Kicker trades are rare in the NFL, and rookie kicker trades are even rarer. If any of the New Orleans Saints’ specialists were to be moved it would be Wil Lutz, who has real value as a former Pro Bowler. He’s kicked as well as his undrafted rookie teammate Blake Grupe this summer. Take that with his larger body of work and it’s very probable that Lutz is keeping his job.
But there’s the issue — Grupe hasn’t separated from Lutz by such a wide degree that the Saints should make a change. With Lutz seemingly returned to form and Grupe being best described as good, but not great, it feels like only a matter of time until Grupe is out of town.
He wouldn’t have to wait long for work. There are half a dozen teams around the league with unsettled kicker situations of their own who would like to audition him after a solid summer in New Orleans. But only one of them can claim him off waivers. Maybe some team does agree to a trade. And while they’re talking kickers with the Saints, why not aim higher and target Lutz?
It’s not likely that anyone will shake hands on a deal with the Saints before Tuesday’s roster cuts deadline, but these teams could make sense as potential trade partners (or landing spots should Grupe be released):