Could 2017 Kicker Not Be On Roster?
August 10th, 2017
Losing patience?
Eye-opening statement from the guy who runs the football operations for the Bucs.
Yes, yesterday was SiriusXM NFL Radio day at One Buc Palace. Each year during their training camp tour, SiriusXM NFL Radio hosts drop in at One Buc Palace and broadcast a three-hour, Bucs-specific show.
Yesterday, the hosts just happened to be the co-hosts of the best damned football show in the land, former Bucs scout Pat Kirwan and former Bucs quarterback Jim Miller (he was with the Chucky-era Bucs just long enough to change underwear) of “Movin’ the Chains.”
Among the many Bucs interviewed was none other than AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht. Of course, the kicking situation came up.
You could tell Licht wasn’t ready to run to his favorite watering hole and start pounding craft beers over the up-and-down performances of both of his kickers, Roberto Aguayo and Nick Folk. Licht tried to put a happy face on it saying he wanted to see just how both kickers respond to adversity.
Right. Someone explain to Joe how kicking in practice under pristine Florida conditions before maybe 1,750 fans, half zonked out from the morning heat, is adversity.
Then Licht let out this line which nearly had Joe run his truck off the Suncoast Parkway.
“I am rooting for both of them,” Licht said. “I am rooting for the best kicker to win. And I’m hoping it is one of these guys.”
Wait a minute, you are hoping it is “one of these guys?” Unless Joe has been losing too much sleep since training camp began (he has!), that tells Joe that Licht isn’t above tossing both Aguayo and Folk off the team if he isn’t satisfied, and start pulling guys off the street to kick.
Or was this Licht being very clever knowing how Joe monitors all of these interviews, and it is an indirect shot through the fourth estate for Aguayo and Folk to start getting their heads out of their respective arses and make kicks consistently, or else have fun being an Uber driver next month?
Joe is just going to take Licht’s comment on face value. It it is a real possibility that the kicker for the Bucs in 2017 may not currently be on the roster.
August 10th, 2017 at 1:17 am
Licht and his staff certainly have their eyes on young kickers on some other rosters and will be monitoring them closely. I’m sure he has a couple favorites before the games even begin.
August 10th, 2017 at 1:19 am
I TOLD BUC FANS THAT THE D LINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED IN THE DRAFT J. SMITH IS ON PUP WITH NO COMMENTS ON HIS RETURN. I ALSO SAID WE SHOULD HAVE DRAFTED A CORNER IN CASE GRIMES WENT DOWN WITH INJURY SURE ENOUGH GRIMES IS OUT . WELL WE SHALL WATCH WITH INTEREST THEIR REPLACEMENTS IN THE FIRST PRE-SEASON GAME.
I AM NOT A JASON LICHT FAN IF HE CUTS BOTH KICKERS WOW WHAT WE COULD HAVE HAD IN AGUAYO’s DRAFT CLASS.
August 10th, 2017 at 1:39 am
Both these guys are garbage and they’re both going to prove it in preseason. Have to have a kicker that can make kicks over 45 yards. They both did the other day (the farthest from 53 i think) and everyone was jumping for joy saying oh, these guys have finally began to start coming along. Next day, they both went 1 for 5 I think and Dirk was pissed. Yes we know Jason made the terrible idea of jumping to the second for Aguayo, and I’m sure he is well aware of that also, but he’s still a really good scout with a really good scout team so let’s see if he can bring in a real nice boot from anywhere in the world.
August 10th, 2017 at 1:46 am
Bring in the Welsh guy from The Replacements that smokes during his kicks lol. He was real good.
August 10th, 2017 at 5:39 am
Gotta love the “told ya we shoulda'” crowd that always chimes in as soon as couple players go down. BUCS WILL BE FINE, CARRY ON…
August 10th, 2017 at 6:18 am
it is an indirect shot through the fourth estate for Aguayo and Folk to start getting their heads out of their respective arses……BINGO!
The adversity is coming from their HEADS!!!!
Is Gramatica still available? I wouldn’t be surprise if he wants to get another Ring with us!
Go Bucs!!!
August 10th, 2017 at 6:48 am
Not a chamce its one of the two my.guess is folk
August 10th, 2017 at 7:31 am
Think Licht will take another chance on Aguayo? I think not.
August 10th, 2017 at 8:00 am
No kicker ? Just go for two after every touchdown .
August 10th, 2017 at 8:18 am
What happened to that 49ers kicker we signed a while back? Was he let go after we brought Folk in?
August 10th, 2017 at 8:22 am
This team is cursed at the kicking position. The ghost of Matt Bryant is lurking.
August 10th, 2017 at 8:33 am
SOEbuc- I dunno. I liked that guy, but he had issues with the Mob!
Folk has been consistent during his carer . . .Til he gets to Tampa.
Naturally!
Good to know Licht is preparing for option “c”
Sounds like he may need to.
August 10th, 2017 at 8:53 am
I remember somebody said here they had an idea they could be thinking about doing this earlier this week or late last week in an OH NO post. Who ever said it was on the money sounds like.
August 10th, 2017 at 9:01 am
Mark Dominik cut Bryant, didn’t he?
August 10th, 2017 at 9:47 am
@SOEBuc-
LOL! He’s “wirey”!
August 10th, 2017 at 10:31 am
Lets trade next years 2nd rd pick for someone elses kicker.
August 10th, 2017 at 10:41 am
Screw it. Bring back Connor Barth
August 10th, 2017 at 10:45 am
Where have I heard that before, that the Bucs are not putting all their eggs in the current kicker basket?
August 10th, 2017 at 11:38 am
Connor Barth is still starting for the Bears.
We shouldn’t have cut him when we signed Aguayo.
We shouldn’t have drafted Aguayo anywhere before the 4th round.
I miss Connor.
He was really great before he tore his achilles in that charity basketball game.
God Bless Connor Barth.
Miss u bro!
August 10th, 2017 at 11:44 am
How is it with the number of kickers in the country, that the Bucs can’t get one decent one? We used to have reliable to good kickers. What the hell happened?
August 10th, 2017 at 11:46 am
Fake News.
Both kickers have been fairly consistent throughout camp aside from the 1 day when both had some misses.
Aguayo was 5 of 5 yesterday including 1 over 50 yds. Folk was 4 of 5 missing 1 of his 40 yarders. This is pretty typical of what they have been doing every day.
There are not likely any better options walking the street right now.
August 10th, 2017 at 12:13 pm
It’s not like there are a lot of great kickers out there on the waiver wire… it will be one of these guys… probably Aguayo.
August 10th, 2017 at 12:22 pm
Yeah, consistently inconsistent.
In pristine Florida conditions.
In practice!
You trust Aguayo kicking a game-winning field goal of 35- or more yards in Green Bay in December? What has Aguayo ever done to build such trust? Has he ever kicked a field goal when it was below 40? Don’t recall him doing that in college. He certainly hasn’t done that in the NFL.
Safe bet it will be below 32 in Green Bay when the Bucs visit the Packers.
August 10th, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Either these kickers need to get their head out of their arse, or we need to find someone who can kick. We can ill-afford to be dealing with kicking issues again this year.
August 10th, 2017 at 3:21 pm
What he doesn’t want is for one of these guys to LOSE the job and the other to get it by default. Pressure needs to be on both of em. Good for Licht to ratchet it up a bit.
August 10th, 2017 at 3:24 pm
I really don’t think Licht has a clue how to get us a decent kicker. He’s done well in every other area but has been completely clueless when it comes to place kickers. This comment just compounds the cluelessness.
It shouldn’t take 4 freaking years to fix the place kicking!! What an embarrassment.
August 11th, 2017 at 1:55 pm
T”CHALLA, enough with the all caps.
You sound like you are panic mode. The only serious injury is Jude…and he may not have even made the team. Relax.
August 11th, 2017 at 1:56 pm
As to the kicking situation…I hadn’t considered going outside the team for a solution…but they’ve done it before. During actual seasons.
I still think they will find a way to keep both, at least temporarily.