The Giants have agreed to trade kicker Ryan Santoso to the Panthers (Twitter links via Tom Rock of Newsday and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). In return, the Giants will receive a conditional seventh-round pick — it’ll be conveyed if/when Santoso completes two games on Carolina’s roster.
Santoso was blocked by ex-Panther Graham Gano in New York. Even though he has yet to attempt a field goal or extra point in a regular season game, multiple clubs saw him as an NFL-caliber kicker. That includes the Panthers, who will put him up against Joey Slye.
Santoso signed with the Lions as a UDFA in 2018 and went on to spend time with the Titans and the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. He appeared in three games for Tennessee in 2019 to serve as a kickoff specialist. He booted 17 kickoffs in that span with nine touchbacks.
Slye, who has operated as the Panthers placekicker for the last two years, missed his third kick of the preseason in last week’s loss to Baltimore. Now, the door is open for Santoso to win the job.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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