Buffalo Bills News Recap: Buffalo Bills affected by testing issues

Kicker carousel for the Buffalo Bills

One of the headlines that has dominated the Buffalo Bills news headlines is the battle at the kicking positions. The competition has started to really heat up between established veteran Stephen Hauschka and 2020 NFL Draft pick Tyler Bass.

According to multiple reporters who were able to take in training camp at Bills’ Stadium, the battle between Hauschka and Bass is still ongoing to see who will earn the starting spot.

One of those reporters was WGR550’s Sal Capaccio who noted that Hauschka was short on multiple kicks over 52 yards. This has been the narrative that has surrounded Hauschka as of recently as there has certainly been a decline in leg strength over his past few seasons. On the flip side with the rookie, Bass was wide on a 44-yard attempt, but was consistent on kicks from 50+ including a 56-yard attempt that he “drilled”.

On Sunday, Capaccio released Bass’s attempts today which saw him make every attempt under 45-yards but missed those from 50+, showing some inconsistency in the area he really needs to.

This puts the Buffalo Bills in a situation where they must decide if they will go with the proven veteran with lagging leg strength or a rookie who is still working on his ability to be reliable.

When looking at this situation from a contract point of view, if they are to choose Bass over Hauschka, the Bills would be able to get out from underneath Hauschka’s contract with minimal dead cap. This would certainly be an enticing option during a season where there will be much roster turnover week-to-week if players affected by the pandemic are forced to be sidelined and free agents are brought in to fill their spots.