Saints Add Daniel Carlson After Kicking Competition Fails to Produce Clear Winner

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Per Mike Garofalo and Ian Rapaport of the NFL Network, the New Orleans Saints are going to sign veteran kicker Daniel Carlson to their roster on Monday.

The Saints decided to add a wrinkle into the kicking battle between challenger Tanner Brown and the incumbent Charlie Smyth. It’s a good move for New Orleans as one of the biggest holes on the team right now is the kicker position.

Carlson spent the last eight seasons with the Raiders. He was 224-of-255 on field goals and 238-of-249 on extra points during his time with the Raiders.

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Carlson earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2021 and was named a first-team All-Pro in 2022. That 2022 season was the best of his career, when he converted 34 of 37 field-goal attempts and connected on 11 field goals from at least 50 yards.

The 31-year-old Carlson brings considerably more experience to New Orleans. He has been a mainstay in the league since 2018 after initially being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings before being released by the club after two games and then signing with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders where he stayed until the end of last season.

Carlson's numbers dipped last season, making 22 of 27 field-goal attempts at an 81.5% rate. He was 5-of-8 from 50 yards or farther and made 21 of his 22 extra-point attempts.

Why the Saints Decided to Bring In the Veteran Kicker

The primary reason New Orleans brass signed the veteran kicker was the faltering competition between the team's current options, which has failed to produce a reliable starter.

Smyth, the incumbent who replaced a struggling Blake Grupe after Week 11 last season, converted 12 of 16 field-goal attempts, including a 57-yarder. However, he has struggled throughout training camp as he has made just under 80% of his field goal attempts throughout camp.

In the preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he made both extra-point attempts but missed a 52-yard field goal late in the third quarter. Had he made the kick, the Saints would have held a two-possession lead, potentially changing the game's closing dynamics.

Smyth did not attempt a kick in last week's preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Brown had shown more promise during camp, particularly with long-range accuracy. He converted attempts from 49 and 29 yards against the Jaguars on Aug. 15, but missed a 39-yarder last week. Including practice sessions, that marked his fourth missed field goal from inside 40 yards during the preseason.

This mounting lack of confidence in the current roster led the Saints to turn to Carlson, hoping the veteran can stabilize the position before the regular season begins.

New Orleans Saints Preseason Schedule

Sat. Aug. 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (L 24-20)
Sat. Aug. 22: @ Los Angeles Rams (L 24-20)
Fri. Aug. 28: @ Dallas Cowboys, 7 p.m., FOX

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