Bills offseason position spotlight: Special teams
A big part of the Buffalo Bills' 2020 success was their special teams. They invested heavily in that area and their decisions paid off.
Kicker Tyler Bass was a rookie they used a sixth-round draft pick to acquire and found his way after a shaky start.
Bass missed five of his first 11 field-goal attempts but only one of his final 17. He was 39-for-40 on extra points.
"I know people were down on Tyler early and probably questioning the decision to pick him over a veteran," general manager Brandon Beane said in his season-ending press conference, "but part of what we saw in Tyler, not only when he got here, but in college, was nothing was too big for this kid and he is not afraid of the big moment.
"Never made an excuse. I've been around kickers. A lot of times kickers will make excuses of the wind, the ball, didn't get my footing right. Any miss he had, he took it right on him and I thought that was a great quality, one I haven't seen in many kickers."
Needless to say, Bass isn't going anywhere.
And probably neither is punter Corey Bojorquez, a restricted free agent.
The Bills do face an interesting decision, however, because they are not in good salary cap shape heading into 2021 and Bojorquez is coming off an exceptional season.
Although they will have the right to match any offer, how high will they be willing to go for someone who deserves top interest?
Bojorquez led the league with a gross average of 50.8 yards per punt. He was fifth with a net average of 44.0.
Andre Roberts, a wide receiver who returns punts and kicks, is headed for unrestricted free agency after leading the NFL with an average of 30.0 yards per kickoff return, which earned him a third straight Pro Bowl berth.
Roberts also once led the league in punt-return average (14.1) in 2018, the year before joining the Bills.
But now he's 33 and doesn't give them anything on offense. The Bills also are strapped for cap space and may not be able to afford him if they pay Bojorquez top dollar.
What to do?
The answers should be provided before long.
Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro.
