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Matt Araiza


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14 minutes ago, Doc said:

Rehkow was an UDFA this year.  He must have really sucked if they cut him already.  Usually teams like to have 2 punters going into training camp and pre-season.

 

I would be shocked if KC doesn't bring in another punter into camp, they probably just really didn't like what they saw from Rehkow in OTA's so they are going to bring in someone else to compete with Ariza. I would still say Ariza is the front runner but that's no guarantee. 

3 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

At the time the allegations against Araiza came to light, I made the suggestion (here) that the Bills place him on administrative leave.

 

I was roasted for that take.

 

 

The NFL doesn't have administrative leave. There is the Commissioners Exempt List but that's something the league and not the team determines. It is possible the league was asked to place Ariza on the list but the league is very subjective when it comes to that list. I think in the end the Bills stated they released Ariza so he can focus on his defense. I would have preferred the Bills placed Ariza on the exempt list but that's maybe not something they were offered also I think players on the exempt list still count against the cap so maybe they didn't want to go with two punters on the cap?

Edited by billsfan89
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16 minutes ago, JROC INTEL said:

The dude was crushing it every time i saw him punt. I don’t see that changing just because it’s an NFL snap? Do you? It’s a pretty straightforward thing. 


Yes, because every great college player goes on to become a great NFL player. 
 

There’s really no difference in talent level between teams San Diego State played and teams that the Chiefs will play.
 

Thanks for reminding me how straight forward it is. 
 

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12 minutes ago, Gugny said:


Yes, because every great college player goes on to become a great NFL player. 
 

There’s really no difference in talent level between teams San Diego State played and teams that the Chiefs will play.
 

Thanks for reminding me how straight forward it is. 
 

To be fair, Araiza crushed all his punts in college and was killing it in training camp. He had what seemed like a 80 yard punt in the preseason game and then he was toast. He wasn’t JAG college punter. 
 

I guess we’ll see what happens. A lot of Bills fans will be watching him this year, including me. 

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1 minute ago, Breakout Squad said:

To be fair, Araiza crushed all his punts in college and was killing it in training camp. He had what seemed like a 80 yard punt in the preseason game and then he was toast. He wasn’t JAG college punter. 
 

I guess we’ll see what happens. A lot of Bills fans will be watching him this year, including me. 

 

He won the Bills' punting job.  And then that lawyer/girl decided to derail his career.

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53 minutes ago, JROC INTEL said:

Big mistake by the bills by not having him back. He’s a weapon. 

 

45 minutes ago, JROC INTEL said:

The dude was crushing it every time i saw him punt. I don’t see that changing just because it’s an NFL snap? Do you? It’s a pretty straightforward thing. 


 

 

We will see, but I totally disagree with this take.

 

Matt was great at punting the ball in college, but they were low, long, and returnable - especially a potential problem in the NFL.

 

Maybe even more importantly - he struggled mightily with high short punts - for example punting from near Mid-field where good teams like the Bills and Chiefs tend to punt from - lots of touchbacks and he showed little touch.

 

Lastly in no world should a good team like the Bills or Chiefs need/want a weapon at punter.  He is on the Chiefs because he is CHEAP - if he is good - that is a bonus, but if they are punting enough that he is a weapon - that is a very bad sign.  If he is also punting and getting an average like in college - that is also a bad sign for the Chiefs as it means the offense is not moving the ball.

 

We will see, but my greatest hope is that he has a career year punting for the Chiefs.  I hope against all hope he leads the league in number of punts, etc. because if your punter is your best weapon - your offense sucks - so please Matt - punt 150+ times this year and I will be happy.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Rochesterfan
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12 minutes ago, Rochesterfan said:

 


 

 

We will see, but I totally disagree with this take.

 

Matt was great at punting the ball in college, but they were low, long, and returnable - especially a potential problem in the NFL.

 

Maybe even more importantly - he struggled mightily with high short punts - for example punting from near Mid-field where good teams like the Bills and Chiefs tend to punt from - lots of touchbacks and he showed little touch.

 

Lastly in no world should a good team like the Bills or Chiefs need/want a weapon at punter.  He is on the Chiefs because he is CHEAP - if he is good - that is a bonus, but if they are punting enough that he is a weapon - that is a very bad sign.  If he is also punting and getting an average like in college - that is also a bad sign for the Chiefs as it means the offense is not moving the ball.

 

We will see, but my greatest hope is that he has a career year punting for the Chiefs.  I hope against all hope he leads the league in number of punts, etc. because if your punter is your best weapon - your offense sucks - so please Matt - punt 150+ times this year and I will be happy.

 

 

 

 

 

There's a reason despite having one of the strongest legs coming out of college as we have ever seen that he wasn't the top punter selected. Now don't get me wrong the Bills going into the 2022 draft needed a punter and the Bills took Ariza fairly low at the top end of round 6, so I loved the selection. But he had flaws as a prospect. As much value as a powerful punting leg has especially when well inside your own 30 has, about half or more punts come in situations where you are looking to pin a player inside the 20. A punter who has trouble doing that is going to cost you a lot of yards in touchbacks. 

 

I still would have loved to have seen Ariza on the team in 2022 and beyond but they cut him so he could focus on his legal issues. Glad things worked out for him on KC. 

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30 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

He won the Bills' punting job.  And then that lawyer/girl decided to derail his career.


She had some nerve getting raped. 
 

Women!

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We have a punter on our roster right now who broke Araiza's record for punt average at San Diego State... Jack Browning.

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1 hour ago, muppy said:

this is BIG for him and he earned it. Congrats. 

 

But the freaking Chiefs? blech. Now we get to watch what would a could a shoulda been if he'd have been retained

 

that's my regret. A strong legged kicker is an advantage in Buffalo. Which is why he was drafted in the first place.

 

horrible HORRIBLE situation for he to have had go through AND the Bills too.

 

#bittersweet

 

 

 

At least the Bills did the right thing and caved to the raging Twitter mob. 🙄

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1 hour ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

At the time the allegations against Araiza came to light, I made the suggestion (here) that the Bills place him on administrative leave.

 

I was roasted for that take.

 


 

I think you were roasted because “administrative leave” is not a thing.  The Bills could not do what you suggested as it is not an option.

 

The only leave would be if the NFL put him on leave and the NFL was not allowed to do that because the transgression occurred in college not the NFL.  
 

Therefore - the Bills had very limited options.  Cut him, Keep him on the roster, or work with the player and the NFLPA to get him on a reserved non-football list - which based upon the timing would have blocked him out for the season and would have left the NFL money on the table in the lawsuit.

 

In the end he sat out the 2 years while the various lawsuits fell away and without the NFL contract in place there was not a lot of money for the others lawyer to go after.  The understanding at the time was the Bills (Beane) talked with the player and the agent about the options they had - either cutting him or getting the player to step away so they could use the Reserve list and keep him away for the year.  
 

The agreement between the sides was for him to go away and handle the lawsuits and keep the other lawyers from using his contract as a bargaining chip.

 

The problem with your suggestion is that there is nothing like what you suggested that the Bills could do.  They explored options and talked with the NFL, the player and his agent, and the NFLPA and had limited options of either keeping him on the roster or cutting him.  Really a no brainer at that point with that team.

Edited by Rochesterfan
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1 hour ago, boater said:

He had his choice of teams to go to. That he chose a nemesis of the Bills is no coincidence.

Since they won the Super Bowl the past two years, it would seem to be the obvious choice, no?

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1 hour ago, Rochesterfan said:

 


 

 

We will see, but I totally disagree with this take.

 

Matt was great at punting the ball in college, but they were low, long, and returnable - especially a potential problem in the NFL.

 

Maybe even more importantly - he struggled mightily with high short punts - for example punting from near Mid-field where good teams like the Bills and Chiefs tend to punt from - lots of touchbacks and he showed little touch.

 

Lastly in no world should a good team like the Bills or Chiefs need/want a weapon at punter.  He is on the Chiefs because he is CHEAP - if he is good - that is a bonus, but if they are punting enough that he is a weapon - that is a very bad sign.  If he is also punting and getting an average like in college - that is also a bad sign for the Chiefs as it means the offense is not moving the ball.

 

We will see, but my greatest hope is that he has a career year punting for the Chiefs.  I hope against all hope he leads the league in number of punts, etc. because if your punter is your best weapon - your offense sucks - so please Matt - punt 150+ times this year and I will be happy.

 

 

 

 


Not disagreeing with you about how Araiza will do but a punter being a weapon is more than distance punting like you’re suggesting. KC’s punter from last year signed with Houston for big (punter) money because he is weapon. He was just as good with pinning their opponents deep with touch punts and flipping the field on power punts on those occasions they struggled on their end of the field. 

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The Bills got royally screwed in this situation.  I can't fault Beane or McDermott for how they handled it.  Araiza wasn't completely upfront about what his situation was, this thing completely blindsided them.  They had no choice but to release him or it would have been an absolute PR nightmare.  It already was that in the brief time period the allegations broke out.  After how everything transpired and lack of clarity from Araiza's camp the Bills were never going to bring him back here.  The extra kick in the nuts on this thing is of course getting signed by the Chiefs of all teams.  

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2 hours ago, JROC INTEL said:

Big mistake by the bills by not having him back. He’s a weapon. 

Crap move cutting him before the facts fully came out in the first place.  

1 hour ago, Gugny said:


She had some nerve getting raped. 
 

Women!

She wasn't by him.

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