Per @chrisrussel... Gano released cundiff added

[Missin Meast]

And the other shoe drops...Graham Gano has been released per a text to @ESPNRadio980 by the #Redskins.

----------------

ES Staff appended edit:

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

August 28, 2012

REDSKINS SIGN K BILLY CUNDIFF;

WAIVE K GRAHAM GANO

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that they have signed free agent kicker Billy Cundiff and waived kicker Graham Gano.



Cundiff (6-1, 212) was originally signed as a college free agent by the Dallas Cowboys on April 29, 2002. He has appeared in 101 regular season games, connecting on 132-of-172 field goals and 200-of-201 PATs. He has also made 12-of-14 field goals in nine postseason games.



In 2010, as a member of the Baltimore Ravens, Cundiff earned his first Pro Bowl appearance after connecting on 26-of-29 field goals and tying a then-NFL record of 40 touchbacks (kickoffs were at the 30-yard-line from 1994-2010). He was also named to the 2010 Associated Press All-Pro team, Pro Football Weekly All-NFL team, PFW/PFWA All-NFL first team and Pro Football Weekly Golden Toe award recipient.



Last season, Cundiff led the Ravens with a career-high 122 points, connecting on 28-of-37 field goals and all 38 PATs. He also had 44 touchbacks, which ranked tied for second in the AFC and seventh in the NFL.



He appeared in 53 games for the Cowboys during the 2002-04 seasons and Weeks 11-16 of the 2005 season. He was released by the Cowboys on Dec. 26, 2005.



After a brief 2006 offseason stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cundiff signed with the Green Bay Packers on March 28, 2006, before being released on Aug. 17. He then signed with the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 24, where he appeared in Weeks 12-16 of the 2006 season.



Cundiff was out of football during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. He returned to football in 2009 and signed with the Detroit Lions on Aug. 26, before being released on Sept. 6. He then signed with the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 26, where he appeared in Weeks 3-7 before being released on Nov. 3. Cundiff signed with the Ravens on Nov. 18, where he remained for the rest of the 2009 season.



Cundiff, 32, played collegiately at Drake, where he finished his collegiate career with school records for points (284), field goals made (49), field goal attempts (79) and PATs (137).



He attended Harlan Community H.S. in Harlan, Iowa, where he was three-time All-State selection. He was born on March 30, 1980.



Gano (6-2, 196) was entering his third official NFL season. He has connected on 59-of-80 field goals, all with the Redskins.

[BillyKilmer]

Yea that one kinda surprises me

[Hail Em Up]

What the What???

[skinny21]

What the What???

Ditto. Wow.

Now I'm going to have to do some research on Cundiff...

[BillyKilmer]

Cundiff was brought in by the Baltimore Ravens for a workout on November 10, 2009[6] and was signed on November 18, 2009[7] to replace Steve Hauschka, who was waived on November 17.[8]

Cundiff re-signed with the Ravens to return for the 2010 season. Cundiff was voted to the 2011 Pro Bowl as the AFC placekicker after successfully completing 26 of 29 field goal attempts and a league-high 40 touchbacks. On January 2, 2011, Cundiff recorded his league-leading 40th touchback, which tied the NFL record set by Mitch Berger. Berger performed his feat in 1998 with the Minnesota Vikings, playing at home in the indoor Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome before the NFL instituted the K-ball rule (where a brand new set footballs had to be used for every special teams play each game). Cundiff currently plays at home in the outdoor M&T Bank Stadium and set the record after the institution of the K-ball rule. He averaged 71.1 yards per kickoff to lead the league and had touchbacks on 51.3% of his kickoffs.

Cundiff signed a five-year, $15 million contract to become Baltimore's long-term kicker on January 23, 2011.[9]

In the closing seconds of the 2012 AFC Championship Game on January 22 against the New England Patriots, Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal that would have tied the game, and the Ravens lost the game to the Patriots 20-23.[10]

Cundiff was released by the Ravens on August 26th, 2012.[11]

[RedskinParadigm]

This is the first move I unequivocally disagree with this offseason/preseason. I would rather have either Rackers and/or Gano over Billy Cundiff. I don't get the thought process here.

From John Keim:

@JohnKeim Surprised by this: Cundiff has attempted more than 25 kicks in a season five times; has made more than 80 percent of his kicks once.

[Skinlanta]

dont really see why we did this.....dont like the idea of signing a guy who missed such an important kick at the end of last year....why did the ravens cut him in the first place? are u sure we got rid of Gano? strange stuff....

[Burgold]

Add me to the confused list. Didn't think Cudiff was that special and thought his leg was supposed to be only so-so

[Probos]

Hmmmm,.....

Bold move,....feel bad for Gano.

[Fan since a Fetus]

I usually don't get into the whole, this guy should be kept, that guy should be kept...etc I feel like Mike Shannahan has the slight edge on me in football knowledge, although it is close.

I was surprised by the Cundiff signing and now even more surprised by the release of Gano. I honestly don't get it. I guess Gano wasn't showing much in practice either, but wow. I think we made a big mistake here.

[WellsHTTR]

What the ... ???

This move seems outright bizzare. So Gano, the young leg everyone thought we were developing and who statistically won a kicking competition against a skilled veteran in camp, now gets cut in favor of another, seemingly less skilled veteran that hasn't played a snap with our team? Really?

[MWCREDSKINS]

I am disgusted by this. I don't understand it, people dog Gano but his kicks were blocked too. I think he was worthy of a shot and Cundiff isn't better than Rakers either. This is a terrible move and makes the kicker carousel continue. I work with two Ravens fans and they are giving me the business, thanks John Harbaugh!

[Skinsfan4life83]

Do not like. At all. Should've kept Oh No Gano.

[HOF44]

This has Danny Smith written all over it!!! Bad Move!

[benskins26]

Would have rather had Rackers than Cundiff. Interesting move.