Saints Training Camp Preview: Specialist

It sounds like there will be a genuine competition at a couple of important specialist spots, but one player may have the most secure spot on the New Orleans Saints' roster

Head coach Dennis Allen said during his pre-training camp presser that the New Orleans Saints will have a pair of legitimate battles on their hands with key special teamers. Two of those battles are expected to be a kicker and punter. While the gap between the incumbent players and their challengers is likely a big one, a competition can go any which way when the blows begin to fall.

Nov 17, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; New Orleans Saints kicker Wil Lutz (3) is congratulated by long snapper Zach Wood (49) after kicking a field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans has to feel that there is room for improvement at both positions going into 2023. Longtime kicker Wil Lutz missed the entire season in 2021 after undergoing core surgery and in 2022 his return was expected to be the difference between wins and losses because of his usual reliability. Unfortunately, things did not go as smoothly as expected. Now, he will face a young challenger in undrafted rookie Blake Grupe out of Notre Dame.

Similarly, punter Blake Gillikin had an overall fine season. But in some clutch situations he did not quite come through in the fashion that meets the large shoes of Thomas Morstead which he is tasked to fill. Enter Miami alum Lou Hedley, one of the most interesting players in the NFL who looks to shake things up.

Heading into training camp, here is a look at the specialist room as it stands:

Saints Training Camp Roster - Specialists

• Kicker Wil Lutz

• Kicker Blake Grupe*

• Punter Blake Gillikin

• Punter Lou Hedley*

• Long Snapper Zach Wood

(* = Rookie)

November 27, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; New Orleans Saints long snapper Zach Wood (49) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Lock

If we are to accept Allen's notion that the kicker and punter battles are for real, then there is only one lock among the specialists. Long snapper Zach Wood may have the most job assurance outside of anyone but quarterback Derek Carr in New Orleans. Wood has been the Saints starting long snapper since the 2017 season. early that offseason the team had traded a seventh round pick for offensive lineman Jon Dorenbos to take over the role. Upon receiving his physical it was discovered that Dorenbos had a life-threatening aortic aneurysm leading immediately to surgery and his retirement.

After that, the Saints held tryouts for the position. Wood was the player signed among the four or so players who were given the workout and since then he may be the most secure man on the team's roster year in and year out. Eventually that will change, but not in 2023 from the looks of things.

Fighting for a Spot

As aforementioned, the gap between Lutz and Grupe has to be wide coming into this battle. But the incumbent kicker's 2022 was clearly a disappointment. his 74.2% (23/31) field goal percentage finished second-lowest among all kickers with at least 10 attempts in 2022. That is a far departure from his usually reliable nature. Grupe was no automatic kicker during his time at Notre Dame himself sinking just 73.7% (14/19) of his field goals in 2022 himself. Both kickers made 100% of their point after attempts in their most recent action. Grupe looked solid during OTAs and minicamp as did Lutz. If nothing else, the competition could push Lutz back to being his old self again.

Gillikin's numbers are far from concerning at face value. his 41.6 average net yards per punt (which takes into consideration return yards) was about middle of the pack in the NFL. He had 16 punts down and allowed just 26 returns on his whopping 77 punts. But it was the timing of some of his shanked kicks and inability to be consistently reliable in clutch situations that may have sparked an interest in generating competition. However, these are parts of him game that will simply improve with experience and perhaps that is all it will take.

Leaving alone Hedley's remarkably interesting background, getting a look at his work during OTAs and minicamps was tough. The Saints were so often forced to move inside due to inclement weather during days open to media that getting a real ideal of Hedley's leg power was hard because of the roof in the indoor facility. Hopefully the team gets a little more opportunity to kick outdoors during camp, heat permitting. Hedley is credited as putting together of the best season as a Miami punter during his time with the Hurricanes and was a multi-time finalist (2020 and 2021) for the Ray Guy Award which is awarded to the nation's top punter.