Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - My 2025 State of the Buffalo Bills series concludes with a look at the team's specialists:
Under contract:
- K - Tyler Bass
- LS- Reid Ferguson
- P - Jake Camarda
- PR - Brandon Codrington
Pending free agents:
- None
State of the position:
The Bills already made a move this offseason when they released punter Sam Martin, saving over a million dollars on the salary cap. Martin’s release leaves Jake Camarda as the only punter on the roster.
Camarda was one of the highest drafted pure punters in the common draft era when he was taken in the fourth round (133rd overall), in 2022 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After playing his college football at the University of Georgia, Camarda played three seasons for the Buccaneers, finishing fifth in the NFL in yards per-punt in both 2022 (48.8) and 2023 (50.1). He also received a Special Teams Player of the Week honor once in each of those seasons, as well as being named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September of 2023.
He was released by Tampa Bay last season, then signed a reserve/future deal with the Bills in early January.
The Bills will most likely add another punter for competition this offseason, but Camarda will have a legitimate shot at the job.
Tyler Bass had a lot of struggles to start 2024.
Through the team’s first six games, Bass was 9-for-12 on field goals (75%) and 18-for-20 (90%) on extra points. That was enough for the Bills to sign another kicker to the practice squad, and be ready to make a change if it continued.
However, Bass turned his season around.
Over the final 11 games, he was 15-for-17 on field goals (88.2%), including a game-winning 61-yard field goal to defeat the Miami Dolphins in Week 9. He was also 41-for-44 on PATs (93.2%).
He was a perfect 13-for-13 on all kicks in the playoffs.
The Bills obviously hope Bass’ troubles are behind him, and he can return to his early career form going forward. He's under contract for three more years and will count $4.6 million against this year's salary cap.
One of the most underrated moves general manager Brandon Beane made all last season was trading with the New York Jets for rookie punt returner Brandon Codrington for a seventh-round draft pick.
The team did not have a reliable punt returner throughout most of training camp. Immediately, Codrington stabilized that spot, and then finished fourth in the NFL in yards per-punt return (11.6).
Codrington is a cornerback on defense, but rarely plays. He's only in case of multiple injuries on that side of the football.
He's on his rookie contract for two more seasons, and will cost less than $1 million against this year's salary cap.
Once again, I get to write about Reid Ferguson in this space, as I have every single year. That's because the long snapper is the longest tenured Bills player on the roster, and the only one who was with the organization prior to head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane's arrival in 2017.
Ferguson was an undrafted free agent by the club in November 2016 when Rex Ryan was the head coach. He's since been an incredibly steady and reliable long snapper for multiple punters and kickers.
The 30-year-old was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, but re-signed a four-year contract extension last week. That deal will keep the soon-to-be 31-year-old in a Bills uniform though the 2028 season.
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