For teams with free agent kickers, the trend around the league has been to re-sign your own guy rather than go searching for a replacement.
The Bills are subscribers to that approach. They announced that they re-signed kicker Dan Carpenter on Tuesday, the first day that they could sign him for more than the veteran’s minimum. The team didn’t release any terms of the deal, but Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 reports that it is a four-year deal.
“For us it was a no-brainer to come back to Buffalo,” Carpenter said, via the team’s website. “We were comfortable and loved it here last year. To be able to go back somewhere and be wanted where you would like to go, you’re very fortunate in this league for that to happen. We’re very happy to be here and excited to see where it goes.”
Carpenter joined the Bills just before the start of the 2013 season after he was released by the Dolphins and went on to tie a team record with 33 field goals during the year. The Bills drafted Dustin Hopkins in the sixth round last year, but he got injured to open the door to Carpenter. Hopkins should be back to compete this offseason, but the Carpenter deal may make the youngster a decided underdog in that fight.