There is no reason, though, to suggest that Christie is washed up as a kicker. His numbers were impressive last season. The Bills have decided they cannot afford to pay a kicker that much this season. That's a big difference when you're tight on the cap. But, personally, I wouldn't want to risk playing with a rookie.
Kickers are so important now.
Defences have improved. They're so good now that offences are getting trapped up even before the red zone. And then teams have to settle for three points. It's not always the most exciting thing for fans, but those three points keep adding up, and I don't think teams can afford to take the kicker's spot for granted any more. Some National Football League teams realize that.