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):
1
Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey has survived a process of elimination in Dallas, but his preseason stat line isn’t very impressive: 8-of-9 on extra points and 2-of-3 on field goals. The team hasn’t given him many opportunities to prove his worth one way or another which is telling in itself about how they view him.
A complicating factor: the Cowboys currently own just one pick in the final four rounds of the 2024 draft (a seventh rounder), so they don’t have much to offer. Is trading Grupe or Lutz worth it for what may be the No. 250 overall pick next April? Or a fifth- or sixth-round pick the year after that?
2
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco’s kicking situation is a disaster. Jake Moody, their projected starter, showed scattersehot accuracy and now he’s dealing with a quadriceps injury. His backup Zane Gonzales is hurt too. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky botched an extra-point attempt when asked to try out in one of their preseason games, and the 49ers are currently holding open tryouts. They could use Grupe or Lutz in the worst way.
So it helps that they have ample draft picks to offer up, including two 2024 fourth rounders (one is their own, the other comes from Dallas in the Trey Lance trade) and selections in the sixth and seventh rounds. The 49ers could beat any offer, assuming they’re interested. And they should be.
3
Denver Broncos
Former Saints kicker Brett Maher has missed some important field goals, and Sean Payton has already decided that he’s seen enough of Elliott Fry. Speculation has been rife linking Payton to the Saints kicker battle. It shouldn’t shock anyone if he swoops in should Lutz become available, but he may also wait it out on the waiver wire for Grupe.
Denver’s realistic trade assets in 2024: two picks in rounds five (one via the New York Jets) and seven (one from the Los Angeles Rams).
4
Tennessee Titans
The Titans don’t have a kicker on their roster after cutting Michael Badgley; neither Caleb Shudak nor Trey Wolff cut the mustard, either. Some sort of move is coming, but it could be tough for them to work a trade. Tennessee’s only third-day 2024 draft picks are in rounds four (one pick) and seven (two, coming from the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles). They’re more likely to sign a free agent than cut a trade.
But if a surprise deal does materialize: the Saints would get an instant look at whether they made the right decision with the Titans visiting the Caesars Superdome in two weeks to open the regular season. How’s that for drama?
5
Los Angeles Rams
Don’t sleep on the Rams — they’re going to be really, really bad this year but they could be sleepers in the search for a new kicker. Tanner Brown hasn’t made a kick from beyond 39 yards in the three preseason games, and he missed one of his two tries from that distance. Los Angeles holds their own picks in rounds four and five with a sixth rounder coming from the Eagles. But they feel like another team more likely to scour the waiver wire.
