Potter might be deactivated

[Skooby]

Per Tim Graham. He's hitting ~54% on the touchback front, so thanks but no thanks.

[k-oneputt]

50% is not good enough for what he is here for. Pick it up or take a walk.

[BLeonard]

It's good enough for 16th in the NFL: http://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/kickoff-touchback-pct

While that's "middle of the pack" and a lot of people would argue that that isn't good enough to justify having Potter, the Bills ranked 30th in the NFL last season in Kickoff Touchback Percentage, when they were at 24.05%.

That's a pretty big jump and, if it keeps Lindell on the sidelines (and not risking injury on kickoff coverages) I still think he's worth the spot. Especially since you have to assume he's being groomed to take over for Lindell on Field Goals in the next year or two.

If the Bills release him, another team will pick him up and the Bills will have to find a kicker to take over for Lindell sooner than later either way.

-Bill

[YardRat]

Very poor, and obviously has been for most of the season so far.

[Ed]

It's not like the kickoffs that haven't been touchbacks have gone for big yards. None of Lindell's kicks are even going to reach the endzone.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

So the question is, I remember back when Moorman first started here, he also handled kickoffs. Can Shawn Powell do the same?

[Skooby]

So the question is, I remember back when Moorman first started here, he also handled kickoffs. Can Shawn Powell do the same?

I'm wondering that right now myself.

[Mouldsie]

Should have drafted Legatron and saved a roster spot.

[YardRat]

Powell needs to work on his punting before taking on more responsibility.

[jdaltroy5]

He was brought here to kick touchbacks. That's it.

He's not doing it, so there's no point in keeping him.

[BillsFever21]

Powell needs to work on his punting before taking on more responsibility.

I don't think just kicking off would stund his progression and grooming skills as a punter. It's not like he would need to learn how to kick FG's. It wouldn't take away much or any of practice time that he needs to develop as a punter. You go out there and try to kick the ball deep and get a touchback. It's not like there is much learning involved in it.

[alnilla]

So then we have lindel kick and have a 10% touchback

[kingJofNYC]

Guy must be a terrible FG kicker.

[BillsFever21]

He was brought here to kick touchbacks. That's it.

He's not doing it, so there's no point in keeping him.

It all depends on what he is showing in practice when it comes to kicking FG's. It's not like that one roster spot is a huge deal. Whoever took his place would most likely never see the field as it is. You're talking the 53rd person on the roster.

Unless there was a ton of injuries to a certain position and you have to scrape to the bottom of the depth chart then that player isn't going to see the field except for maybe special teams.

If he showing potential as a decent FG kicker then I don't have a problem keeping him on the roster even if it's only for kickoffs at the moment. Lindell never had that strong of a leg to begin with on kickoffs and he isn't a spring chicken overall as a FG kicker.

If they like what they see in practice with his progression as a FG kicker then they need to keep him on. Lindell is 35 years old and hasn't attempted a FG of 50+ yards since 2010 and he was only 2-5 on them attempts that season and 1-3 in each of 2008 and 2009. He also only had two FG attempts all season leading into the Cardinals game and neither of them were even 40+ yard attempts after coming back from an injury. He has to be rusty after missing all that time and only having 3 FG attempts all season.

That probably played a big part when they factored into the decision not to try the 52 yard attempt to win the game in OT last week and instead punt and hope your defense holds. Especially with Skelton only completing 2-9 passes after entering the game late after Kolb's iinjury. Lindell has been a good kicker for us and a decent clutch kicker but they need to hedge their bets with his age and coming off an injury last season.

I feel having a reliable and clutch FG kicker is almost as important as any other position on the team if not more important then a lot of other positions. Especially in Buffalo once November gets here. If you have a bad FG kicker they can lose you games by themselves if they're not consistent. You just hope at the least that they are reliable enough to make the standard FG's on a regular basis and not hurt your chances of winning.

If you have a kicker that can make 50+/- yard FG's on a regular basis they can greatly increase your chances of winning. If you don't then it can hurt your chances. All that doesn't matter if they aren't very good in the clutch though. Look at what clutch kickers like Vinatieri can do for a team when you know you can count on them to make them clutch kicks to keep you in the game or win the game for you. The Patriots would've only had 1 or 2 SB victories instead of 3 without him during that time. He basically won or could've lost 2 SB's for them.

[BillsFever21]

Should have drafted Legatron and saved a roster spot.

Yeah that would be great right now. Either him or Blair Walsh from Minnesota would've been nice to have right now. Legatron definitely has one hell of a leg but Walsh has been pretty good himself too for a rookie. Walsh is 16-17 on the season and 3-3 from 50+ yards.

Hindsight is 20/20 though and since they were both drafted at the top of the 6th round so we either would've had to draft them in the 5th round or move up from our 6th round pick. Since we took Potter in the 7th then we were looking for a kicker and probably could've moved up with somebody for a swap of our 6th round pick along with our 7th. May have even needed to throw in a late round pick next year too but that probably could've got it done. Will have to see how Potter works out.

Without moving up then we would've needed to take either of them in the middle of the 5th round when we drafted Tank Carder. In hindsight it sure would've been nice to draft Zuerlein instead of him considering he couldn't even make the team after being a 5th round draft pick on a team with the worse LB unit in the NFL and in desperate need of LB's. How bad and how little must he have shown in training camp to not even make the team under that scenario? That's pathetic.

I say we keep Potter on and work with him and try to groom our next FG kicker. For them to draft him then I'm sure Lindell doesn't fit into their long-term plans and their looking for their future replacement for him. Plus they didn't know how he was going to come back from his injury. I'm surprised they gave him a 4yr-11 million dollar extension coming off an injury at 35 years old. They probably could've had him for a 2 year extension to see what he had left in the tank at his age and after getting injured even if it wasn't an injury to his leg. At least a club option after the first year or two.

[jdaltroy5]

It all depends on what he is showing in practice when it comes to kicking FG's. It's not like that one roster spot is a huge deal. Whoever took his place would most likely never see the field as it is. You're talking the 53rd person on the roster.

Unless there was a ton of injuries to a certain position and you have to scrape to the bottom of the depth chart then that player isn't going to see the field except for maybe special teams.

If he showing potential as a decent FG kicker then I don't have a problem keeping him on the roster even if it's only for kickoffs at the moment. Lindell never had that strong of a leg to begin with on kickoffs and he isn't a spring chicken overall as a FG kicker.

If they like what they see in practice with his progression as a FG kicker then they need to keep him on. Lindell is 35 years old and hasn't attempted a FG of 50+ yards since 2010 and he was only 2-5 on them attempts that season and 1-3 in each of 2008 and 2009. He also only had two FG attempts all season leading into the Cardinals game and neither of them were even 40+ yard attempts after coming back from an injury. He has to be rusty after missing all that time and only having 3 FG attempts all season.

That probably played a big part when they factored into the decision not to try the 52 yard attempt to win the game in OT last week and instead punt and hope your defense holds. Especially with Skelton only completing 2-9 passes after entering the game late after Kolb's iinjury. Lindell has been a good kicker for us and a decent clutch kicker but they need to hedge their bets with his age and coming off an injury last season.

I feel having a reliable and clutch FG kicker is almost as important as any other position on the team if not more important then a lot of other positions. Especially in Buffalo once November gets here. If you have a bad FG kicker they can lose you games by themselves if they're not consistent. You just hope at the least that they are reliable enough to make the standard FG's on a regular basis and not hurt your chances of winning.

If you have a kicker that can make 50+/- yard FG's on a regular basis they can greatly increase your chances of winning. If you don't then it can hurt your chances. All that doesn't matter if they aren't very good in the clutch though. Look at what clutch kickers like Vinatieri can do for a team when you know you can count on them to make them clutch kicks to keep you in the game or win the game for you. The Patriots would've only had 1 or 2 SB victories instead of 3 without him during that time. He basically won or could've lost 2 SB's for them.

I was all for keeping him before the season started when he was expected to be an automatic touchback.

He's not doing his job right now.

Merriman got cut for not getting sacks. Roosevelt got cut for not getting open. Potter shouldn't be any different.

If Merriman shows some life, then who do you cut once Anderson comes back?

Now Brooks is back on the active roster too, so that makes the log jam even tighter.

[BertSquirtgum]

GRRRRREAT, I can't wait to watch Lindell kick it to the 10 yard line and have the opponents start at the 35 yard line every time.

[ParanoidAndroid]

You want a kicker? Here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMF9qgs3PEw&feature=player_embedded

[Skooby]

Bring him in, schools out.


You want a kicker? Here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMF9qgs3PEw&feature=player_embedded

[BertSquirtgum]

Bring him in, schools out.

In what third world country is school out?

[Skooby]

In what third world country is school out?

Home school the guy, we need a FG kicker.

[Mr. Pink]

I was hoping we'd draft Mason Crosby a few years back.

Alas, no such luck.

[kishoph]

So then we have lindel kick and have a 10% touchback

27% last season. Lindell had 12 TB's last season, Potter has 13 after 6 games this season.

Something is up with Potter, in the preseason 12 of his 14 kicks went for touchbacks and now only half. I've wondered if DeHaven is having him do something different, such as trying for more hang time or kick to a certain side (who knows with DeHaven). Even if it is just something that Potter is doing, he needs to stay activated, I thought Lindell's kickoffs were a liability last season, it's been nice not having to see kickoffs that only make it to the 10 yard line. That 1 roster spot is not hurting the team in any way. I think it would be a mistake to deactivate Potter and have Lindell take over on kickoffs.

[YardRat]

I'm OK with the roster spot for Potter, I just wish he'd live up to expectations. If he actually is because of DeHaven's strategy, then so be it, but that will backfire on this team at some point...bank on it.

[RedEyE]

Fact of the matter remains, this team cannot afford to carry 3 kickers.

[Skooby]

Fact of the matter remains, this team cannot afford to carry 3 kickers.

Not at this point, so I agree.

[superbills]

I have a question...what is the opponent's average starting field position after a kickoff? It looks like his kickoffs have not been as deep, but are hanging more which then gives our coverage team more time to get downfield and make a play. This can work in your favor also. I'd like to see where our opponents are starting from on average to get a more complete look at Potter's impact.

[mikemac2001]

I have a question...what is the opponent's average starting field position after a kickoff? It looks like his kickoffs have not been as deep, but are hanging more which then gives our coverage team more time to get downfield and make a play. This can work in your favor also. I'd like to see where our opponents are starting from on average to get a more complete look at Potter's impact.

THey are hanging some to try and get them to run out and stay behind the 20

you can look at stats however you want to ....he is doing fine on kickoffs and can boot it anytime he wants....lindell cant and thats why he will be replaced somehow

people just find things to ***** about

[SABURZFAN]

the piss poor management of the roster continues....

[YardRat]

In all fairness, somebody made a point earlier...Who would replace him on the roster that would be active on Sundays?

[Mouldsie]

Yeah that would be great right now. Either him or Blair Walsh from Minnesota would've been nice to have right now. Legatron definitely has one hell of a leg but Walsh has been pretty good himself too for a rookie. Walsh is 16-17 on the season and 3-3 from 50+ yards.


Walsh is Legatron

Zeurlein is Young GZ

[Mr. Pink]

Fact of the matter remains, this team cannot afford to carry 3 kickers.

Why not?

Potter represents the last player on the roster.

Too bad he's taking up that spot, we could have kept Johnny White!

Seriously?

[Ingtar33]

a number of his kicks are ending up in the back of the endzone, and the returners are still taking them out. I think other teams are not impressed with our coverage unit and are telling their guys to take it if it doesn't hang long.

[kishoph]

a number of his kicks are ending up in the back of the endzone, and the returners are still taking them out. I think other teams are not impressed with our coverage unit and are telling their guys to take it if it doesn't hang long.

It's not just against the Bills, I see a lot more kicks being taken out of the end zone, returners are taking them out, even when they're 9 yards deep. I'd guess that that the reward could be so high that teams are taking the risk, it could also be why the Bills may be more concerned of the hang time on the kick offs, which in return would shorten Potter's kicks.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

Why not?

Potter represents the last player on the roster.

Too bad he's taking up that spot, we could have kept Johnny White!

Seriously?
It's more the combination of that and keeping four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster (while one has consistently been inactive every game so far this season). Those roster spots will become very valuable later in the season when this team's notorious injury bug strikes again.

[Turf]

I can't see how going to Lindell is a step forward here.

[Skooby]

I can't see how going to Lindell is a step forward here.Since Lindell can't kick far & Fitz can't throw far, I guess we just lost if there's a distance to go. Pretty F-in pathetic if you ask me how this is set up.

[YardRat]

Potter is inactive today...

[kishoph]

I can't see how going to Lindell is a step forward here.


I really hope this doesn't bite them in the Ass, Lindell's kick offs were something that was very disappointing last season. I don't like the move at all, just to bring in someone to ride the bench.

[NOT THE DUDE...]

well, then he should be cut and ron brooks activated in a couple weeks