Tag: Sam Martin

Bills punter Sam Martin made the most pathetic tackle attempt on the Jets’ walk-off TD

Sam Martin made one of the worst tackle attempts we’ll ever see.

It’ll be forgotten in the shuffle of the devastating Aaron Rodgers injury, but the Buffalo Bills seemingly did everything possible to lose their Week 1 matchup with the New York Jets. On offense, Josh Allen had four turnovers (three picks and one fumble). It’s fair to wonder what’s wrong with the Bills’ superstar signal caller.

And on special teams — with electric returner Xavier Gipson threatening to end the game on an overtime punt — Buffalo punter Sam Martin made one of the worst tackle attempts you’ll ever see in an NFL game. Seriously, at the very least, Martin could’ve gotten in Gipson’s way and impeded his progress.

Instead, he threw a weird armbar that Gipson easily avoided en route to a shocking walk-of winner.

I’ve seen many terrible football plays by punters over the years. There’s a reason they just get paid to kick. But here, Martin was the last line of defense. It is inexcusable he didn’t do more with the game on the line.

This lack of effort might take the cake as the worst punter play of them all.

Who are locks to make the Bills’ 53-man roster on defense?

Who are locks to make the #Bills’ 53-man roster on defense?

The Buffalo Bills are gearing up for the start of 2023 training camp. Players are going to be fighting for both playing time and roster spots.

But if we’re being honest, some of those positions on the team are already sorted out.

Here is every player on the Bills roster that is already a roster lock to make the team on defense:

WATCH: Get to know Bills punter Sam Martin

#Bills punter Sam Martin answers questions:

Bills punter Sam Martin sat down with his team’s video department and pulled the curtain back a bit on his personal life during a recent interview. He explained his decision to re-sign with the Bills and more.

See the attached YouTube player above for the five-questions sit down he took part in.

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Contract details for Bills P Sam Martin

Contract details for #Bills P Sam Martin:

The Buffalo Bills re-signed punter Sam Martin ahead of free agency.

The team locked up their specialist to a multi-year deal. However, the breakdown provides a different story.

According to Spotrac, the Bills have an out on the contract after only one year–If Buffalo so chooses, savings can be found toward the 2024 salary cap if Martin is released after next season because of that so they might not even bring in competition for him during training camp.

In total, the 33-year-old’s contract is a three-year, $6 million deal. Of that, he gets $2.365M guaranteed at signing which helps keeps his salary cap hit down.

In 2023, Martin’s on the books for $1.6M toward the cap and his dead cap is higher than that. There’s no way the Bills cut him next season.

After that is where the team has some outs. There are also incentives sprinkled in that could save Buffalo dollars if they are not met.

Here’s Martin’s cap hits and dead cap savings over the final two years of his deal if the team let him go:

  • 2024 cap hit: $2.050M ($1.2M)
  • 2025 cap hit: $2.285M ($1.885M)

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Bills re-sign P Sam Martin to three-year deal

The #Bills have their punter back:

(Update: 11:00 a.m.): The Bills have confirmed that Martin has been re-signed by the team:

Previous coverage: 

The Buffalo Bills will keep the direction of their punts the same in 2023 and beyond.

Just ahead of the start of free agency’s tampering window on Monday, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the Bills and punter Sam Martin have agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth up to $7.5 million. Of that, $4.115M is guaranteed.

Martin was originally signed by the team to a one-year deal t the end of August 2023. He was originally added after the team released rookie Matt Araiza.

Araiza was let go due to an off-field incident from college.

Araiza was a sixth-round pick of the Bills at the 2022 NFL draft. On Aug. 25 shortly after the team awarded Araiza the starting punting job, the allegation surfaced and he was released only days later.

That lawsuit against him in criminal court has since been dropped, but a civil suit is still scheduled for October.

Martin re-signing puts any thought of a return to Buffalo for Araiza to bed. Martin did more than earn his new contract.

The 32-year-old averaged 47 yards per punt. That was the second-best of his long career which dates back to 2013.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott has typically favored left-footed punters during his tenure with the team, however, Martin’s successes have evidently convinced him to overlook that.

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Keeping up with some former Lions around the league

Here are a few notable former Lions and what’s going on with them around the NFL

The NFL’s daily transaction wire has featured a few former Detroit Lions players in the last few days. A couple made the news feed, too. Here are a few notable former Lions and what’s going on with them around the NFL.

Contract details for Bills P Sam Martin

Contract details for #Bills P Sam Martin:

Due to what erupted relating to former Buffalo Bills player Matt Araiza, the team needed a new punter.

Late in August, that came in the form of Sam Martin.

The 32-year-old brings years of experience to Buffalo. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said he wanted a player with just that–as the GM noted he “wanted a vet.”

In landing exactly that, the Bills got a good deal as well.

Martin agreed to a one-year deal in Buffalo. It’s a $1.272 million contract that carries a $1.047M cap hit for Buffalo.

Martin was cut by the Denver Broncos during the preseason because he would not agree to a pay cut. He was slated to make $2.25M before being released.

Last year, Martin ranked third in the NFL in net punting average at 42.8 yards per punt. He tied for fifth in the league with 28 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Despite previously not taking a pay cut, Martin still took a pretty team-friendly deal to join the Bills.

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Bills’ Brandon Beane on Sam Martin: ‘We wanted a vet’

#Bills’ Brandon Bean on Sam Martin: ‘We wanted a vet’

The Bills have signed former Broncos punter Sam Martin to fill their vacancy at the position.

GM Brandon Beane this week provided some insight as to why the team selected the kicker over their other options.

When asked about the opportunity to sign a player who is top-five in the NFL across multiple statistical categories the GM pointed out how where the roster was at in it’s progression since he took the front office reigns was a factor.

“I mean there was a couple of vets, you guys know the other names,” Beane said while addressing the media. “You know there were some young guys too that had some strong legs but where we were- This is not 2018, you know what I mean where we’re trying to just say hey we’ll take some young guys and mold them and we got time.”

“We wanted a vet, not only as a punter, but a guy who we’ve seen hold plenty of games,” the GM continued, emphasizing the importance of holding for Tyler Bass. “You know what I said last year even with Matt Hawk’s struggles, I did not want to interrupt the flow that T-Bass was in.”

With the preseason concluded and teams around the NFL making roster cuts, position battles can sometimes benefit teams in a position like the one the Bills were in where they needed to find a player who is a good fit.

“The first thing when finding a punter right now was the timing was pretty good that it was the end of camp, we were looking at three or four battles and a couple of them came loose.”

“Sam’s a guy we actually looked at one of the years we played [The Detroit Lions] in the preseason,” Beane added. “So he was the one we targeted when we were still kind of bringing [Corey Bojorquez] up.”

That Martin was scouted and on the Bills radar previously may explain the prompt signing following the punter’s workout with the team.

The Bills biggest free agent acquisition this offseason, OL Von Miller, has been flashing his own GM aspirations in talking up Buffalo to players as well as advocating for signings in-house as well.

And he did just that with Martin.

“We were really aware of him before, we heard Denver had a young guy that was competing with him and really good things about him. Von spoke very highly of him, some of the other guys that know him, Chad Hall, our receiver’s coach knows him through Matt Stafford. A lot of really good reviews on who Sam is.”

As for his on-field abilities, the GM sounded confident in what Martin brings to Buffalo.

“He’s a guy that is really good directional, placing the ball, especially if you’re getting at the minus 40, minus 45 over to the plus side, those areas where you’re trying to get them not only inside the 20 but you know down closer to the 10,” he explained. “Sam’s not the guy that has the hugest leg, that’s not his strength- I would say accuracy, ball placement is probably his best.”

While it’s unclear how much field time the punter will see during gameplay this season on account of the Bills fourth down efficiency and high-octane offense, he will have a chance to bring welcome stability to the position and a veteran presence to the special teams unit.

“He’s a pro, I think he’ll slide right in.”

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