Now here’s an interesting nugget. Rookie kicker Blake Grupe has given New Orleans Saints veteran Wil Lutz everything he can handle this summer, matching the former Pro Bowler stride-for-stride at minicamp, training camp, and even two preseason games.
And NBC Sports’ Peter King presented a scenario where Lutz could end up losing the battle — but not his job as a starting kicker in the NFL. In his weekly Football Morning In America column, King suggests Lutz could end up being traded to reunite with his old coach Sean Payton:
“GM Mickey Loomis may be able to trade the loser of Wil Lutz/Blake Grupe (free agent, Notre Dame) for a sixth-round pick just before roster cutdown. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Sean Payton show interest in Lutz in Denver.”
It makes sense for Payton to be watching that kicking competition closely. The Broncos lost kicker Elliot Fry to an injury last week, and former Saints specialist Brett Maher has been shaky in Denver — only making two of his four field goal tries through their pair of preseason games. He’s been successful from distances of 48 and 34 yards, missing a 47-yarder and having his 52-yard try blocked at the line of scrimmage. Lutz is a perfect 4-for-4 from distances of 34, 51, 33, and 36 yards.
And the Saints have done plenty of business with the Broncos this summer. Besides trading Payton himself, they’ve also traded tight end Adam Trautman to Denver, with the Broncos signing plenty of other former Saints players to pad out Payton’s new roster. More crossover should be expected with roster cuts around the corner.
One hiccup in King’s proposal: the Broncos do not have a sixth-round pick in 2024, meaning it would be a 2025 or 2026 selection going to New Orleans. That’s still better than nothing for a player the Saints would be releasing anyway, but it’s hardly the return you’d expect from a former Pro Bowler. King is one of the few national reporters with a direct line to Payton, so it’s possible he picked that trade package out of Denver’s thin air.
