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Like plenty of football fans, Charlie Smyth would keep tabs on what was happening around the league through the NFL RedZone channel.

Unlike many fans of the American game, he was doing so in the wee hours of the morning in northeastern Ireland. And as he watched, paying close attention to those who were kicking the ball, he entertained a thought that might not have crossed the minds of most casual fans.

I can do this.



There was just a bit of a hitch in this idea. The NFL wasn’t exactly kicking down Europe’s door in its search for talent, and at that point, his home nation hadn’t produced an NFL player since Dublin native Neil O’Donoghue retired after the 1985 season (a barrier that was broken last season by former New Orleans Saints undrafted free agent Daniel Whelan with the Green Bay Packers).

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The Dude

Or we could stop trying to find these one in a million feel good stories and find someone who can actually kick.

AsylumGuido

You mean like the feel good story of that place kicker that we imported from Denmark? I believe his name was Morten Andersen.

Or that feel good story of the kicker born with no fingers on his right hand or toes on his right foot? I believe his name was Tom Dempsey.

AsylumGuido

I like the fact we're using the International Player Portal to bring in competition for Grupe. Smyth won't count against the roster numbers and we can keep him on the practice squad, if need be, as a non-counting number during the regular season, as well. It's definitely a no lose proposition.

neugey

The Dude does have a point. There was nothing that remarkable about Justin Tucker, just an ordinary college guy that became the greatest to ever do it. I don't want us to overscout when there's a good chance Reichard from Alabama would do better.

AsylumGuido

I like the fact that Smyth doesn't count toward our roster number.

AsylumGuido

lee909

Don't know why anyone would have a issue with this. It's a free hit costing peanuts

BakoSaint

I think every team gets an international player slot. Using that slot on a kicker is the most practical and realistic use for it if you don't already have a 'franchise kicker' like Justin Tucker. If we were really shooting for a one in a million pie in the sky feel good story we would bring in some Rugby Star TE or champion Sumo Wrestling left tackle except when you looked at the fine print their level of stardom in their previous sport would be highly exaggerated, therein why they gave it up for a tryout. Kicker is absolutely the most likely position to find an international gem. Usually when some Rugby 'star' comes to the NFL looking to play RB/WR/TE they are basically the Kevin White or Tim Tebow of Rugby, and their chance of success would be similar to, if not less than, the chances of one of those guys succeeding at Rugby.

SmashMouth