New touchback rule - keep Jordan Gay or not?

[stuckincincy]

This year, a touchback comes out to the 25 yard line. Evidently, the NFL thinks it will reduce the number of returns in the interest of player safety.

Opinions vary - some think that clubs will try to kick shorter, not wanting to give up the 5 yards of field position - resulting in more returns.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000648647/article/new-touchback-rule-another-step-toward-eliminating-kickoffs

Do you think BUF should keep Jordan Gay for kickoffs at the expense of a roster spot? Also, it seems likely that they will carry 3 QBs - another roster spot.

[The Jokeman]

This year, a touchback comes out to the 25 yard line. Evidently, the NFL thinks it will reduce the number of returns in the interest of player safety.

Opinions vary - some think that clubs will try to kick shorter, not wanting to give up the 5 yards of field position - resulting in more returns.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000648647/article/new-touchback-rule-another-step-toward-eliminating-kickoffs

Do you think BUF should keep Jordan Gay for kickoffs at the expense of a roster spot? Also, it seems likely that they will carry 3 QBs - another roster spot.

Unless Carpenter starts kicking off in the preseason, for practice, I think Jordan Gay's roster spot is safe.

[Mace]

I'd get rid of Gay, what's the point ? Carpenter can't possibly kick off worse than every other kicker in the league. If Carpenter kicks off that terrible, get Gay back. No one is going to snatch him up, no one else uses kickoff specialists. He's a former punter, he can't kick field goals.

Boot him. Haha.

[stuckincincy]

I'd get rid of Gay, what's the point ? Carpenter can't possibly kick off worse than every other kicker in the league. If Carpenter kicks off that terrible, get Gay back. No one is going to snatch him up, no one else uses kickoff specialists. He's a former punter, he can't kick field goals.

Boot him. Haha.

That's my inclination. I just can't see chewing up a roster spot for an extra kicker that robs depth at other positions. Especially so with the new rule.

[OpIv37]

Why is it that we are the only NFL team who can't find a kicker good at both FG's and kickoffs? total waste of a roster spot.

[feldspar]

I'd get rid of Gay.

Homophobe.

Seriously though, Carpenter must have kicked-off in Miami, right? What was the problem there? It doesn't make a whole world of sense to me to have a "kick-off specialist" on the team. It didn't even before touch-backs were to be at the 25.

[swiper]

The Bills could put the roster spot to better use.

[jamze132]

Might as well just get rid of Gay and instruct Carpenter to get as much hang time on a shorter kick which should limit the return as well as start the opposing team off inside their 25.

[Goobylal]

No need to keep him. But they'll change the rule back next year when they realize it's only increasing returns, which isn't what they want. Which makes me wonder what idiot proposed this idea?

[GingerP]

Which makes me wonder what idiot proposed this idea?

It was a recommendation of the competition committee, not a proposal by anyone.

The competition committee is made up of:

Rich McKay (president, Atlanta Falcons)
John Mara (owner, New York Giants)
Stephen Jones (owner, Dallas Cowboys)
Mark Murphy (president, Green Bay Packers)
Ozzie Newsome (GM, Baltimore Ravens)
Rick Smith (GM, Houston Texans)
Jeff Fisher (coach, Los Angeles Rams)
Marvin Lewis (coach, Cincinnati Bengals)
Mike Tomlin (coach, Pittsburgh Steelers)

[Goobylal]

Ok then, what idiots. Now I know.

[YardRat]

It was a recommendation of the competition committee, not a proposal by anyone.

The competition committee is made up of:

Rich McKay (president, Atlanta Falcons)
John Mara (owner, New York Giants)
Stephen Jones (owner, Dallas Cowboys)
Mark Murphy (president, Green Bay Packers)
Ozzie Newsome (GM, Baltimore Ravens)
Rick Smith (GM, Houston Texans)
Jeff Fisher (coach, Los Angeles Rams)
Marvin Lewis (coach, Cincinnati Bengals)
Mike Tomlin (coach, Pittsburgh Steelers)

That's ****ed up...there are 8 divisions in football. Nobody from the AFCE, or AFCW, and three of the four reps are in the AFCN. The NFC has at least one rep from each division. If the committee is made of nine people, there should be one (and only one) rep for each division and the ninth member could be from the league office.

[GingerP]

That's ****ed up...there are 8 divisions in football. Nobody from the AFCE, or AFCW, and three of the four reps are in the AFCN. The NFC has at least one rep from each division. If the committee is made of nine people, there should be one (and only one) rep for each division and the ninth member could be from the league office.

I don't think it is that big a deal. A lot of people don't want to be on the committee. Plus, any team can make proposals to be reviewed. Ultimately, they only make recommendations, any changes are approved by the teams at the owner's meetings.

[Historian]

Dump him.

We will need that spot for an extra receiver when Watkins gets injured again.

[feldspar]

Dump him.

We will need that spot for an extra receiver when Watkins gets injured again.

Yeah, because he missed 3 games out of a total of 32.

You make a lot of sense. :coocoo:

[Mahdi]

With touchbacks at the 25 now it makes more sense to kick the ball to the 1 yard line and get your coverage team to stop opponents before the 25. Carpenter can get it to the 1.

Save the roster spot for depth at other positions.

[gebobs]

Why is it that we are the only NFL team who can't find a kicker good at both FG's and kickoffs? total waste of a roster spot.

Hell, Atlanta used a backup QB to punt last year I think.

[gebobs]

With touchbacks at the 25 now it makes more sense to kick the ball to the 1 yard line and get your coverage team to stop opponents before the 25. Carpenter can get it to the 1.

Maybe on a bounce. If memory serves, he was having a tough time getting it to the 5 even. And that was three years ago. His touchback percentage that year was abysmal: 40%.

[The last buffalo fan]

Maybe on a bounce. If memory serves, he was having a tough time getting it to the 5 even. And that was three years ago. His touchback percentage that year was abysmal: 40%.

How good or bad was our coverage team? I remember we had an awful kickoff coverage team for a few years, no?

[Victor7]

Gay is pretty good at what he does but for ****s sake keep a guy just for that ?? .... I still have a hard time understanding why teams have to keep a long snapper. Can't any of the idiots on the OL snap long ?? With he amount of injuries we will inevitably pile up as we do every year the roster spot is needed.

I like what Mace said. Let him go. Nobody will be lining up to get him. If we really do need him he can be brought back for sure.

[Historian]

Yeah, because he missed 3 games out of a total of 32.

You make a lot of sense. :coocoo:

Gotta boo-boo on his foot.

:rolleyes:

[Forward_Lateral]

It's 5 yards, not 15.

If the NFL really wanted to get rid of touchbacks, they'd move it to the 30 or even the 35.

[Mr. Pink]

The NFL doesn't want to get rid of touchbacks...they want to get rid of kick returns.

If you're 7 yards deep now, you'd have to have a 32 yard return to get the same thing as just simply taking a knee.

It's a rule designed to give kick returners more reason to just take a knee because kickers aren't going to kickoff any differently, as we've seen in preseason games.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Given the frequency of penalties incurred on kickoffs, I 'd have to figure on getting to the 35 rather than just the 25 if I'm the coach. Seems to me that returners ought to be told to take a knee in the end zone, and take the 25 yard gift, 100% of the time.

I can see kickoffs being coached now to kick high (hang time) inside the 5... Seems to me that it would keep teams inside the 25 and increase the potential for muffed balls.