The Saints’ preseason finale in Arlington turned into a late test for a new face, and Daniel Carlson passed it.
With the game tied and just two minutes left, New Orleans sent out the former Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro and watched him drill a 53-yard field goal through the uprights. That kick ended up being the difference in the Saints’ win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Carlson said the decision to give him that chance came out of a flexible plan rather than a fixed order.
"It was a loose rotation, it was changing depending on game situations," Carlson said. "Me being the new guy, they wanted to give me a shot at that."
Had the Saints stuck strictly to the rotation they brought into the game, Tanner Brown likely would have handled the attempt instead. Instead, the Saints used the moment to get one more look at Carlson, who joined the team this week and immediately got the biggest swing of the night.
"Charlie and Tanner are kicking great, I'm sure they would've smoked that as well," Carlson said.
The competition had been unsettled for nearly a month in camp, with Brown and incumbent Charlie Smyth neither separating himself from the other. Going into Friday, both had already missed at least one field goal in preseason play, and both had shown some inconsistency from inside 50 yards during camp.
Friday changed the feel of the whole battle. It was the first preseason game in which the Saints didn’t miss a kick of any kind. Carlson opened with a 38-yard field goal and added an extra point, while Brown and Smyth each converted their own extra-point tries.
Now Carlson’s brief audition could be enough to put him in position to kick for the Saints on Sundays. New Orleans plans to make its official decision within the next 48 hours.
In Other News...
Saints Make A Surprising Secondary Cut Fans Didn't See Coming
The Saints trimmed their roster to 53 by waiving safety Terrell Burgess, a move that stood out because he had been part of the defense throughout the season and appeared in all 16 games last year. Burgess brought veteran depth to the secondary, and his release fit a larger picture in New Orleans as the team continues reshaping the back end of the defense.
Burgess is reportedly a candidate to return on the practice squad, which would keep him in the building if the Saints want his experience available. Even so, the decision points to a clear youth movement in the defensive backfield, with younger players expected to handle bigger roles as the team settles its roster. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Roster Cuts Begin As Familiar Depth Faces Uncertain Future
The roster trimming has begun in New Orleans, and the Saints have started making the hard calls that come with getting down to the NFLs 53-man limit. On Monday, the team waived 10 players as part of the cutdown process, with most of the moves affecting familiar names who had either spent time on the practice squad or had only limited exposure with the club.
For a team trying to sort out the bottom of the roster, these decisions are rarely final in the way they first appear. The players now enter the waiver process and still have a path back to the Saints practice squad if they go unclaimed, which keeps a small window open as the deadline approaches and the last pieces of the roster picture come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Can Now See What That Deion Jones Trade Really Was
What looked like a small late-summer move between the Saints and 49ers has already turned into one of those preseason transactions that says more about roster juggling than long-term plans. New Orleans sent linebacker Deion Jones to San Francisco for running back Zamir White, a swap made to help each team cover a need for the final exhibition games rather than a deal built around a permanent fit.
Neither side ended up carrying the move beyond the preseason finale, with both players released by their new teams afterward. For Saints fans, the more interesting part may be what comes next for Jones, who could still circle back to the 49ers through the practice squad if San Francisco wants to keep him in the building a little longer. [Read more 🡒]