The New Orleans Saints have a kicking competition on their hands, but so far it’s been more shrug than statement.
Charlie Smyth entered training camp as the incumbent, yet his grip on the job has loosened. Through the kicks charted so far, he’s 22 of 29, which leaves him at the same 75% clip he posted last season.
That’s not a collapse, but it also isn’t the kind of jump that quiets a battle. At this point, holding steady won’t be enough for Smyth to lock it down.
Tanner Brown hasn’t exactly forced the issue either. The former UFL kicker has made 21 of his 25 attempts, a slight edge over Smyth but not nearly enough to make the decision simple. Instead of one kicker separating himself, the Saints have two guys hanging around the same general level.
That’s why the answer may be to add another name to the mix. New Orleans needs a kicker who can raise the floor of the competition, because if the Saints are going to get back to the playoffs, they’ll need to hit more than 75-80% of their field goals. At minimum, 80% should be the target, since that was the lowest percentage among playoff teams last year.
The Saints may have to cast a wider net than they’d like. Veterans Graham Gano and Matt Prater are two obvious possibilities, with 17 and 18 years of experience, respectively. Both have plenty of playoff mileage, and Gano also has Super Bowl experience from being on the 2015 Carolina Panthers team.
The catch is that both are basically at the tail end of their careers. Younger options are thin, too, with Daniel Carlson listed by Spotrac as the youngest notable kicker still available. That leaves New Orleans with a limited pool, and it may mean looking back toward the UFL or waiting for other teams to make cuts.
None of that guarantees the third kicker would take the job. He might simply push Smyth or Brown to sharpen up. But the Saints clearly need some fresh legs in the mix before this camp battle drifts any further without a winner.
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