Advocate staff photo by MATTHEW HINTON–New Orleans Saints kicker Shayne Graham (3) celebrates a score with New Orleans Saints tackle Marcel Jones (70) and New Orleans Saints quarterback Luke McCown (7) in a preseason game between the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La. Friday, Aug. 15, 2014.
Despite working out at least three kickers three days after Shayne Graham missed a field goal, it did not appear Wednesday afternoon that the Saints had any immediate plans to make a switch at the position, according to an NFL source with knowledge of the situation.
The news isn’t exactly surprising. Although the Wednesday tryout players — former Saints Super Bowl hero Garrett Hartley, rookie free-agent Zach Hocker, and preseason New Orleans kicker Derek Dimke — all have their upside, Graham this season is 18-of-20 booting field goals for the Saints (5-8).
Graham is seventh in the NFL with his field-goal percentage of 90.
Hartley played for the Saints from 2008-2013 and made 82-of-101 attempts (81.2) during his tenure. He was released by New Orleans last December after missing two field goals in a 27-16 loss to the St. Louis Rams and was replaced by Graham.
In 2009, Hartley connected on a game-winning field goal in the NFC title game against Minnesota to send New Orleans to their first Super Bowl. He then made three kicks two weeks later to help the Saints win New Orleans’ lone major sports championship.
Graham entered camp in a battle for the job with Dimke, but ultimately won out. He missed at home Sunday against Carolina from 42 yards out in a game the Saints lost by 31 points.
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.
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.
After bringing Graham back, Payton said that Graham had “clearly” won the battle for the kicker job.
Dimke made all 11 of his tries from under 60 yards out at the workout Wednesday, a source said.
Hocker was a seventh-round draft selection out of Arkansas for the Washington Redskins. He lasted all of training camp with Washington but was beat out by incumbent Kai Forbath at the end of the preseason.
Hocker made two of the three field goals he tried for Washington and all six of the extra points he attempted. He was 1-of-1 from between 20 and 29 yards out and 1-of-2 from between 30 and 39 yards.
It is not uncommon for teams to work out players with no intentions of signing them for the purposes of updating emergency lists or to send a message to an underachieving player.
Saints beat writer Nick Underhill contributed to this report.