There is no way Carpenter signs with the Bills for any kind of team-friendly/minimal guarantee deal, and he's not going to sign with us if he thinks he has to battle Hopkins in training camp. He played so well last season that some team will make him a good offer to come in and be the guy, so we will need to do the same if we want to keep him.
Ultimately, I think the Bills will go with Hopkins because it will be more cost-effective, he's got the stronger leg, and because kicker performance can vary so much from year to year, so we don't know that Carpenter would be any better than Hopkins next year.
I'd be happy with either one, and I truly do appreciate the performance Carpenter gave us last season, but I won't be too phased either way.