Oh boy: Bills worked out 2 Kickers

[LABILLBACKER]

If I'm Beane, I'm calling Matt Coghlin and/or Andre Szmyt from the UFL.  Both were around 93% and can kick beyond 50+.

[Scott7975]

It’s good the Bills are looking. I think Bass is a problem and could cost us a game or more. The problem is that the Bills are not going to find a better kicker. The ones available are available for a reason right now and Bass is still likely better than them. 

Edited September 17 by Scott7975

[LABILLBACKER]

32 minutes ago, Sojourner said:

brandon mcmanus available. would be worth a look if acquiring a kicker was a serious move. 
 

don’t think bass did bad though: 

24/30 FGs

49/50 XPs

 

touchbacks are the only place i can see a problem with that as it was 53/95 (55.8%)

 

think if you see bass kick 15-20 more FGs that he’d be around the 84-93% success range, which is the nfl average it seems. and looking at those kicks, most teams (18) are kicking double the amount of short range FGs (20-29yards) as we did last season, which was 4. 

Bass has never kicked beyond 87% in his life.  And his confidence on distance is shot.  Call Coghlin or Szmyt from the UFL.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

This is crazy! It was tipped! (Or a slip!).

[dgrochester55]

8 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

If I'm Beane, I'm calling Matt Coghlin and/or Andre Szmyt from the UFL.  Both were around 93% and can kick beyond 50+.

 

This makes a lot more sense to me than a known failed Kicker like Cade York with a 70% FG rate. I do not think that the difference in competition level between the UFL and NFL would be a vast for a kicker as other positions.

Edited September 17 by dgrochester55

[Saxum]

7 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

If I'm Beane, I'm calling Matt Coghlin and/or Andre Szmyt from the UFL.  Both were around 93% and can kick beyond 50+.

 

Sure. Ask if they want to sign on practice squad for a few weeks and see if they can adjust to Buffalo weather.

 

Of course if you are Beane you trying to figure how to get 3 teams in LA stadium.

[Doc]

If I'm not mistaken, his cap hit for this year is set because it's post-June 1st.  Any guaranteed (signing bonus) money hits next year's cap.

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

Designated as a post 6/1 release this season (which he'd have to be) we save 100k against the cap by cutting Bass. We have a little over 4mm in cap space right now so that does leave us enough room to sign a kicker off the street. 

 

I'm not convinced York or Carlson are much better, but Bass has been an unacceptable 69% on FG over the last 17 games (regular and post combined). 

[Saxum]

1 hour ago, Logic said:

They want a kicker for the practice squad, so that if Bass keeps wildly shanking kicks like the one he shanked in Miami, they'll have someone who's had a bit of time in their operation waiting in the wings.

GOSH I hope Bass gets over his Yips. Kicker psychology is such a weird and inexplicable thing.

 

That was not a yip it was a slip and the field was terrible.  Several non-kickers slipped. 

 

Maybe Bills equipment manager ought to look at extra cleats for the road.

[Malazan]

1 hour ago, Billznut said:

Cade York who was just let go from the Commanders for being god awful and missing kicks in the opener. Lol. 
 

I’m glad they are giving Bass a little wake up call here with these kicker workouts, but I’m highly doubtful they will find anyone worthwhile on the kicker scrap heap. Hopefully Bass becomes a little less comfortable and starts kicking better. If so, mission accomplished. 

 

I mean the commanders just found a guy who went 7/7

[Brand J]

I mean, it’s hard to look around the league and see kickers regularly making 50+ yarders while your own is a toss up at anything more than 40 yards. We’ve seen that extreme wide left shank 3 times in a short span of time - the Pittsburgh playoff game, the Blue and Red scrimmage game, and now against the Dolphins. Something is off with his mental state and mechanics. 

[sullim4]

27 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

 

Kicking is all mental.  I don't think that extra pressure, the threat of losing his job, and "trying harder" is going to help Bass or any kicker.  Making him "a little less comfortable" is not likely to help a guy who is already suffering on the mental side of the game.  If anything, it's just more bad stuff to get in his head.  I understand why the Bills are doing it, however, as they need a fallback option if Bass simply can't get it together, or maybe Bass does have some kind of injury and they need to have someone available in the event Bass can't go.  Based on statistics, it doesn't sound like either of these guys are any good, and certainly not as good as Bass (even "bad" Bass). 

 

I think this is the right take.  The team has two options at this point.  Either find Bass a psychiatrist that can help him get over whatever mental barriers are in his way, or cut him and find a replacement.

 

The status quo cannot continue - he either has to do something to overcome his current situation or he needs to be let go.  The guy has $9M in guaranteed money coming to him in his contract.  I don't feel bad for him at all if the situation comes to his release from the team.

[Sojourner]

19 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Bass has never kicked beyond 87% in his life.  And his confidence on distance is shot.  Call Coghlin or Szmyt from the UFL.

youre right. and during those 2 years he kicked at that percent was when he got his money.

 

distance doesn’t seem much different… 

2021: 40-49yards, 4/5. 50+yards, 2/4

2022: 40-49yards, 10/11. 50+yards, 2/3

2023: 40-49yards, 4/6. 50+yards, 4/6

 

2021: 20-39yards 22/23

2022: 20-39yards 15/17

2023: 20-39yards 16/17

 

again, I’d argue that if he kicks 5-10 more FGs a year, the % will be in that average success range (84-93%). 
 

the reason he’s coming under more criticism than years prior is the magnitude of the kicking he’s missed. statistically he’s pretty much been on par with where he was the first 3 years, 2020-22. 

 

[Steptide]

They're not gonna cut bass. This is simply the front office sending a message to bass. Hopefully it works 

[NBDawg15]

Since London last year Bass is 20/29 overall. 69%

 

That includes 5/10 from 40-49 and 1/3 from 50+.  Not good enough.

 

 

 

 

[BillsFanForever19]

Good to have a contingency plan in place. But we really should have just taken the medicine and moved on. 

 

We could have signed Jake Bates (Lions) from the UFL or Drafted Will Reichard (Vikings), Cam Little (Jaguars), or Josh Karty (Rams).

 

At this point, even if Bass continues to be the player we saw last season and through Training Camp - the options to replace him aren't going to be much better.

Edited September 17 by BillsFanForever19

[Saxum]

12 minutes ago, sullim4 said:

 

I think this is the right take.  The team has two options at this point.  Either find Bass a psychiatrist that can help him get over whatever mental barriers are in his way, or cut him and find a replacement.

 

The status quo cannot continue - he either has to do something to overcome his current situation or he needs to be let go.  The guy has $9M in guaranteed money coming to him in his contract.  I don't feel bad for him at all if the situation comes to his release from the team.

 

You are as unqualified as doctor who claimed my issue with foot was psychomatic; next doctor found a cyst size of a golf ball in my ankle.

[Sojourner]

8 minutes ago, NBDawg15 said:

Since London last year Bass is 20/29 overall. 69%

 

That includes 5/10 from 40-49 and 1/3 from 50+.  Not good enough.

 

 

 

 

Where you getting those numbers? He only attempted 6 last season from 40-49yds…?

 

lets say you are right, there’s no way he finishes above 80%. pretty sure they wouldnt have him back 

he also kicked 29 attempts on the whole year.

[GASabresIUFan]

I feel a turf toe injury is in Bass’ future.  Then put him on IR and see what you can add 

[LABILLBACKER]

21 minutes ago, Sojourner said:

youre right. and during those 2 years he kicked at that percent was when he got his money.

 

distance doesn’t seem much different… 

2021: 40-49yards, 4/5. 50+yards, 2/4

2022: 40-49yards, 10/11. 50+yards, 2/3

2023: 40-49yards, 4/6. 50+yards, 4/6

 

2021: 20-39yards 22/23

2022: 20-39yards 15/17

2023: 20-39yards 16/17

 

again, I’d argue that if he kicks 5-10 more FGs a year, the % will be in that average success range (84-93%). 
 

the reason he’s coming under more criticism than years prior is the magnitude of the kicking he’s missed. statistically he’s pretty much been on par with where he was the first 3 years, 2020-22. 

 

Tyler's best season was his first. He kicked 87% and was accurate beyond 50+.  It's been downhill since. He's had 2 seasons at 82% which puts you at the bottom of the NFL.  This team made a mistake on his extension and now they're on the verge of paying for that mistake.  We're going to probably draft another PK this April. It will be up to McB as to how much dead cap we eat?