Kicker Derek Dimke — who unsuccessfully tried out for the Saints this preseason — is back in New Orleans for a work out on Wednesday, according to an NFL source.
Advocate staff photo by MATTHEW HINTON–New Orleans Saints kicker Derek Dimke (2) leaves the field in a preseason game between the New Orleans Saints and the Baltimore Ravens at the Superdome in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014.
He is joined by former Saints kicker Garrett Hartley (released last year) and rookie free agent Zach Hocker. All three are working out for the Saints three days after kicker Shayne Graham missed a field goal in Sunday’s 41-10 loss at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to the Carolina Panthers.
Dimke has made 12 of 13 field goals in preseasons from 2012-14 spent with Detroit, Tampa Bay and New Orleans. He was 4-for-4 with the Saints while competing with Graham as New Orleans went 3-1 in the preseason.
Dimke missed a 54-yard try in the Superdome during the preseason finale, but it was wiped out with a running-into-the-kicker penalty. The ball was moved in five yards closer, and Dimke connected, preserving his perfect mark on the preseason.
Strangely, both Dimke and Graham were initially left off the first 53-man roster the Saints turned in to the NFL at the conclusion of the preseason. Graham was re-signed, and Dimke cleared waivers, leaving him free to seek other opportunities.
He’s worked out for at least one more team since the end of this preseason: Jacksonville. The Jaguars did not sign him.
Dimke, 24, is a native of Rockford, Illinois. He played his college football at the University of Illinois.
Graham this season is 18-of-20 (90 percent) for the Saints, who are 5-8. He was the NFL’s special teams player of the month for October after going 9-for-9 in the three games the Saints played between Weeks 5 and 8 this year.
But Graham was wide left on a 42-yard field goal try in the defeat to Carolina. Saints coach Sean Payton met Graham on the sideline after the miss. From a distance, it appeared Payton spoke strongly to Graham.
Payton later said he would not rule out any changes to the roster despite the late stage of the season. The Saints waived wide receiver Joseph Morgan on Tuesday, and they told second-year safety Kenny Vaccaro he was being benched.
However, teams routinely work out players, including kickers, without making a switch.