New Orleans Saints cut kicker and punter

The Saints released kicker Taylor Mehlhaff and punter Ben Graham on Tuesday, according to league sources. No replacements have been announced.

over 3 years ago Dave Cariello 12 comments 0 recs |

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Are we gonna play Madden-style now? Going for it on every 4th down and going for 2 every time? I don’t see any downside to doing it, he kicking has cost us two games already.

by Steve the fan on Oct 28, 2008 10:53 PM CDT reply actions

Ummm

I believe Mehlhaff missed one FG against Oakland and one PAT against the Chargers, both games the Saints won. I would have liked to see him have more of a chance to prove himself, but I have to agree that going into the stretch they need someone who is consistent and reliable that they can have confidence in, and a rookie with just 3 games is hard to have confidence in. I would love to see Carney come back IF the Giants release him, but I have to believe Payton already has someone in mind to have released both kickers. Then again he has been playing musical chairs with the roster all season so who knows? He may sign them both back to the roster by the weekend.

by BayouRebel on Oct 28, 2008 11:31 PM CDT up reply actions

I forgot to add

When we will release Gary Gibbs?

by Steve the fan on Oct 28, 2008 10:58 PM CDT reply actions

From the Times-Picayune:

“Payton has admitted that he never should have let reliable veteran Carney go after the ’06 season, when he tried to upgrade to the stronger-legged Mare.”

This seems to be the season for Saints coaches to admit mistakes. I can’t wait to hear what Gary Gibbs will have to say.

by MtnExile on Oct 29, 2008 6:26 AM CDT reply actions

not enough space...

for Gibbs to apologise. Everytime he tries to send the email the server says file to large.

by MT_always on Oct 29, 2008 7:30 AM CDT up reply actions

when the dust clears

Saints will resign Weatherford by the Atlanta game assuming he has finished his injury fill-in stint in KC. Saints need his ability to kickoff in order to sign an accurate FG guy aka Carney who may not be as good on kickoffs. Will be interesting to see what NY does with their kicker situation, hard to keep 2.

Mehlhaff wasn’t cutting it. the stats may say 1 missed FG and 1 missed PAT, but some of the ones he was making, even the chip shots, were just barely getting inside the uprights. Payton and the team had no confidence in him, and his kickoffs weren’t all that.

by MobileSaint on Oct 29, 2008 8:20 AM CDT reply actions

Agreed!

I think they bring Weatherford back. Who the hell else is out there that can punt and kick off with relative consistency? Maybe the cutting of Weatherford was some sort of smokescreen for something else during the London trip. Maybe Weatherford is secretly a P.I. detective and they wanted him to stay behind to keep an eye on Reggie to ensure that Kim didn’t screw his head up during and after surgery. Maybe Weatherford is a wanted man in Europe and couldn’t risk the trip for fear of the British Secret Service taking him away. Or, Maybe Payton and special teams coordinator Greg McMahon just aren’t very good at scouting kickers and punters.

Go Saints!!!!

by David "Satch" Kelly on Oct 29, 2008 9:31 AM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, the latter. Who the hell is Greg McMahon? Why can’t we get Brian Schottenheimer?

by stujo4 on Oct 29, 2008 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions

NOLA.com reports

on kickers and punters reporting for tryouts today:

The Saints are auditioning several kickers and punters today, according to league sources. Among the candidates at kicker are Billy Cundiff, Aaron Elling, A.J. Haglund, Garrett Hartley and Dave Rayner. Cundiff and Elling worked out with the team earlier, the others are coming in today.

At punter, they’re looking at Josh Miller and Glenn Pakulak, among others. We’ll keep trying to track down some more names, and check back here for bios on these players in a little while.

http://blog.nola.com/saintsbeat/2008/10/new_orleans_saints_auditioning.html

by BayouRebel on Oct 29, 2008 9:44 AM CDT reply actions

Billy Cundiff???? Again? Dave Rayner is a head case too. Aaron Elling?? Has Haglund ever kicked outside? Journeymen are what you get midseason. My money is on Hartley, Denver cut him in camp.

Josh Miller is 38 years old for Christ’s sake. Glenn Pakulak: “Led NFL Europe with an average of 42.2” well that sucks, might as well get Weatherford back.

by stujo4 on Oct 29, 2008 11:20 AM CDT up reply actions

How long before nobody wants to audition for the Saints?

They’ll know that it means disrupting their lives, risking their present jobs, for the chance of playing a couple of weeks before getting cut.

There might be a lot of marginal players out there who will do anything to make an NFL roster, but you don’t win championships with those kind of players. Two years ago we had Carney and Weatherford, a good combination. Now, we have nothing, along with the possibility of having Rayner and Miller, or Elling and Pakulak, or…choose your combo.

Payton admitted he shouldn’t have gotten rid of Carney; what he should admit is that he doesn’t know the first thing about evaluating talent outside of the passing game.

by MtnExile on Oct 29, 2008 12:08 PM CDT reply actions

what he should admit is that he doesn’t know the first thing about evaluating talent outside of the passing game.

Ouch.
Coach Payton needs to string some wins together pretty quick. Anyone check out nola.com lately? In a related note, a friend in Kansas City told me that Chiefs GM Carl “King Carl” Peterson cannot go out to dinner in town without a bodyguard, due to the abuse he is getting.

by stujo4 on Oct 29, 2008 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions