According to Bleacher Report, Dan Carpenter was the third-worst kicker in the NFL this season.
This shouldn’t really surprise any Buffalo Bills‘ fans. If it does surprise you, it’s likely because you’re wondering why Dan Carpenter wasn’t ranked THE worst in the league.
Fans are ready for a new kicker in Buffalo and looking at how Dan Carpenter has performed over the past two years, it’s quite obvious why that is. According to an article posted by Bleacher Report on Thursday, the facts seem to agree with the fans.
As Buffalo Rumblings put it:
"Carpenter ranked 32nd out of all NFL kickers in 2016, earning a grade of 62.9. Mike Nugent ranked 34th with a 61.9, so Carpenter barely escaped the basement."
Carpenter has been with the Buffalo Bills for four years now and that appears to be two years too long. In his first two seasons with the team, he finished with a 92% field goal percentage and 90% field goal percentage. In those two seasons, he also hit more than 30 field goals in each season and went 10-14 from 50+ yards in both seasons combined.
Those numbers have dipped dramatically these past two years. First off, he has only hit a total of 42 field goals in 2015 and 2016 — he attempted 36 in 2013 and 38 in 2014. His percentage dipped down to 85% in 2015 and saw an even bigger dive this season at 76%.
More from BuffaLowDown
- Buffalo Bills were ready to trade back if they couldn’t get Dalton Kincaid
- Grading Buffalo Bills drafting Dalton Kincaid in 2023 NFL Draft
- How the Buffalo Bills can win Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft
- Buffalo Bills having conversations about trading for DeAndre Hopkins
- Buffalo Bills Draft Rumors: Bills linked to this shocking first round target
The most frustrating thing with Dan Carpenter is his extra points. In 2013 and 2014, he only missed one extra point out of 64 total. However, that number dropped big time when the NFL moved the extra point back. He has missed 11 in 2014 and 2015 out of 85 total.
It’s pretty clear that fans want Dan Carpenter gone and would love nothing more than to see a top-talent kicker take his place. Looking at free agency, the best two available in my opinion are Steven Hauschka (31 years old) and Nick Novak (35 years old). They are both veterans that can hit a good percentage of field goals — Hauschka at 89% this season and Novak at 85%.
There are also some nice prospects that the Bills could look at come draft day. Zane Gonzalez out of Arizona State had a fantastic season hitting 23 of 25 field goals with his only two misses coming from 50+ yards away. He went 7-9 from that range and hit a 59 yard field goal as his longest. In his four years, he has missed just five extra points and only one this season.
Jake Elliott out of Memphis and Adam Griffith could also be good options. Elliott performs well from far away and Griffith is a lock with extra points.
Either way, the Buffalo Bills will be in need of a kicker this season. I don’t see Buffalo keeping Dan Carpenter any longer.
Next: Buffalo Bills' 2017 Cap Space, Free Agent Talk
What kicker would you like to see suit up for Buffalo next season? Leave your comments below!