While I’m a little nervous about some of the short kicks. Being patient is probably a good move. With a monster leg like that…I’m sure other teams would be interested. Next thing you know he’s the best kicker in football on another team if you give up too soon on him. Kinda like when KC gave up on Jack Fox.
But we also have super bowl aspirations…so it’s a tricky balance being patient with a young kicker.
This has happened so often. Chargers giving up on Koo. Vikes giving up on Daniel Carlsen. Jags giving up on Jason Myers. Bucs giving up on Matt Gay. The Bengals didn’t give up on Jake Elliott but he lost the kicking battle to Randy Bullock, got signed to their practice squad, and the Eagles snatched him up. Same thing happened to Harrison Butker in Carolina and Chris Boswell with the Giants and Texans.
You gotta be patient with these young guys, they often come good.
He’s the Master…
Patience is key. He’s going to have growing pains.
Hopefully he doesn’t cost us a game and the fans don’t turn on him.
Having a dependable kicker would be a great asset for this team. Great kickers need a certain mental makeup and confidence. I felt that when I used to listen to Prater and Hansen in interviews. I even got that from Badgely in the few interviews i saw of him even though he does not have the same kind of leg as Bates.
The sample size is small but for whatever reason I did not get that “confidence factor” from Bates when I saw / heard him recently. I’m not sure that is something you can teach / learn for such a “stressful” position as kicker. I’ll have to trust Brad and Dan on this and I hope they’re right because I would love to see Bates succeed and make us that much better.
That’s the tricky part for sure. Long term he may be a stud and the answer. But if he shanks a few early that cost of games…fans will be losing it. As per usual. 
If this was 2021… And it’s a rebuild who cares…but this situation is a little different and the stakes are high.
That’s the 80’s, thank you very much.
Don’t test me on He-Man or GI Joe shit…
Dan talked about this on his radio appearance yesterday. He basically said everything you’re saying but that Bates has it in spades. Said Bates doesn’t blink, and that’s why they gave him camp and preseason all to himself.
So feel free to trust Brad and Dan.
Was HE-MAN’s last name Anzalone? He looks like somebody’s daddy…
First name Prince, last name Adam
He’s Natty with hair… Also Natty looking good brother
