Saints: Jake Verity could solve short-term kicker woes

No one will quite compare with New Orleans Saints kicker Wil Lutz. But Baltimore Ravens’ Jake Verity is still available, and he should be quickly claimed as a temporary fix to the Saints’ current kicker problem.

We know they have Aldrick Rosas. We also know he missed  52-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 36-yarder in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.

The Saints would go on to easily win the game, but at the time, New Orleans were only up 7-0, and Rosas’ missed kick could have potentially changed the momentum.

The 52-yarder, we can excuse. Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick called a timeout with seconds left in the first quarter to force New Orleans to kick into the open, windier end of the stadium. Rosas’ kick swerved left and missed the goal posts, and it’s tough to say whether that was a stroke of Belichick ingenuity or just Rosas’ poor technique.

The missed 36-yarder, we have a problem with. The Saints need to convert on every opportunity they get, and so far, Rosas just isn’t cutting it.

New Orleans Saints should claim Jake Verity off the waiver wire in 2021

Having a good kicker on your team can win you games. Just ask Justin Tucker. The Saints might think they have to settle with Rosas in Wil Lutz’s absence, but they don’t. Baltimore Ravens kicker Jake Verity was waived in early September, and this is New Orleans’ chance to solidify their kicker situation.

Verity won’t replace Lutz, that much is for sure. Currently, though, Verity won’t see any minutes due to Tucker’s G.O.A.T. form. Even if the Saints were to bring him on for a short stretch of the season, Verity would (temporarily) get the No. 1 kicker duties he deserves.

Verity, a formerly undrafted free agent, had an impressive preseason this year, completing four-of-five field goal attempts, including one 53-yarder.

An added bonus: history may be on New Orleans’ side. The Saints signed Lutz after he was waived by the Ravens in 2016, so why not dip another toe into the alluring Ravens kicker pool?

The Saints may have originally bet on Rosas for his veteran experience, but that bet may cost them games later in the season. Verity is only 23-years-old, yet he already possesses the consistency and confidence of a more much seasoned kicker.

We’re surprised Verity hasn’t found a new home yet, but that just means New Orleans have a great opportunity to bring on the answer to their recent kicker woes. This is a low-risk, high-reward pick-up that the Saints need to take.