October 8, 2008 Martin Gramatica has been placed on IR by the Saints due to an apparent groin injury, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The team brought back rookie Taylor Mehlhaff to take over the placekicking job.
Our View:Gramatica only made 6-of-10 field goal attempts this season, and missed a crucial attempt in Monday's close loss to Minnesota.
October 7, 2008 In Monday night's loss to the Vikings, Martin Gramatica missed a possible game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter. On Tuesday, head coach Sean Payton told the New Orleans Times-Picayune, "I don't think we're in a position where we're going to bring in kickers for tryouts, because we've got a pretty good idea of who's available. I'm not sure if Martin is 100-percent healthy right now, let alone whether he's my guy. So we'll see."
Our View:The quotes from Payton are not exactly a vote of confidence for the kicker. Gramatica has missed on 4-of-10 attempts this year and if he misses many more chances he might be looking for a job.
September 27, 2008 New Orleans kicker Martin Gramatica is dangerously close to losing his job if he continues to struggle, according to Pro Football Weekly.
Our View:Gramatica missed a potential game-winning kick last week in Denver. He is 3-for-5 on field goal tries this season, though to be fair, only one of those tries has been under 40 yards.
August 11, 2008 Martin Gramatica is outkicking rookie Taylor Mehlhaff so far in training camp, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Mehlhaff has the stronger leg, but Gramatica has been more consistent.
Our View:Sean Payton will go with the player who performs best, regardless of their resumes. It is possible both kickers make the roster.
February 12, 2008 The Saints re-signed kicker Martin Gramatica and added two new assistant coaches on Tuesday according to The Times-Picayune. Gramatica joined the Saints for the final three games last year and was outstanding, making all five of his field-goal attempts. He will compete in training camp with friend and fellow veteran Olindo Mare, who struggled for much of the 2007 season before suffering a season-ending hip injury in December.
