The Next Act In The Kicking Circus
January 17th, 2019
Among the many soap opera-like tragedies that have befallen the Bucs since they clinched their last playoff berth in 2007, the kicking circus is among the most astounding.
And a new episode is revving up.
You know how Joe knew in advance Bucco Bruce Arians would be named the new Tampa Bay head coach? Because Arians launched kicker Chandler Catanzaro after the 2016 season in Arizona. Then Catanzaro went to the Jets and was launched after a shaky 2017. And then he landed with the Bucs after the 2016 Jets kicker, Nick Folk, failed in Tampa. #sarcasm
You can’t make this stuff up.
Now Arians is here with new kicking coach Chris Boniol and kicker Cairo Santos about to hit free agency coming off a questionable seven-game tenure last season. Santos was 3-for-6 on field goal attempts of 40+ yards.
Joe certainly hopes the Bucs can find a kicker in the seventh-round of the draft this year, or even a undrafted guy. Heck, Sebastian Janikowski is a free agent coming off another solid season and a solid playoff game.
Joe’s only request is to not allow whoever has been scouting kickers in the past be part of the process. Give the guys $100 gift cards to Hooters and tell them to get lost for a while.
The kicking circus came up at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters today after the Steelers owner Art Rooney II spoke out about his team’s failure to produce an average kicking game. Joe wonders if Team Glazer will hug the guy at the next owners meeting and invite him to a group therapy session.
January 17th, 2019 at 1:17 pm
Special teams for the Bucs have been horrible for years.
It has cost the Bucs a number of games.
Hopefully, the new regime will at least get the Bucs to average.
January 17th, 2019 at 1:18 pm
Stephen Gostkowski is scheduled to be a free agent after the playoffs. As long as the Patriots do not Franchise Tag him the Bucs should heavily pursue him.
January 17th, 2019 at 1:20 pm
Ravens are the only other team in the league (so far) that has a kicking coach. Kudos to the Bucs for recognizing this is a coaching position that this team has needed desperately for several years. Shame Koetter did not adapt to today’s NFL and recognize the need for a speciality coaching position.
January 17th, 2019 at 1:23 pm
Fixing the kicker alone will win us 3-4 more games.
January 17th, 2019 at 1:36 pm
Idc who they bring in just make sure he can make it thru the up rights. Idk who the guy was that cut Matt Bryant but he should never have done that.
January 17th, 2019 at 1:43 pm
im just going to “kick” back and watch this thing unfold….lol….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
January 17th, 2019 at 1:44 pm
I think alot of our kickers intentionally missed kicks because they didn’t support JW after the uber incident.
Don’t laugh, read the threads below.
January 17th, 2019 at 1:44 pm
We have the #5 pick in the draft, we could have the best kicker coming out. lol
January 17th, 2019 at 1:46 pm
“Heck, Sebastian Janikowski is a free agent coming off another solid season and a solid playoff game.“
Didn’t he pull a muscle or something attempting a kick, that he missed, leaving the Seahawks without a kicker for the rest of the game?
January 17th, 2019 at 2:05 pm
“Stephen Gostkowski is scheduled to be a free agent after the playoffs.”
Isn’t he like 100 years old?
January 17th, 2019 at 2:07 pm
In recent years, there has been nothing ‘special’ about Buccaneer teams.
January 17th, 2019 at 2:13 pm
I’ve been thinking that Chris Baker destroyed Aquayo’s career after watching that episode of Hard Knocks. Why not invite him back for a retry? Maybe he needs it to get his kicking game back in order? If not, cut him.
January 17th, 2019 at 2:15 pm
When does Roberto Aquayo’s brother graduate?
January 17th, 2019 at 2:23 pm
If a kicker can win is 3-4 more games a year, that’s worth using the 5th pick in the draft! JK.
The curse of Matt Bryant is real.
January 17th, 2019 at 2:30 pm
The next kicking competition should have air horns involved.
January 17th, 2019 at 2:31 pm
they don’t even deserve Hooters gift cards IMO lol
Bring in some young guys. Every year new kickers come in an do well. Chargers kicker was the Miami kicker that went undrafted after 2018 and he’s been money for them
January 17th, 2019 at 2:35 pm
slugglife
if that’s true …. using that idea, isn’t it worth a second round pick ?
still a gamble/risk worth taking ?
go bucs
January 17th, 2019 at 2:44 pm
Lol at this point start recruiting from ManU.
January 17th, 2019 at 2:45 pm
Kaptain Morgan Says:
January 17th, 2019 at 1:18 pm
Stephen Gostkowski is scheduled to be a free agent after the playoffs. As long as the Patriots do not Franchise Tag him the Bucs should heavily pursue him.
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I 100% agree with this post!
January 17th, 2019 at 2:45 pm
Nah. Was just riding somebody else’s coat tails on that one.
Need defensive beasts.
January 17th, 2019 at 2:45 pm
Casey Morgan Says:
January 17th, 2019 at 2:05 pm
“Stephen Gostkowski is scheduled to be a free agent after the playoffs.”
Isn’t he like 100 years old?
You might be thinking Vinitierri ( sp ) who he replaced in New England. Bucs need a break in the kicking dept. Bryant has been “money” in Atlanta but he has been a bit of a late bloomer…has gotten better with age as a few actually do and kicks indoors over half the time. Bummer he got away but who knew he’d get even better if not stronger heading into his 40’s.
January 17th, 2019 at 3:26 pm
manizel
lol…i agree….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
January 17th, 2019 at 3:41 pm
Why did Chandler go the Panthers and have more success, mmmm
He was 6/7 extra points and 5/5 FGs
Was he trying to get out of TPA
January 17th, 2019 at 4:20 pm
Or you’re thinking of janikowski
January 17th, 2019 at 5:24 pm
I thinks it’s funny how everyone wears blinders and think the Bucs are the only ones with a Kicker issue..
January 17th, 2019 at 5:25 pm
Dont find a guy with the biggest leg, find the guy with the biggest balls.and thickest skin..
January 17th, 2019 at 7:05 pm
We need to find a cement head to kick…somebody not smart enough to choke.
I covered the Furman Paladins in the late 70’s. They brought in a basketball player from Tennessee who was reported to be able to jump through the roof.
First appearance and dude shows up for the pre season intra squad game…giant crowd comes out to see him…and he’s white.
Of course we all knew that white men can’t jump! Major disappointment. Then he did a 360 dunk with ease and it took a long time for us to recover in the stands. LOL He was only 6-4.
But his highlight wasn’t jumping it was in the old North South double header which featured UNC…NC State playing alternate nights against the Citadel and Furman. Last game UNC power house under Dean Smith phoned it in. Furman took advantage and in the final second trailed by only one with the jumping jack on the line for two FT’s. We were choking just watching him…a chance to beat the almighty TarHeels…not Rodney…he just went to line and drained them both and then smiled like big deal.
Seriously this guy had a rep as a bit of a dullard and that’s what got him through that pressure…pressure?…what pressure?
Find me the most dim witted kicker out there. I am soooooo tired of all the choking.
January 17th, 2019 at 7:08 pm
I like the idea if bringing in Dan Bailey. He didn’t have a great season with the Vikes but I just read a article that said he wasn’t fully healthy until the end of the season. He and Justin Tucker were the best two kickers until Bailey’s injury. He played for 1.5 last year so the Bucs could get him for probably less.
January 17th, 2019 at 7:12 pm
Joe must be drunk! Janikowski got hurt and couldn’t kick thereby costing his team a win… or was I dreaming that?
January 17th, 2019 at 7:45 pm
Slick way to get a cheap Hooters endorsement — not
January 17th, 2019 at 7:50 pm
We have an actual kicking coach now right? Why not bring Aguayo in for training camp for some workouts/coaching? He really wasn’t worse than any of these other 100 guys we’ve brought in since he was cut. He played pretty well for the chargers before they decided to go with a vet. Sure would be a great redemption story if it worked out.
January 17th, 2019 at 8:19 pm
Ur the curse of Matt Bryant.
January 17th, 2019 at 8:37 pm
FA Jason Myers UDFA in 2013. 97 out of 115 career. Had a terrible 2017 year with the Jags but had huge bounce back with NYJ in 2018 33 of 36 with a 56 yard long.
January 17th, 2019 at 8:57 pm
Ironically, despite everyone saying taking a Aguayo in RD 2 was too early…
… a kicking game is vital and having a bad one WILL lose you 3+ games per season.
If Aguayo had worked out he would have stuck around for 10+ years and it would have been a great use of a second round pick. Licht just blew it on the scouting front.
January 17th, 2019 at 8:58 pm
And yes, this is all part of the Curse of Matt Bryant, the Bucs deserve everything they get after all he did for this franchise, even coming out to kick a gamewinner after tragedy struck his family. And the Bucs treated him cold as ice.
January 18th, 2019 at 7:41 am
Santos was excellent in KC – I’d keep him around, not necessarily as the starter, but in cap and competing. Oh, and I’d bring back Roberto.
January 18th, 2019 at 7:42 am
Licht needs to adopt the George Costanzo (Seinfeld) approach to kickers, coaches, corners, and running backs.
“If every instinct you have is wrong…then the opposite would have to be right.”
January 18th, 2019 at 8:33 pm
Dirks Great granpappy Says:
“Or you’re thinking of janikowski.”
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You just think all polaks look alike.
January 18th, 2019 at 8:36 pm
stpetebucsfan Says:
January 17th, 2019 at 7:05 pm
We need to find a cement head to kick…somebody not smart enough to choke.
Post of the day.