New Orleans Saints Release Kicker Shayne Graham

Another Graham bites the dust.

After trading Jimmy Graham back in March, his cousin (no, not really) Shayne Graham was cut from the Saints roster today.

Graham has been on an 14 NFL rosters and played for nine different teams since he entered the league in 2000 when he was signed by the Saints as an undrafted free agent. He's connected on 266 of 311 field goals (85.5 percent) in his career.

You may remember the name Zach Hocker. When Graham missed a 31-yard field goal against Carolina back in December, Sean Payton tried out a handful of kickers. Hocker being one of them.

Hocker was picked by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft but failed to make the team. He signed a futures contract with the Miami Dolphins before being released.
Hocker was among a handful of kickers at the Saints rookie minicamp over the weekend, but the only one to receive a contract offer.

There are now two kickers fighting for the starting job. Hocker, and Dustin Hopkins, who signed with the Saints last December.

Hopkins was drafted by the Bills in 2013, spent most of his rookie season on injured reserve, and was released by the Bills last August.

[Source]