BY NICK ST. DENIS
Rian Lindell needed just a handful of field goals and a few more extra points to become the Buffalo Bills' all-time scoring leader. He'll have to settle for No. 2 behind former kicker Steve Christie.
The Bills announced Monday they released the 36-year-old kicker. Lindell amassed 980 points in 10 years with Buffalo after spending his first three seasons in Seattle.
His departure from the Bills, however, was pretty much imminent after the team drafted Dustin Hopkins in the sixth round of this year's draft.
Showing posts with label Rian Lindell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rian Lindell. Show all posts
Monday, August 19, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Unlike rest of East, Pats won't have camp kickoff
BY DAN BEGNOCHE
For those who missed it, the New England Patriots were the first of the four AFC East teams to cut its respective rookie kicker, releasing former Notre Dame standout David Ruffer late last week. (photo: Keith Allison, Flickr)
The move freed up a roster spot, but more importantly, it likely once again left veteran Stephen Gostkowski in a uncontested race for the starting job.
Now in his eighth NFL season, Gostkowski is getting paid accordingly — he's in the middle of a five-year deal signed back in 2010 worth north of $15 million. And while his make percentage wasn't jaw dropping in 2012 (82.9), his points made up for it, as he tallied the most in his career and nearly the most in franchise history with 153.
The move freed up a roster spot, but more importantly, it likely once again left veteran Stephen Gostkowski in a uncontested race for the starting job.
Now in his eighth NFL season, Gostkowski is getting paid accordingly — he's in the middle of a five-year deal signed back in 2010 worth north of $15 million. And while his make percentage wasn't jaw dropping in 2012 (82.9), his points made up for it, as he tallied the most in his career and nearly the most in franchise history with 153.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
For Kicks: Comparing, contrasting AFC East kickers
BY NICK ST. DENIS
It's a slow news day. And since this is AFC East Daily and not SportsCenter, we won't try to create a story where there isn't one. We'll just pass the time.
So no news is good news -- for the kickers. The AFC East has a pretty good dynamic of boots, so it's only fair they get their annual 400(ish) words of fame.
Who better to start with than Buffalo Bills kicker Rian Lindell? He made 88 percent of his attempts last season, going 21-of-24 without missing from 30 yards in. Short story shorter, by the numbers, Lindell is a well-above average field goal kicker. (photo: Alan Kotok, Flickr)
So no news is good news -- for the kickers. The AFC East has a pretty good dynamic of boots, so it's only fair they get their annual 400(ish) words of fame.
Who better to start with than Buffalo Bills kicker Rian Lindell? He made 88 percent of his attempts last season, going 21-of-24 without missing from 30 yards in. Short story shorter, by the numbers, Lindell is a well-above average field goal kicker. (photo: Alan Kotok, Flickr)
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Lindell all but guaranteed to finish career with Bills
BY DAN BEGNOCHE
When you have a kicker who is second all-time in points in franchise history, unless that leg isn't working anymore, you better re-sign him.
That's exactly what the Bills did Tuesday, inking a four-year deal with veteran Rian Lindell, which will more than likely make him a Bill for the remainder of his career. Buffalo's $11 million deal may seem like a risky one given Lindell's injury this season, but in terms of his career, you couldn't ask for anyone better.
Before his injury, Lindell played in 180 consecutive games, never missing a single game with the Bills and amassing 878 points in his 12 seasons as a pro. 2012 will be his 10th with Buffalo, going in 30 field goals short of the most ever by a Bill, a record held by legend Steve Christie.
When you have a kicker who is second all-time in points in franchise history, unless that leg isn't working anymore, you better re-sign him.
That's exactly what the Bills did Tuesday, inking a four-year deal with veteran Rian Lindell, which will more than likely make him a Bill for the remainder of his career. Buffalo's $11 million deal may seem like a risky one given Lindell's injury this season, but in terms of his career, you couldn't ask for anyone better.Before his injury, Lindell played in 180 consecutive games, never missing a single game with the Bills and amassing 878 points in his 12 seasons as a pro. 2012 will be his 10th with Buffalo, going in 30 field goals short of the most ever by a Bill, a record held by legend Steve Christie.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Bills place another kicker on Injured Reserve
BY DAN BEGNOCHE
The third time probably won’t be a charm for the Bills in the kicking department, as Buffalo placed yet another leg on Injured Reserve this week.
Journeyman Dave Rayner, who came in to replace longtime Bills kicker Rian Lindell after he suffered a broken shoulder in Week 9, was placed on IR with an unconfirmed injury Wednesday, though he had been suffering from a sore pelvis.
The third time probably won’t be a charm for the Bills in the kicking department, as Buffalo placed yet another leg on Injured Reserve this week.
Journeyman Dave Rayner, who came in to replace longtime Bills kicker Rian Lindell after he suffered a broken shoulder in Week 9, was placed on IR with an unconfirmed injury Wednesday, though he had been suffering from a sore pelvis.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Kicker Lindell's IR trip makes Rayner full-time
By Dan Begnoche
Friday, November 18, 2011
'No-name' Bills battling through injuries
With the loss of center Eric Wood for the season, the Buffalo Bills' fraternity of experienced starters will move on without another member.
The three-year starter suffered a torn ACL in the loss to Dallas last week, forcing versatile lineman Andy Levitre to slide over and handle snapping responsibilities from here on out. The injury loss is nothing new for the banged-up Bills, who with the addition of Wood, have the fourth-most players on the injured reserve list in the league with 10. Only the Giants, Panthers and Jaguars have more.
The three-year starter suffered a torn ACL in the loss to Dallas last week, forcing versatile lineman Andy Levitre to slide over and handle snapping responsibilities from here on out. The injury loss is nothing new for the banged-up Bills, who with the addition of Wood, have the fourth-most players on the injured reserve list in the league with 10. Only the Giants, Panthers and Jaguars have more.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Bills go journeyman route for Lindell's temp
Experience is everything. So after Rian Lindell went down with a shoulder injury making a tackle against the Jets Sunday, the Bills looked to a journeyman to fill their need at kicker. Enter Dave Rayner.
Rayner, a Michigan State grad who has played in the league since 2005, was added to the roster Monday after the team looked at several candidates. Head coach Chan Gailey said that although other potentials looked good, experience won out.
“He had experience,” Gailey told the media Wednesday. “Having experience was one of the biggest factors. All the guys we tried out kicked very well.”
This will be the eighth team Rayner has joined in his career, most recently leaving the Raiders after a brief stint while Sebastian Janikowski was sidelined. The 29-year-old has spent time with in Indianapolis, Green Bay, Kansas City, Detroit and Cincinnati, where he was teammates with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
“He’s been around,” Fitzpatrick told the media Wednesday. “He’s a good guy, easy going, fits into what we have going on here in the locker room. He’s a pro. He gets paid to make kicks and that’s what we expect him to do.”
The constant change is something Rayner accepts, and though he acknowledged Wednesday that Buffalo isn’t the easiest place to kick, ultimately it’s about going out there, getting the job done and winning games.
“That’s the life of a kicker, wherever you can get a job,” he told reporters. “There’s only 32 jobs and it’s inevitable that every year someone is going to have an injury so you have to be ready and I’m happy to be here. (Buffalo’s) a tough place to kick. We’re on the road for the next three weeks so that takes the home kicking out of the mix. I’m just going to do what I need to do and make kicks and kick off well.”
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Rayner, a Michigan State grad who has played in the league since 2005, was added to the roster Monday after the team looked at several candidates. Head coach Chan Gailey said that although other potentials looked good, experience won out.
“He had experience,” Gailey told the media Wednesday. “Having experience was one of the biggest factors. All the guys we tried out kicked very well.”
This will be the eighth team Rayner has joined in his career, most recently leaving the Raiders after a brief stint while Sebastian Janikowski was sidelined. The 29-year-old has spent time with in Indianapolis, Green Bay, Kansas City, Detroit and Cincinnati, where he was teammates with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
“He’s been around,” Fitzpatrick told the media Wednesday. “He’s a good guy, easy going, fits into what we have going on here in the locker room. He’s a pro. He gets paid to make kicks and that’s what we expect him to do.”
The constant change is something Rayner accepts, and though he acknowledged Wednesday that Buffalo isn’t the easiest place to kick, ultimately it’s about going out there, getting the job done and winning games.
“That’s the life of a kicker, wherever you can get a job,” he told reporters. “There’s only 32 jobs and it’s inevitable that every year someone is going to have an injury so you have to be ready and I’m happy to be here. (Buffalo’s) a tough place to kick. We’re on the road for the next three weeks so that takes the home kicking out of the mix. I’m just going to do what I need to do and make kicks and kick off well.”
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