The New Orleans Saints have decided to shake things up, and it’s a move that feels both necessary and, let’s be honest, a little dramatic.
After a tryout that had more eyes on it than a Mardi Gras parade float, the Saints are signing Kicker Cade York to the practice squad. This signals the end of the Blake Grupe era, as the team is reportedly sending him packing. Grupe’s struggles this season have been noticeable. Missing eight kicks is the kind of stat that makes coaches age in dog years, and after shanking two against the Falcons, it seems the front office finally said, “enough is enough.”
Saints Choose Youth Over Notoriety
The real juice here isn’t just the swap; it’s who they didn’t sign. The Saints brought in two kickers for a look-see on Tuesday: York and the one and only Justin Tucker. Yes, that Justin Tucker. The guy with a leg that used to be considered a national treasure in Baltimore.
Bringing in Tucker, even for a workout, was a risk. The seven-time Pro Bowler is fresh off a 10-week suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy and carries more baggage than a Louis Vuitton store. Head Coach Kellen Moore acknowledged the elephant in the room, mentioning they wanted to evaluate “the football aspect of it and… everything else as well.”
Ultimately, the Saints went with the less complicated option. Tucker’s last season in Baltimore was a career-low, matching the same shaky 73.3% field goal percentage that York currently sports. So, why take on the headache for the same performance?
What Does Cade York Bring To New Orleans?
So, who is Cade York? He is a 24-year-old former fourth-round pick out of LSU, so he already knows his way around Louisiana. Being drafted that high for a kicker tells you the kind of cannon he was expected to have. His career has been a bit of a journeyman’s tale so far, with stops in Cleveland, Tennessee, and Cincy, but the potential that got him drafted is still there.
The Saints are banking on a change of scenery, and maybe a little bit of that bayou magic, to get his career back on track. It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward move. For a team desperately trying to stay in the hunt, fixing the special teams leak was non-negotiable. Now, it’s on York to prove he’s the answer and not just another question mark. Let the good times roll, I guess? We’ll see if the kicks follow.
