BringBackFergy Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 I agree with the OP...it is absolutely time for a new kicker, and yes, they are out there to be had. Case-in-point: Washington cut Billy Cundiff and signed Kai Forbath, who was not on anyone's roster and had never kicked in an NFL game, and he missed 1 FG all season (in week 16). These guys are out there, and they're good. I'd love to spend a 5th or 6th round pick on a guy like Dustin Hopkins from FSU or Caleb Sturgis from Florida I understand the "we've gotten bigger problems" crowd, but 3pts is 3 pts and if our offense struggles with a new QB during the early season, we need to feel confident that we can score field goals in the 45-50 range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/kicking/sort/fieldGoalsMade/seasontype/2 Just a sampling of the impact a kicker can have on offense Rian Lindell (Buffalo) 1 for 2 50+ yds Phil Dawson (Cleveland) 7 for 7 50+ Blair Walsh (Minn) 10 for 10 50+ (that's 30 pts that he contributed for his team on 50 yd field goals alone) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/kicking/sort/fieldGoalsMade/seasontype/2 Just a sampling of the impact a kicker can have on offense Rian Lindell (Buffalo) 1 for 2 50+ yds Phil Dawson (Cleveland) 7 for 7 50+ Blair Walsh (Minn) 10 for 10 50+ (that's 30 pts that he contributed for his team on 50 yd field goals alone) definitely agree. its tough to say how much of the 50+ issue was lindell and how much was chan. i wont say lindell would be money from back there but it certainly could be better than we saw given opportunities. people definitely dont realize how important those 30 points can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 definitely agree. its tough to say how much of the 50+ issue was lindell and how much was chan. i wont say lindell would be money from back there but it certainly could be better than we saw given opportunities. people definitely dont realize how important those 30 points can be. Even scoring an extra 12 pts with 50 yarders could be 2 or 3 games. Tough argument because we all like Lindell, but he was ranked 24th on the ESPN board based mostly on field goals made...you're right...might have to do more with Chan's decision not to kick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOKBILLS Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 It does seem to me that there are some awfully good young Kickers flowing into the NFL all of a sudden...The young talent there seems to be skyrocketing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) It does seem to me that there are some awfully good young Kickers flowing into the NFL all of a sudden...The young talent there seems to be skyrocketing... the talent level of the nfl is exploding. not only has the size and speed of the players skyrocketed the last decade but the training and scouting that athletes are getting really went through the roof in the 90s and you are seeing it pay off with more talented and more polished players on sunday now that those kids are all grown up. Edited January 14, 2013 by NoSaint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOKBILLS Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) the talent level of the nfl is exploding. not only has the size and speed of the players skyrocketed the last decade but the training and scouting that athletes are getting really went through the roof in the 90s and you are seeing it pay off with more talented and more polished players on sunday now that those kids are all grown up. When Kickers start getting nicknames (Legatron), you know something is up big-time... Edited January 14, 2013 by KOKBILLS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Direhard Fan Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 We don't need another kicker. We need 2 linebackers and a quarterback and a etc.etc.etc.. First things first. And we just got rid of a great punter. Do we know how to run a team or what! Way to go Nix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 We don't need another kicker. Yes, we do. Our current kicker can't hit kicks beyond 50 yards anymore...not good. We need 2 linebackers and a quarterback and a etc.etc.etc Nobody ever said that we didn't. First things first. The OP didn't suggest that the first thing the team needed to do was get a kicker, nor did he/she say it was the most important thing; just said we need one...and was correct. And we just got rid of a great punter. Do we know how to run a team or what! Way to go Nix. Moorman was 23rd in the NFL this year with a 44.8 avg...that's not "great"...that's not even "good"...that's below average. And his net average was 37.6, good for 27th in the league, which is downright poor. He's also 36 years old. Other than the above though, you're post was right on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 We don't need another kicker. We need 2 linebackers and a quarterback and a etc.etc.etc.. First things first. And we just got rid of a great punter. Do we know how to run a team or what! Way to go Nix. Go back to the first post and reread...no one is saying it's a top priority and we all acknowledge there are more pressing needs....but maybe, just maybe there is a way to find a strong kicker who may produce more points for our team and possibly win a few games based solely on his toe (and/or help our special teams by kicking the ball out of the endzone). Yes, linebackers and a QB are top of the list. No one was suggesting we look at a kicker with the first pick in the draft (or the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th for that matter) Go Bills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Go back to the first post and reread...no one is saying it's a top priority and we all acknowledge there are more pressing needs....but maybe, just maybe there is a way to find a strong kicker who may produce more points for our team and possibly win a few games based solely on his toe (and/or help our special teams by kicking the ball out of the endzone). Yes, linebackers and a QB are top of the list. No one was suggesting we look at a kicker with the first pick in the draft (or the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th for that matter) Go Bills Actually, I did say I'd be okay with spending a 5th or later on a good kicker, so hah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeding Bills Blue Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 How about teaching brad smith how to hold? I always thought it would be nice to have a guy back there who can throw on fake FG attempts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) I'd recommend toss a late round pick on FSU's Dustin Hopkins. He left FSU as the NCAAs all time leading scorer for Kickers, and with the most FGs made as a kicker. Here's his career stats. Kid's got a cannon for a leg too. His accuracy improved each season. He missed 5 XPs in his career, but 4 misses came in his first 2 games as a freshman. He then set an FSU and ACC record for consecutive XPs made. Fr yr: 19-27, 1-2 50+ Long:52 So: 22-28, 2-4 50+ Long: 55 Jr: 22-27, 1-3 50+ Long: 53 Sr:25-30, 5-6 50+ Long: 56 Finally, here's my favorite memory of him, especially since i was at this game. He hit the damn net with this kick. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spefBglOlNA As an add-on, even though he's a hated rival, i'd have no problem with the Bills getting Caleb Sturgis from UF as well. Edited January 14, 2013 by Ramius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2020 Our Year For Sure Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 He went 21 for 24 this year. You KNOW he can't kick 50+ because he missed ONE kick in that range the entire season? For !@#$'s sake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEra Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 We don't need another kicker. We need 2 linebackers and a quarterback and a etc.etc.etc.. First things first. And we just got rid of a great punter. Do we know how to run a team or what! Way to go Nix. You're right. We need 2 LBs and a QB. We also need a good kicker. Lindell's kickoffs are terrible and his leg outside of 48 is scary. Is he a bad kicker? I wouldn't say he's bad, but he can easily be upgraded. While we shouldn't draft one before the 6th round, I wouldn't mind bringing in some competition that can kick the kickoffs out of the end zone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Trooth Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) Lindell makes around $2m. But, seeing how his $3.6m bonus is spread equally over his 4 yr. Contract, cutting him before June would count $600,000 on salary cap. After June they save about $300k. They'd also have to pay a replacement. So if you want lindell out, best case scenario is to bring in rookie that beats him out and cut him before the season. Caveat... Buffalo is one of the worst places to kick, if not the worst in the NFL. You can't judge a rookie's ability to kick in the elements in August. Therefore, you better find a kicker that has routinely booted in bad weather with wind. Potter may still be an option if he's worked at it and available. I still haven't figured out why more CFL kickers aint pursued. They kick in some nasty conditions in Oct. & early Nov. + they get points for kicking it out of the end zone. So, you'd think there are a lot of kickers with strong legs. Edited January 15, 2013 by Dr. Trooth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) He went 21 for 24 this year. You KNOW he can't kick 50+ because he missed ONE kick in that range the entire season? For !@#$'s sake It's the Lindell curse I tell ya. I think we all like Lindell...but the worm has turned with this team and mediocrity is no longer flavor of the day...what's wrong with bringing a kicker in to truly compete with Lindell (not just training camp fodder)?? I tell you, if Chan was playing percentages on 45 yd field goals, that computation had something to do with Gailey's first hand observation of Lindell in practice, games, etc. If that's the case and judging on his lack of 50 yd attempts, Lindell needs to prove to this team how he can score points from 40-50 yard attempts. I'm sick of the conclusory arguments with gratuitous profanity for effect. This team isn't in the business to make Moorman, Kelsay and even Lindell feel good...Lindell needs to score points with 40-50 yarders without questions asked. Training camp will be his test. Edited January 15, 2013 by BringBackFergy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T master Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 You must have been all in with the Gailey thing , i was all in first but along with the other bad coaching decisions & just b/c he didn't send Lindell out doesn't mean he can't hit that one. That just means you can lump that one in with the other bad coaching calls he did that helped to lay the ground work for his dismissal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 You must have been all in with the Gailey thing , i was all in first but along with the other bad coaching decisions & just b/c he didn't send Lindell out doesn't mean he can't hit that one. That just means you can lump that one in with the other bad coaching calls he did that helped to lay the ground work for his dismissal. Nope...wasn't a Gailey fan; but he obviously knew there were questions with Lindell's power/accuracy if the "percentages" said to punt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Lindell's lack of deep kickoffs and the opponents drive start that is the best in the NFL against us, accounts for a lot more points against statistically than many other variables... Statistically he is costing us more points allowed than replacing him with a guy that might miss an extra field goal or two is costing us points scored... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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