So Who Pulled The Trigger On Aguayo?
August 15th, 2017
Backroom intrigue.
The rumor floated by prickly Pete Prisco yesterday really got Joe’s mind working overtime.
As we all know, the Bucs over the weekend finally got fed up with embattled kicker Roberto Aguayo and turned him loose. Only hours later, the Bears, who in recent years seem to love Bucs castoffs, wasted little time in signing the former Bucs second round pick. Perhaps that is why the Bears stink?
The Aguayo selection will go down as a dark moment on the resume of Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht, an unfortunate blip in an otherwise strong reign as the shot-caller of Bucs football operations.
Prisco set off a roman candle when he Twittered that word floating in league personnel circles is that Team Glazer pushed Licht to draft Aguayo. Naturally, this set off sparks locally.
Well, it seems, if one is to believe Prisco, than Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud may have been on the same scent. In Stroud’s story Saturday about Aguayo’s release, Stroud had a very intriguing paragraph that had Joe’s antennae standing straight.
Though Licht has taken sole responsibility for the decision, it always felt like somebody else put their hand on the scale. Maybe Winston. Maybe the Glazer family. We’ll never know.
Later Saturday, winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter shot down speculation that America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, had a hand in picking Aguayo. What was not addressed was the influence/non-influence of Team Glazer in the shadows.
Then two days later, Prisco throws out on Twitter that Team Glazer was behind the Aguayo pick.
This is all very interesting to Joe.
August 15th, 2017 at 8:05 am
At least he’s gone now…and ill bet some rabid fans had some influence.
August 15th, 2017 at 8:09 am
It had to be Dirk’s call with Licht’s blessing. Dirk has waited along time for this opportunity and I don’t see him letting a kicker determine the outcome. Besides Folk has to feed his family!
August 15th, 2017 at 8:13 am
roberto groballsyo is gonzo…thats all that needs to be said yo
gonzo as in gonzito !
August 15th, 2017 at 8:20 am
If fans had any influence then this franchise is still is a sorry state of affairs.
August 15th, 2017 at 8:22 am
grumblings at one buc are that he took a severe rookie hazing and it was so bad that his kicking leg was knocked right out of wack…and whenever he kicked the ball it no longer had that nice thud and thump off his foot like in college…let’s see if aguayo leaks this mysterious hazing that ended his career when he’s driving an uber around ybor city
August 15th, 2017 at 8:24 am
We always forget the business side of the NFL. Perhaps the feeling was that drafting another “home-grown” talent would increase ticket sales, etc…
He WAS a big story while at FSU.
August 15th, 2017 at 8:48 am
@Joe … “This is all very interesting to Joe.” And yet it’s all rumors & speculation by Prisco & Stroud. Just a lot of maybe’s. On another note, that’s a beautiful shepherd.
August 15th, 2017 at 8:58 am
He never should have been on this team to begin with. But after he was inexplicably drafted his preseason performance in the first three games was so awful he never should have made it out of training camp. Yet he was anointed and allowed to kick his way into worst kicker of 2016 by a mile, keeping this team out of the playoffs in the process. What in the world was he still doing on this team come the first preseason game on Friday. He performed exactly like he has performed since he has been here. An enormous waste. We should stop praising the Bucs and Licht got cutting him and start asking why he wasn’t cut a year ago.
August 15th, 2017 at 8:59 am
This makes for endless amount of posts from a speculation stand point.
It’s all ancient history now, can we all move on from this now Joe??????
August 15th, 2017 at 9:02 am
While all of this drama is fun, does anyone remember that even though the pick was scrutinized and talked about after the draft last year, every media outlet said that while it was a steep price to pay, “The Bucs have found their kicker for the next decade”. It just goes to show that the draft is NOT an exact science and there are busts every year. Time to move on! Aguayo is no longer a BUC!
August 15th, 2017 at 9:08 am
Ya it’s a crazy situation. Betcha Dirk was pissed when they handed in that card
August 15th, 2017 at 9:12 am
No.
Joe is not one to “move on.” Joe doesn’t believe in playing ostrich and forgetting about mistakes. Joe has a history degree and very much believes in the phrase, those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.
Less than a week is hardly “ancient” when the transaction directly impacts the current roster. To Joe, that is much more current events than ancient history.
August 15th, 2017 at 9:13 am
@ safeflt1
who cares……..move on
August 15th, 2017 at 9:17 am
“Joe is not one to “move on.” Joe doesn’t believe in playing ostrich and forgetting about mistakes. Joe has a history degree and very much believes in the phrase, those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.
Unless it is about mark dominik!!!!!!!!!!!
August 15th, 2017 at 9:37 am
If fans had any influence then this franchise is still is a sorry state of affairs.
True not even professional can do it either. It’s why we haven’t made playoffs in a century. Maybe fans r right
August 15th, 2017 at 9:40 am
Meanwhile, on Duemig’s show all we heard was he and fans lament that the Bucs cut Aguayo too early. Never heard so much nonsense in my life from a radio show host or his listeners. Seems they are the same guys that think Aguayo should leave and Doug Martin should go. Also an ill-informed preference.
August 15th, 2017 at 9:42 am
Joe is starting to become a bit more open-minded.
As horrible as Bruce Almighty was at the draft, he did rebuild a roster into a playoff team and a winning team. And everywhere Bruce Almighty has been, his teams (Raiders, Bucs, Redskins) have made the playoffs.
Joe has to be fair.
August 15th, 2017 at 9:53 am
I am telling you Joe the Prisco’s story is accurate. Licht has to stand up there and face the firing squad on this one but it was not his decision!
August 15th, 2017 at 10:01 am
Joe is not one to “move on.”
lol….trust me..we know..you remind us of the past very often…..sad but true!!!!….
I once heard, if you continue to dwell on the past, you’ll miss the present and never see the future…..GO BUCS!!!!
August 15th, 2017 at 10:03 am
Licht is innocent of any poor decisions made. But if those decisions work out well then give him the credit because we should all just fall in line and “follow the Licht “. According to most Licht can do no wrong. Disturbing.
August 15th, 2017 at 10:05 am
D
Exactly, the fans arent influencing any personnel decisions. Thank goodness for that. This is an interesting story and subject. I was very perplexed licht would trade up for a kicker. I could see him taking one in 4th or later but giving up picks was crazy. He is too smart to think a kicker was a bigger roster hole than dline, wr, te, cb, s, etc at the time. Anyway i believe the glazier angle. Not sure why they liked aguayo so much tho. At least If thats the case they will stay out of it from now on(hopefully). 2 other players minus the kicker last year could n should have meant playofffffsssss. Oh well this is the year. Go Bucs
August 15th, 2017 at 10:08 am
Thanks for keeping it real, Joe. Your open mind and true observations are great.
Too many in the media are all about sweeping it under the rug, or putting lipstick on a pig.
August 15th, 2017 at 10:13 am
Cautious nobody is giving him a pass. Maybe you didn’t read Prisco’s tweet but he heard from reliable sources that the Glazers made this decision. He doesn’t get a pass for Kenny Bell or ASJ. This is being said about one pick only.
August 15th, 2017 at 10:17 am
@darin
kicker was a big hole!!!! In 2015 we started out with Kyle Brindza who was 50% on FG and 75% on extra points!!!!!!!! It was a “need”!!!!! And word on the street is that they only moved up to the Bottom of the second round was because Jon Robinson (who moved to the Titans) knew they wanted a kicker!!!!!!!!!
August 15th, 2017 at 10:28 am
FG kickers are a major PITA for coaches and GM’s. They are known as being quirky….similar to hockey goalies…coaches hate the concept of giving three points for a kick instead of actually earning it with play on the field…GM’s hate trying to find one that is not a head case…it’s one of those necessary evils from the coach and GM’s standpoint.
Licht rolled the dice hoping to put that PITA question to rest for a decade. So he rolled snake eyes….happens all the time in the NFL draft. I really have difficulty getting anymore excited about this mistake than ASJ…Bowers…shall I continue?
August 15th, 2017 at 10:48 am
Thank you.
August 15th, 2017 at 10:59 am
I’m gonna wait and see on Roberto. He’s been given a 2nd chance. And you never know. Wouldn’t it be something else if one day he kicks a winning field goal aginst our Bucs?? it has happenned before quite frequently in NFL history. The kid can kick. He just for whatever reason had this block with the Bucs. Maybe it was a Fl thing. Who knows. Good luck Roberto. I was looking forward to you taking my order at your new fast food franchise. But I’ll have to wait.
August 15th, 2017 at 11:02 am
“Cautious nobody is giving him a pass.”
…as you proceed to give him a pass! Who cares what Prisco’s tweet from “reliable sources” suggests? Just another example of a GM that can take credit for a decision that is seen as good and a complete pass for one seen as bad. Just imagining the RockStar would have been hanging from the rafters at RGS if this all went down under his reign. “Girl you know it’s true…”
August 15th, 2017 at 11:13 am
Time to move on from that disaster that has a non-athlete soccer club owner’s fingerprints all over it. Thankfully, Licht has loaded this roster with enough young talent to let this one go.
August 15th, 2017 at 11:18 am
Joe does because Joe knows who Prisco talks to.
(Hint: It’s not the guy at the end of the bar at Fergs.)
August 15th, 2017 at 11:26 am
Yes, I am giving him a pass for a decision that the owner’s made regarding a specific draft choice. After all, they have final say on all things regarding the Bucs.
August 15th, 2017 at 11:53 am
Joe – Are you insinuating my rants at bars go unreported?
August 15th, 2017 at 11:56 am
Aguyo didn’t work out. He was the best kicker in NCAA history.
It’s all good. Grateful we moved on now, and it gives Aguyo a chance to land on his feet. Respectful move.
Martin Gramatica was a third round pick. Sometimes you find a great kicker in the draft, sometimes you don’t. I love that we cut bait and didn’t allow this to have a negative effect on our chances of winning ball games.
This is a message to the team too. Draft picks are treated as equals. Love it.
August 15th, 2017 at 12:10 pm
🙂
August 15th, 2017 at 12:14 pm
This pick was all on Jason Licht, but Prisco and Stroud, in an effort to gain favor with Licht, start unfounded rumors that The Glazers greatly influenced Jason Licht.
August 15th, 2017 at 12:24 pm
LOL, Chris the conspiracy theorist. Journalists try not to make sh1t up for no good reason.
August 15th, 2017 at 2:35 pm
The notion that the Glazers forced Licht to trade up into the second round and select Aguayo is the actual conspiracy theory at hand. Last I checked Licht is the guy who makes the decisions on acquiring talent. If you give him credit for Winston who almost certainly was going to be the pick regardless who the GM was then you have to give him credit/blame for Aguayo.
August 15th, 2017 at 3:38 pm
Rick Stroud always reads what other people say and then tries to pretend he discovered something new himself. Slimy guy all the way.
In this case, he read Prisco and used it to sew more seeds of doubt…which will probably get him interviewed on TV and PFT Live.
August 15th, 2017 at 9:58 pm
The Glazer story is believable. How could Licht do so well on many picks, and then stoop so low as to draft a kicker in the 2nd round. Hmmm…
August 15th, 2017 at 10:14 pm
do so well on soo many picks? he isnt batting .500 and pair that with his abysmal free agency, licht is at a C-