Coutu, 3 others tryout for Falcons' kicking job

By D. Orlando Ledbetter

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

With veteran kicker Jason Elam mired in a slump, the Falcons brought in four kickers for tryouts on Tuesday.

Former Georgia standout Brandon Coutu, Steve Hauschka, Sam Swank and Shane Andrus all went through workouts for the team.

Elam, 39, has missed six field goals this season after making 29 of 31 attempts in 2008. He had key misses in the last two games, missing a 34-yarder in a two-point game against Carolina and missed a 35-yarder against the New York Giants. The Falcons lost in overtime 34-31 to the Giants.

Coutu, who played at Collins Hill High, was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2008, but failed to make the team. At Georgia, his longest field goal was a 58-yarder against Louisiana-Monroe in 2005.

Coutu, who worked out with former Falcons kicker Morten Andersen this offseason, made 51 of 64 field goals at Georgia. He was 5 of 11 on field goals between 50 and 59 yards. He was 29 of 31 on field goals under 40 yards.

Haushka, was recently cut by the Baltimore Ravens, he missed four field goals in nine games, including a potential winning 44-yarder against Minnesota and 38-yarder in Cincinnati that would have gotten Baltimore within a touchdown late in the game.

Andrus has been with Seattle and Tampa Bay.

Swank, a former Wake Forest standout, has been with Philadelphia and Cincinnati.