The New Orleans Saints have completely revamped their offense this offseason, and we could potentially be saying the same thing about special teams by the beginning of the year. Securing punter Ryan Wright was a massive signing for the Saints. Now, the Saints have set up an interesting kicker battle between Charlie Smyth and newly-signed Tanner Brown.
The Wright signing showed an investment in the position we haven't seen in years. The Saints aren't making Brown one of the highest paid kickers in the league but the continued pursuit for true competition, and not just camp legs, shows they aren't staying complacent at the position.
The Saints previously brought in Mason Shipley as an undrafted free agent, but it didn't feel anything like this signing felt. Shipley would have competed with Smyth. Brown's success in the UFL feels like he could step in and be a reliable kicker for New Orleans.
Saints still looking for "the one" at kicker
The Saints woes at kicker haven't been nearly to the degree they were at punter. Punter was a bunch of one year rentals. The Saints were just stuck with Blake Grupe since getting rid of Wil Lutz. You don't want to put pressure like that on Brown, but it feels like he could be the next steady leg in New Orleans.
A kicker signing this deep in the offseason isn't usually met with much fanfare. The fact that it is should show the caliber of player Brown was in the UFL. He was the UFL Special Teams Player of the Year. His big leg will get a lot of attention, but he mixed power with accuracy.
Brown hammered in two field goals from 60+ in the playoffs. If that doesn't show big time ability, what does? You want kickers who can show up in pressure moments. It's an area Grupe struggled with during his Saints tenure. Brown has shown a knack for that with the Louisville Kings.
On the season, Brown went 29-32 on field goals and 3-3 from 60 yards. The fact he did it in a professional league does make it feel a little different. Regardless, the accuracy and pressure plays should translate to the next level. Even with this success, there's no guarantees he'll beat out Charlie Smyth. That's what makes this battle interesting. It could genuinely go either way.
Smyth has to prove he can be more consistent, but he'll have to get through Brown to do it. He's had good offseasons in his first two years in New Orleans. They haven't been good enough to win the battle, however. If he loses his third straight training camp battle, Smyth may be looking for work elsewhere this time.
Add us as a preferred source on Google