Full Release ✍️https://t.co/EhE36S2gC4
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) May 31, 2023
Earlier on Wednesday when the New Orleans Saints announced the signings of two new offensive players, they also announced that they were waiving former Central Oklahoma kicker Alex Quevedo. Quevedo was signed back in January to a reserve/future deal after trying out for the team last summer. The 90-man roster is now at full capacity and any additional pickups will require a corresponding move.
With Quevedo off the team, the Saints now only have two kickers left on the roster in Wil Lutz and Blake Grupe. Lutz has been the primary kicker since 2016. He had been a very reliable kicker for most of his career, but after coming back from an injury that kept him out for his entire 2021 season, he had a career worst year in 2022. Lutz completed just 74.2% of his kicks last season, he’d previously not gone below 82%. Now, it’s not time to kick him off the team just yet but having some alternatives on the roster makes sense to test the waters and push Lutz a little bit more.
Grupe, the former Notre Dame and Arkansas State kicker, made 211 out of 217 point-after attempts in his college career. He was less efficient on actual field goals, a career 74.3% kicker, but it will be interesting to see how he performs in camp. Lutz will still be the team’s kicker in 2023 in all likelihood unless Grupe can make a very impressive effort over the summer.
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