The Broncos signed a new kicker this week, but head coach Sean Payton said on Thursday they aren’t out of the market at the position.
“Look, that’s not the only position we’re going to keep looking at,” Payton said. “One of the things that I learned early on, which was interesting -- and Bill Parcells taught me this -- when he would talk to the team, he would say, ‘Don’t pay attention to the depth chart, just in your meeting room,’” Payton said.
The Saints signed Elliott Fry after a tryout late last week, which came after the team released longtime kicker Brandon McManus.
Fry has made three appearances in the regular season over the last few years, so he doesn’t have much of a track record at the NFL level. Payton said the team will continue looking at options as they move toward training camp.
Brett Maher and Parker White were the other kickers to try out for the team last week.
“We had a kicking battle one year in New Orleans with two guys and man, [the media] all charted it each day during training camp. It was either/or,” Payton said. “This went on and on, and it was one of those battles where I don’t know if I was any clearer after four weeks than I was when it began. They both did good things, and then had days maybe they weren’t as good. Then the final cut down takes place at 53, and I get a call from someone I know well with another staff that thinks he’s got a kicker. We bring him in on Monday, work him out, and we sign neither of the two in the kicking battle.
“So, don’t pay attention to the line in front of you or the room you’re in. You’re competing with yourself to put your best product on the field because there’s 31 other teams that might be deeper in a position and that you have availability for. So we’ll talk about that.”
