Canal Street Chronicles
And why he’s likely keeping his job.
In the 22nd practice of training camp, New Orleans Saints kicker had a perfect day, going 6/6 on his field goals. This was very much needed by him, as he’s in the midst of a kicking competition.
The highlight of the day for the kicker was his make from 55-yards, which was right down the middle.
This practice has pretty much solidified his spot on the roster. While the battle between Blake Grupe and Charlie Smyth is close, the tie typically goes to the senior player. It hasn’t been the best camp for Grupe, but he reminded everybody today that it’s his job for the taking. Teams want to send a guy that’s at least familiar with the environment and Smyth is anything but, being that he came to the team via the International Player Pathway. Smyth might just be too raw to be team's kicker at the moment. However, this doesn’t mean that Smyth is lost forever. Because he’s from the IPP, the Saints have a free practice squad spot just for him, if he were to clear waivers. That could really become useful, especially if Grupe doesn’t keep up the constancy. It would also give Smyth more time to get used to the game of American football.
