/2/2012

Nick Folk, K, NYJ

Folk will battle for job

News: The Jets have signed veteran kicker Josh Brown, bringing in an experienced leg to compete with incumbent Nick Folk for the starting job. The 33-year-old Brown was released by the Rams last weekend after St. Louis drafted his potential replacement, Greg Zuerlein of Missouri Western, in the sixth round Saturday. Speaking at a charity event Tuesday night, coach Rex Ryan says Brown gives the team "two excellent kickers" and it will be "a great competition" between him and Folk this summer.

Analysis: We think Brown can edge Folk in the battle in camp and be the reliable leg the Jets have been lacking. Folk wasn't worth drafting in the first place given that he's not a reliable leg (he made 19 of 25 total field goal attempts last year) but now that he'll have to earn his job all bets are off. If he wins the gig, he'll be worth a look off waivers during the season.

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