Sean Payton, Shayne Graham say kicker will respond to being challenged

WhoDat!656 · 12-12-2014, 12:32 PM

Not sure how much sense it is to tryout a kicker that you cut for missing FGs to potentially replace a kicker that has missed a few FGs.

METAIRIE, La. -- Shayne Graham hadn’t missed a kick in more than two months before he pulled his 42-yard field-goal attempt wide left in this past Sunday’s 41-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

But that was enough to put him on the hot seat along with several other teammates who are being scrutinized more than ever by coach Sean Payton this week.

The Saints tried out four free agent kickers Wednesday before ultimately sticking with Graham.

When asked if it’s possible to be unhappy with a kicker who is 18 of 20 on field-goal attempts this season, Payton said, "Yeah, you could be unhappy off the last performance."

"And yet I pay close attention to his numbers. We wanted to look at what was available, how they did," continued Payton, who said it’s common for NFL teams to take a look at possible alternatives at a variety of positions throughout the course of a season. "But, look, Shayne is going to respond no different than the rest of these guys we’re challenging. He’ll respond."

Graham, who is no stranger to the NFL business after playing for 10 different teams in a 14-year career, agreed that he needs to be more worried about how he responds than the challenge itself.

"All I can do is control what’s in front of me, not upstairs," said Graham, adding that he wasn’t taken aback when Payton had stern words for him on the sideline after his miss, because that's expected when any player makes a mistake. "I’d probably be concerned if there wasn’t something said to me."

Sean Payton, Shayne Graham say kicker will respond to being challenged - New Orleans Saints Blog - ESPN

12-12-2014, 12:32 PM	#1
WhoDat!656 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Shreveport,Louisiana Posts: 16,086	Sean Payton, Shayne Graham say kicker will respond to being challenged Not sure how much sense it is to tryout a kicker that you cut for missing FGs to potentially replace a kicker that has missed a few FGs. METAIRIE, La. -- Shayne Graham hadn’t missed a kick in more than two months before he pulled his 42-yard field-goal attempt wide left in this past Sunday’s 41-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers. But that was enough to put him on the hot seat along with several other teammates who are being scrutinized more than ever by coach Sean Payton this week. The Saints tried out four free agent kickers Wednesday before ultimately sticking with Graham. When asked if it’s possible to be unhappy with a kicker who is 18 of 20 on field-goal attempts this season, Payton said, "Yeah, you could be unhappy off the last performance." "And yet I pay close attention to his numbers. We wanted to look at what was available, how they did," continued Payton, who said it’s common for NFL teams to take a look at possible alternatives at a variety of positions throughout the course of a season. "But, look, Shayne is going to respond no different than the rest of these guys we’re challenging. He’ll respond." Graham, who is no stranger to the NFL business after playing for 10 different teams in a 14-year career, agreed that he needs to be more worried about how he responds than the challenge itself. "All I can do is control what’s in front of me, not upstairs," said Graham, adding that he wasn’t taken aback when Payton had stern words for him on the sideline after his miss, because that's expected when any player makes a mistake. "I’d probably be concerned if there wasn’t something said to me." Sean Payton, Shayne Graham say kicker will respond to being challenged - New Orleans Saints Blog - ESPN
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