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There are more compelling position battles unfolding at training camp than the one being waged between two relatively obscure placekickers for the New Orleans Saints.

Many out there in Who Dat Nation probably don't even know their names. In fact, there may be veteran players who would not be able to pick the kickers out of a lineup, perhaps not caring to know until the season-opening 53-man roster is finalized next month.

Media and fans are so concerned with other pressing issues facing Saints coach Sean Payton and his staff at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., that the toe-to-toe competition between Dustin Hopkins and Zach Hocker gets lost in the shuffle.

Who Dat? Good question. Know this: The next point either kicker makes in the NFL regular season will be his first. Ironically, both have been drafted -- Hopkins by Buffalo via Florida State in the sixth round in 2013 and Hocker by Washington via Arkansas in the sixth round in 2014.

Hopkins missed the entire '13 season with a groin injury, was cut by the Bills in camp last year and signed to the Saints practice squad near the end of last season as insurance for Shayne Graham, now a distant memory in New Orleans. The Saints represent Hocker's third attempt to stick in the NFL after being waived by the Redskins in camp last year and Miami Dolphins in May.

Hopkins reportedly has the early advantage over Hocker, suggesting it is Hopkins' job to lose. But it is early in camp. The competition heats up beginning Thursday night when the Saints open their exhibition season at the Baltimore Ravens, with additional tests coming in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome against New England (Aug. 22) and Houston (Aug. 30) and at Green Bay (Sept. 3).

Brian Allee-Walsh: Saints must address issues at training camp | New Orleans Saints | The Sun Herald

homerj07

For a position that isn't on the field muck PK sure can play a major role

jnormand

That's no ****. The article has a good point though. I've been worried so much about all the other issues I haven't given the PK job much thought.

I will say this....all those questions in the article are questions we've all been kind of asking ourselves and each other. And the thing is...that's a lot of questions. More than I can ever remember asking myself before a season in recent memory. Kind of shows how much work this team has to do if they are going to have a good season. Payton has his hands full.

WillSaints81

Let me tell you about a big time troll on the ESPN saints message board embarrassing our fanbase, and especially during the bounty saga. My goodness it was so bad there at the time thats when I found this place. This person created so many usernames and made the place very unpleasant for more mature fans. He was known as Bayou.

Please tell me TB that that was not you because you sound so much like him!

hagan714

kicker? say what? Us old dogs know their value.

all the other positions have and will get a million write ups. gotta be happy when you get anything in depth about the kickers.

SaintsBro

Tell you what, this will also be interesting preseason for our unknown kickers with that new extra point rule. I happened to see one Vikings EP kick in that BORING Pittsburgh/Minny game last night, the kick made it through but barely squeaked through the upright, fading to the left. I am definitely not gonna get up and head to the fridge for a beer on Thursday night, until they kick that thing.

WillSaints81

Maybe we should just convert every TD if they can't handle it. This was clearly a screw the saints rule. Irsay hates the saints for winning the sb.

jeanpierre

That's just it...teams won't know where we're going and that means...

Advantage, Saints!


We're at our best when we'll have ten receivers at the end of the year with thirty catches each...