Matt Araiza signs with Chiefs

[Returntoglory]

18 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

There was a perfect opportunity to bring back Matt but the organization failed to jump on it. 

Once again we're showing weakness. 

[Returntoglory]

Our kicking game hurt us this season. Both in FG's and kickoffs and in punting. 

 

This was a NO-BRAINER and just the right thing to do. 

[alanvh2o]

He is going to run a fake punt for a TD in the playoffs agianst us.

[Returntoglory]

27 minutes ago, alanvh2o said:

He is going to run a fake punt for a TD in the playoffs agianst us.

You know this will bite us in the arse, someway somehow. 

[msw2112]

15 hours ago, Scott7975 said:

Love giving free draft picks to the Chiefs. Thanks Buffalo media for applying the pressure on the Bills to get this kid cut.

 

Buffalo media?  This was a huge national story that was in all media outlets, not just sports media.  The Bills were trying to get through training camp and play in a preseason game and this was 100% of what Beane and McDermott were dealing with every day.  The team was the favorite to win the Super Bowl and needed to get the focus off of a rookie punter's legal troubles and back onto football.  They were in a terrible spot and made the best decision they could at the time.  In a perfect world, they would have let the legal process play out, but the Bills did not have the luxury of time.

 

For those that now lament the Bills not signing him after the legal matters were dropped, there are several things at play:

 

1.  It's likely the bridges were burned with the Bills and he wasn't going to come back

 

2. 31 other teams stayed away from him for 2 seasons, so it's not like the Bills were a bumbling outlier

 

3. Signing him for the playoffs would have been a terrible idea.  The guy had played only 1 NFL snap (in the PRESEASON), had never been a regular PAT/FG holder, and had never played in cold weather.

 

I'm happy for the kid that his legal troubles are behind him and glad he's getting a chance to resume his career.  It sucks that it's with one of the Bills' rivals, but he was a free agent and could have signed wherever he wanted.  It wasn't going to be Buffalo, and KC gave him the opportunity.  It's time to move on.

[Process]

I assume the bills never tried to resign him. But who knows. Maybe they did and he wasn't interested after they cut him. 

[HappyDays]

1 hour ago, boyst said:

ok you and everyone else do this to Von Miller who has at least 3 serious allegations / arrests for domestic assault.

 

I'm okay telling it how it is - Araiza was easy to let go because he was a punter on a rookie deal. Von Miller is an edge rusher on a contract that is practically impossible to get out of. If their legal situations were reversed I have no doubt their current status with the team would still be exactly the same. And every single team in the league would have handled both situations the exact way we did. No team would have kept Araiza on the roster because he is just a punter. That may not be fair, but anyone complaining about how the Bills specifically handled the situation isn't being realistic.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

1 hour ago, boyst said:

ok you and everyone else do this to Von Miller who has at least 3 serious allegations / arrests for domestic assault.

Wait until Von gets suspended and see how the Bills treat him.

[HappyDays]

1 hour ago, UKBillFan said:

 

In the UK it's because it's very hard to prosecute accusations of rape so the hope is, by making the name public, it may encourage others who have been attacked by the accused but haven't come forward to do so. I assume it's the same in America.

 

In America it's because we have much more lax freedom of speech laws. There's no specific reason the accused's name is reported, but media has the right to report it so they do.

[Mango]

3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I don't agree on the first point I just don't think that is who Beane is. I think he would be much more careful than that and I remember that press conference well he looked genuinely crestfallen. I suspect what he based that on is a further conversation with Matt where he changed his story somewhat from earlier versions he had told the Bills once the material was in the public domain. 

 

I agree completely on your second point but unfortunately I fear the genie is out of the bottle and won't go back. Social media mob culture is here to stay. 

 

If memory serves correct on this there were a lot of inconsistencies from Araiza to the team. From not telling the team at all, to only giving parts of the story, to lying about sexual contact, etc. until it was found out they did have sex outside the apartment. 

I am not sure there was much of any chance that public institution to keep Araiza even if he managed it perfectly. But Araiza made sure that a slim chance was rounded all the way to zero. 

[CSBill]

Of course it had to be the Chiefs. Stink!

[Returntoglory]

15 minutes ago, Mango said:

 

If memory serves correct on this there were a lot of inconsistencies from Araiza to the team. From not telling the team at all, to only giving parts of the story, to lying about sexual contact, etc. until it was found out they did have sex outside the apartment. 

I am not sure there was much of any chance that public institution to keep Araiza even if he managed it perfectly. But Araiza made sure that a slim chance was rounded all the way to zero. 

Tell them what?

 

He told them all they needed to know." 

 

"I'm innocent".

 

 

[Simon]

2 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

There was a perfect opportunity to bring back Matt but the organization failed to jump on it. 

 

You have 0 idea whether this is true

 

17 minutes ago, Returntoglory said:

Tell them what?

 

He told them all they needed to know." 

 

"I'm innocent".

 

 

 

You have 0 idea what he told them

[Fr. Jerk]

22 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Good thing is we don’t make them punt in the playoffs. 
 

 

 

[Doc]

In one of the last interviews I read by Araiza he said something to the effect of "it's a shame that teams don't stand by their player(s)."  I knew right then and there that he would never sign with the Bills.

[benderbender]

Araiza ostensibly chose to be cut when he chose his legal counsel. His lawyer was not going to be low key or civil. The collective amnesia is strong on this board forgetting the public airing of laundry between the two sides early on was classless and embarrassing. Buffalo had no choice from a PR perspective.

[FireChans]

Morally, I felt it was tough to cut him without due process.

 

Business and football-wise, it was a no-brainer to jettison him. 
 

Tough decision. Really glad the kids’ life isn’t over and he gets to pursue his dream.

 

Not sure there’s anything else to say. 

[Returntoglory]

23 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

You have 0 idea whether this is true

 

 

You have 0 idea what he told them

Because "Simon says"?

 

I know more than you think sunshine 😉

[Gunsgoodtime]

What a kick in the nuts.  The rich get richer and the poor remain poor.

[f0neguy]

I don’t get the doom and gloom…  The Chief’s had one of the best punters in the league last season and they’re replacing him with the “punt god”?  Sure, he can kick it a mile.  He’s also inconsistent because he kicks line drives and his directional kicking isn’t good.  Oh by the way, he wasn’t a holder in college either as he was the place kicker too.  The Chief’s may save some money but I think they’re downgrading the position.