The Saints aren't letting their kicker hit free agency.
According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, the 37-year-old Shayne Graham has agreed to terms on a one-year deal. Graham was signed and cut by the Steelers early in the 2013 season and came to New Orleans later that year where he spelled an injured Garrett Hartley. He was 19-of-22 in 2014 with the Saints.
Graham will compete for his spot against Dustin Hopkins, a former Florida State standout who was taken by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The Saints signed Hopkins to a futures deal at the end of the 2014 season.
Graham, along with many of his veteran kicking brethren, will be an interesting case study over the next few years, especially if the NFL ends up pulling the trigger on narrow goal posts. As some kickers have surmised, the value of experience could shoot up when the scoring percentage on field goals drops.
Graham is currently ninth among active kickers with an 85.531 percent field goal rate, which is much easier for a coach to stomach than a cheaper rookie with little big-game experience.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast welcomes Malcolm Butler to the show and plays a free agency edition of "Who Do You Trust?" Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
