Tag: charlie smyth

Charlie Smyth makes two field goals from 60-plus in pregame warmups

The Saints kicker battle is on! Charlie Smyth made two field goals from 60-plus yards while warming up before Saints vs. Cardinals:

As Charlie Smyth is entering his first professional NFL game ever, he just knocked in two impressive kicks in warmups.

Smyth is currently in contest with Blake Grupe to be the New Orleans Saints kicker in 2024. It’s unclear how many kickers the Saints will play in their preseason debut versus the Arizona Cardinals, but both men are warming up before the game.

Smyth put two kicks from beyond 60 yards through the uprights. The first make was from 64 yards, and he followed it up with a made field goal from 66 yards. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill emphasized this was with a teammate holding the football, not a practice tee. This is the same function as an in-game kick.

Smyth will have to actually have to do it during the game, however. He pushed a couple of other field goals wide right of the goalposts in warmups too. There are a few key differences, like the pressure of the moment and pressure from the opposing team. Making field goals from that distance is impressive but it must translate to live game action.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Charlie Smyth is the Saints Player of Day 39

We continue our daily countdown of days remaining to the Saints Week 1 kickoff and the corresponding jersey numbers with No. 39, kicker Charlie Smyth.

The 2024 NFL season is getting closer to being a reality for fans, as we have only 39 days left until the New Orleans Saints Week 1 bout against the Carolina Panthers. As we continue to count down the days until this first matchup for the Saints, we will look at the corresponding jersey number to the remaining days, which today is kicker Charlie Smyth, who comes to the Saints from Northern Ireland.

Smyth takes over the number from Lou Hedley who held it last season, and the number has a relatively long history, with it’s most notable wearer being former defensive back Brett Maxie, a quality player for the Saints back in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

With that said, let’s take a look at Smyth’s background up to this point, as well as what we should or can expect from him this upcoming season.

  • Name (Age): Charlie Smyth (22)
  • Position: Kicker
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: N/A
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $795,000
  • College: St Colman’s College & St Mary’s University College
  • Drafted: Signed via NFL International Pathway Program
  • NFL experience: Rookie

Charlie Smyth is one of the more intriguing players on the Saints roster this upcoming season, as he was signed to the team this offseason through the International Pathway Program. He signed a three-year contract with the Saints in March after competing at the NFL Scouting Combine where he hit 12 of 16 field goal tries, and made 8 of 10 at his pro day with one connecting from 60 yards out.

He previously played Gaelic football for the Down County team, as well as the Down’s Ulster Under-20 championship team. Gaelic football is somewhat of a cross between American football and rugby, but Smyth’s skillset there as a goalkeeper led to him hoping to get an NFL tryout as early as July 2019. He will be competing with last year’s placekicker Blake Grupe, who certainly had his struggles as a rookie. We will see where the position battle takes us, but as of right now, Smyth has a phenomenal opportunity to win a starting job in the NFL.

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Rookie kicker Charlie Smyth has a big day at Saints training camp

Rookie kicker Charlie Smyth had a big day at Saturday’s Saints training camp practice, hitting all seven of his field goal tries:

Have a day, Charlie Smyth. The New Orleans Saints’ rookie kicker had a good day at Saturday’s training camp practice. Smyth connected on all seven of his field goal tries with his longest kick traveling 59 yards. Last year’s kicker Blake Grupe might be on notice.

Now that’s not to say he enjoyed a perfect morning of work at UC Irvine. Smyth struggled on his kickoff reps, sending too many of his tries out of bounds, as noted by Nola.com’s Luke Johnson. That’s not too surprising. He’s a former Gaelic football player from Northern Ireland who is still picking up the game and the responsibilities of his position. He’s going to make mistakes.

Still, performances like this are encouraging. Grupe was too inconsistent last season. While he did hit on each of his 40 extra point attempts, Grupe missed seven field goals from distances of 29, 29, 46, 47, 51, 52, and 54 yards. Those short-yardage misses are what’s most concerning.

If Smyth can keep growing and iron out his own inconsistencies, he might just put Grupe in a tough spot. Remember, Grupe himself was an undrafted rookie just one year ago. He displaced a former Pro Bowler in Wil Lutz. It shouldn’t shock anyone if Smyth pushes him aside by September, too. At the same time the Saints can afford to give Smyth a longer runway. He joined the team with an International Player Pathway exemption which means he can stay on the team with an extra practice squad spot until they’re confident he’s ready. We’ll just have to see how this battle plays out in the weeks ahead.

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Saints punter Lou Hedley has chosen a new jersey number

Australian punter Lou Hedley has chosen a new jersey number in his second season with the Saints:

There isn’t a new punter kicking for the New Orleans Saints, but the one they have will be wearing a new number. Second-year pro Lou Hedley has given up his No. 39 jersey to switch to the more-appealing No. 15, per the team website. It’s a new number for him after he wore No. 94 in college at Miami.

So who will be wearing his old jersey number? Right now, that’s been assigned to rookie kicker Charlie Smyth. So the Saints’ Australian punter will be wearing No. 15 and their Irish kicker is using No. 39.

Fans should expect some competition to be brought in for Hedley, though it’s likelier to be a rookie free agent signing than a veteran pickup. While the Saints’ coaching staff were largely pleased with Hedley’s performance in his rookie year, he struggled to give his coverage team much hang time or room to work with. He ranked last in the league in both hang time (4.03 seconds) and yards per punt (43). We rated him with a D in our rookie report cards at the end of the year.

Still, it’s possible Hedley beats his competition again and earns another year in black and gold. If he does overcome that challenge, he’ll be wearing No. 15.

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New Orleans Saints sign international kicker Charlie Smyth from Northern Ireland

The New Orleans Saints are signing international kicker Charlie Smyth from Northern Ireland. He’ll have a great opportunity in black and gold:

Here’s some competition for Blake Grupe. The Athletic’s Kalyn Kahler reports that the New Orleans Saints are signing rookie kicker Charlie Smyth as part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program. Smyth hails from Northern Ireland and previously worked as a goalkeeper for County Down’s Gaelic football team.

He’s only been kicking an NFL football since August, but the 22-year-old is already good from distances of 60 yards in practice. He’ll have a chance to develop with a respected special teams coaching staff and possibly push Grupe. We’ll see if he can perform in a new environment over the summer.

The Saints haven’t shied away from adding international players before. Their punter Lou Hedley is Australian, and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi values the different skill sets that players from foreign backgrounds can offer.

Because Smyth is joining the Saints as an IPP player, he will not count towards the 90-man offseason roster limit for training camp. Odds are stronger for him to hang on with the team’s practice squad after roster cuts in September than to unseat Grupe altogether, but you never know. Stranger things have happened in the NFL.

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Irish kicker Charlie Smyth to work out for the Saints

The Saints will work out Irish kicker Charlie Smyth this week. He could be good competition for Blake Grupe:

The NFL’s International Pathway Program might be coming to New Orleans. The Saints will work out Irish kicker Charlie Smyth later this week, per NFL Ireland’s Michael McQuaid. Smyth, 22, is a native of Mayobridge in Northern Ireland, where he’s played Gaelic football as a goalkeeper.

Smyth tried out at the NFL Scouting Combine in February and made 12 of his 16 field goal tries. He also participated at South Florida’s pro day with other international prospects, where he impressed by going 8-for-10 with his longest kick hitting from 60 yards. Now he’ll have an opportunity to show the Saints what he can do at a private workout.

He could be good competition for Blake Grupe. The rookie wasn’t good enough last season while going 28-for-35 with misses from 29, 29, 46, 47, 51, 52 and 54 yards. The Saints need to bring in some competition for Grupe, and Smyth might be an attractive option. The Irishman is expected to sign with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent, and the Saints can lay the groundwork for recruiting him at meetings like this upcoming private workout.

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