Tag: Lou Hedley

Rookie report card: Grading the Saints 2023 draft class at midseason

Rookie report card: How do you grade the New Orleans Saints 2023 draft class at midseason? Have Bryan Bresee and his peers met expectations?

So much hype is built up for the annual NFL draft class, but it isn’t always fair to put such high expectations on rookie players. In many cases there are well-established veteran players in place ahead of them who they need to outwork for snaps in practice, much less in games. And that’s before other inhibiting factors like injuries and suspensions get in the way of their development.

Keep that in mind as we go through our New Orleans Saints rookie report card. The Saints’ 2024 draft class hasn’t had many opportunities to distinguish itself going up to the Week 11 bye, and the seven remaining games in the regular season are going to be critical for many of them. Here’s how we grade each first-year pro’s performance at midseason:

What went right, what went wrong in Saints’ Week 7 loss to Jaguars

Instant analysis from Saints’ Week 7 loss to Jaguars: What went right, what went wrong, and what’s the bottom line?

The New Orleans Saints played just well enough to give fans hope before things fell apart in Thursday night’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. But these things happen when a legit playoff team matches up with a squad that isn’t quite ready for prime time.

So what can we learn from Week 7’s game? What went right for the Saints? What went wrong? And what’s the bottom line? Let’s break it down:

Former Saints punter Blake Gillikin signs with the Cardinals

Blake Gillikin signed with the Cardinals, replacing another former Saints punter:

The Arizona Cardinals are swapping one former New Orleans Saints punter for another. Per the latest update to the daily NFL transactions wire, the Cardinals have signed Blake Gillikin — opening a spot on their roster by waiving Nolan Cooney.

Gillikin was released by the Saints after they chose to go with rookie punter Lou Hedley this summer, following a training camp battle. Ironically, Gillikin himself beat Cooney (a former Saints undrafted free agent out of Syracuse) for the job two summers ago.

Good luck to him in the desert. Hedley hasn’t performed as well as the Saints hoped when they went with him at punter, but Gillikin has tried out for a couple of different teams before finding the right opportunity. That this is all happening while Thomas Morstead continues to punt well for the New York Jets adds another layer of frustration for Saints faithful.

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Recently-released Saints punter Blake Gillikin tries out for Eagles

Recently-released Saints punter Blake Gillikin tried out for the Eagles alongside several other free agents | @DillySanders

Recently-released New Orleans Saints punter Blake Gillikin is in search for his next opportunity, and he didn’t have to wait long — he was invited to try out for the Philadelphia Eagles’ open job. The Saints overhauled their special teams unit this season, moving on from Gillikin and longtime kicker Wil Lutz in favor of undrafted rookies Lou Hedley and Blake Grupe.

Lutz was traded to the Denver Broncos with no worry of finding a new team, but Gillikin is still out on the open market searching for his next chance. He tried out alongside NFL punters Pat O’Donnell and Colby Wadman, per the daily NFL transactions wire.

Gillikin appeared in 34 games for the Saints over two years, averaging 47 yards per punt and landing 38.1% of his tries within the 20-yard line. He’s got the biggest leg and the best accuracy out of the three tryout specialists, but a lack of consistency cost him his job in New Orleans.

O’Donnell spent the first eight years of his career with the Chicago Bears before going turncoat and signing with the Green Bay Packers last season; he’s averaged 45.1 yards per punt while placing 36.4% of them inside the 20.

Wadman hasn’t punted in the NFL since 2019, where he averaged 44.5 yards per punt and put 35.7% of his punts inside the opposing 20. He spent the last two years in the USFL.

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Dwayne Johnson shouts out Saints punter Lou Hedley after making the team

Dwayne Johnson shouts out Saints rookie Lou Hedley after winning the punting job: ‘Rooting for this guy to make it’

Lou Hedley was a surprise entry on the New Orleans Saints’ initial 53-man roster, having won the punting job from a younger incumbent in Blake Gillikin. The 30-year-old rookie has one of the best stories in the NFL this year, and he already has a robust fanbase.

And a couple of celebrities are in that number, including Dwayne Johnson. Hedley’s accomplishment earned words of support from “The Rock” himself. Hedley first got on Johnson’s radar after picking the entertainer’s jersey number when he arrived at Miami, their shared alma mater. That’s an impressive fan to have in his corner. Hopefully it helps him find more success after turning pro.

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30-year old Saints rookie Lou Hedley has won the Saints punter competition

30-year old rookie Lou Hedley has won the Saints punter competition

Now isn’t that something: the New Orleans Saints will be going in a new direction at punter this season, with 30-year-old rookie Lou Hedley named the starter ahead of third-year pro Blake Gillikin. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill first reported that Hedley won the job, adding that the Saints are seeking to trade Gillikin if possible.

Hedley might be the most interesting man in the NFL. The former scaffolder hails from Australia and has pursued other ventures before trying his hand at pro football, including owning a tattoo shop in Indonesia. He sold his stake in the business to fund a move to America, where he eventually joined the Miami Hurricanes and put NFL scouts on notice.

He’ll soon be punting on Sundays. The Saints also made a change at kicker by going with Blake Grupe (another rookie) and trading Wil Lutz to the Denver Broncos, where he’s reunited with Sean Payton. Dennis Allen is putting his own specialists in place in a pivotal year for his coaching career.

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Report: Saints exploring trade interest for punter Blake Gillikin

Report: Saints exploring trade interest for punter Blake Gillikin, may turn to rookie Lou Hedley

Could Wil Lutz and Blake Gillikin be a package deal? NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that the Saints are shopping their veteran punter around the league to see if he has any trade value — meaning rookie punter Lou Hedley (Miami) would be getting the nod to replace him.

Neither Gillikin nor Hedley played at a very high level this offseason. Gillikin’s hang time and accuracy has regressed a bit from the high standards he set for himself in his first year replacing Thomas Morstead, while Hedley has taken some rookie lumps. But if the Saints believe all else is equal, it could make sense to get what they can for Gillikin and make a change.

Getting draft picks back for both specialists would be a win, even if they’re only late-round selections. Stay tuned for updates.

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4 Saints who could lose their starting jobs in 2023

Between new roster additions and second-year leaps from highly-drafted rookies, there are some Saints players who could lose their starting jobs in 2023:

The New Orleans Saints starting lineup is going to look different in 2023, and some players returning from the 2022 squad are going to be pushed down the depth chart. That’s not a bad thing for a 7-10 team, even if it means a reduced role for some fan-favorites on offense and defense.

Here’s a quick look at four areas that could see the most change over the summer (and no, we aren’t taking the low-hanging fruit by acknowledging Derek Carr is the unquestioned starter ahead of Jameis Winston):

28-year-old rookie Saints punter Lou Hedley might be the most interesting man in the NFL

28-year-old rookie Saints punter Lou Hedley might be the most interesting man in the NFL. The Australian ex-scaffolder was sensational at Miami:

The New Orleans Saints might have added the most interesting man in the NFL after the 2023 draft, having signed Australian punter Lou Hedley after his sensational run with the Miami Hurricanes. He hails from Mandurrah, a coastal city of about 107,000 people in Western Australia, and he’s as unique as they come.

Get to know him a little better before he arrives in New Orleans for rookie minicamp practices in a few weeks:

What top punters are up for the Ray Guy Award?

Five punters from the Big Ten are among 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award.

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The Ray Guy Award announced 10 semifinalists on Wednesday, the annual award for the nation’s top college football punter being whittled down from 83 players on the preseason watch list.

The Big Ten conference has five punters on the list, leading the way for all conferences. Which begs the question: should Big Ten teams just punt every play?

And another question: how is the top punter in college football chosen? The good people at the Ray Guy Award have that answer:

A national voting body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, national media and previous Ray Guy Award winners will decide the three award finalists who will be announced on Tuesday, November 23rd. Voters will then vote again to determine the winner who will be announced live on Thursday, December 9th at The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.

An additional vote is given to fans, who can vote via the award’s website.