Canal Street Chronicles
However, this may not be the last we see of him.
On Tuesday, every team in the NFL had to cut their roster from 90 players to 53. Among the casualties for the New Orleans Saints was Charlie Smyth, a rookie kicker out of Northern Ireland.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Already battling the incumbent kicker in Blake Grupe, the Irishman suffered a groin injury before the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans However, this doesn’t mean that we’ll be seeing the last of Smyth, with him arriving in New Orleans via the International Player Pathway. If Smyth clears waivers, the Saints have the option to keep him on their practice squad, either with the exemption option that comes with an IPP player, or without. If the Saints decide to use the exemption Smyth will use an extra spot on the practice squad, although they’ll only be able to call him up three times. No other team would be able to sign him to their active roster, either.
That would give Smyth a full season to hone is skills. He’s brand new to American football, having barely been kicking footballs for a year at this point. If he manages to improve his consistency and impress the coaches who knows what could happen next offseason, especially if Grupe has another subpar season.
In a meeting with the media, Dennis Allen gave some explanation as to why the team made the decision to keep Grupe over Smyth.
“I think he’s been consistent in practice,” Allen said, “I’ve seen an improved player from where he was at this point last year.”
