The Price Of Greatness
March 18th, 2019
So what have the Buccaneers done to end their kicking circus?
Joe’s not quite sure, but what they did not do is buy the hot leg.
And this represents just a small part of the reason Joe can’t understand the Buccaneers’ plan to build a winner.
Jets Pro Bowl kicker Jason Myers was on the market in free agency last week. The dude nailed 33-of-36 field goal attempts last season playing in the not-so-friendly field conditions of the AFC East, including 6-of-7 from 50+ yards.
At 27 years old and 32-of-36 between 40 and 49 yards through his career, Myers was the jewel of this year’s free-agent kicker crop. He signed with Seattle for just under $4 million per season. Ironically, he got a salary nearly identical to the 2018 haul of fired Bucs kicker Chandler Catanzaro, who was launched last season after signing in March 2018.
Catanzaro moved on to Carolina and signed back with the Jets last week, his 2017 team.
The Bucs re-signed kicker Cairo Santos and guaranteed him $195,000, per Spotrac.com, and he can earn $1 million total for the season before he becomes a free agent in 2020. Man, Joe sure hopes competition for Santos is coming to Bucs training camp.
The point here is the Bucs passed on a great chance to solve their kicking crisis (Myers) and opted to keep rolling the dice — yet buying an established kicker was the chosen plan for general manager Jason Licht and friends just one year ago.
Joe’s not sure what changed in the mindset at One Buc Palace in 12 months. Santos’ contract screams that there’s not a lot of confidence in the guy.
March 18th, 2019 at 1:21 pm
Ha. Bucs site talking about a kicker. We could have Justin Tucker and it would amount to ZERO with a loser at QB.
March 18th, 2019 at 1:22 pm
Who…depressing to read…can only wonder what the reasoning was 33-36 deadly and worth every penny
March 18th, 2019 at 1:22 pm
leave it to Licht to screw things up again, he is a one man wrecking ball. All he does is sign bottom feeder players that are let go the following year for nothing. We continue to get worse not better.
March 18th, 2019 at 1:29 pm
Santos was pretty good in his stint with the Rams while “Legatron” was on the mend. He was pretty good in KC too before getting hurt. My points are (1) perhaps the Bucs got good value with Santos, and (2) perhaps the kickers the Bucs we’re going through like clean underwear weren’t the root cause of all the misses…cough…holder…cough?
March 18th, 2019 at 1:29 pm
I don’t get all the hate for Santos. He was not a bad kicker.
March 18th, 2019 at 1:29 pm
Hard to understand TONS of things @ One Buc place, the kicker is just one…….But hope is the last thing that is lost……
March 18th, 2019 at 1:31 pm
We. Can’t. Afford. Him.
March 18th, 2019 at 1:39 pm
“the Bucs passed on a great chance to solve their kicking crisis for a few million more and opted to keep rolling the dice”
Bucs don’t have “a few million more”. As it stands now – they are going to have to make at least a couple/few more cuts in order to come up with the additional $5-7M needed just to sign this year’s rookie class.
As long as the punter is handling kickoffs – Santos will be just fine for the Bucs this year.
March 18th, 2019 at 1:39 pm
damn kickers!!!!!….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
March 18th, 2019 at 1:41 pm
#moneyforjameis
March 18th, 2019 at 1:48 pm
Notice zero santos stats to backup the kicking game. The joes love the one year wonder stats like those of Dee Ford. Yea dude hit 33 of 36 last year which is good for 91.7 but he has a career average of 84.3 even with that best year except for that one year he’s no better than santos. That’s called doing homework and wasn’t that hard to see Myers had one good season which is why I never heard of him prior to last year
March 18th, 2019 at 1:49 pm
Taking yet another Jets kicker and turning him into a shaky shankster probably was a concern.
March 18th, 2019 at 1:51 pm
Ohhhhh??? Am I missing something? He didn’t seem to help the Jets Win… just saying.
March 18th, 2019 at 1:51 pm
What? I’m not paying a kicker from the Jets $4m.
Also Santos was 9/12 last year and perfect on his XP, also he was a stud in KC before he was injured. I’d be fine if he wins the jobs and I think over the course of a full season he’ll do just fine. They need to bring in competition, but the guy is a very good kicker. Of course if he misses a 54 yarder in the preseason all the dopes will be saying he’s awful and demanding that he’s cut.
If I’m the Bucs there’s only one name I wait on, that is Bryant. I still make him win a comp, but to me the only reason you cut Anger then sign a new punter at nearly the same $3m cost to handle kickoffs, is because you’re going to get an old kicker and you don’t want them getting injured trying to boom kickoffs.
March 18th, 2019 at 1:54 pm
I agree with Rod Munch.
March 18th, 2019 at 1:59 pm
they got rid of the holder. -the real problem.
March 18th, 2019 at 2:00 pm
stephen gostkowski still unsigned as well.
March 18th, 2019 at 2:06 pm
The real culprit and common denominator is gone, the ST coach Nate Kaczor?
March 18th, 2019 at 2:10 pm
rrsrq – Yeah, I said that last year too when they fired Mike Smith, that the special teams are awful and have been awful and the kicker production and punting has been terrible for a couple of years, why not fire the ST coach. I don’t know if the ST coach really matters much for kicking, but why not make the change instead of getting a new kicker every 3 weeks.
March 18th, 2019 at 2:10 pm
I know how they started their kicking circus. By letting Matt Bryant go “For no good reason”
March 18th, 2019 at 2:18 pm
Anybody notice since we got Santos to kick our field goals that the big screen behind the upright cuts from the live view and displays a red screen. Been a season ticket holder for years and never noticed that with any other kicker… I could see how looking through the uprights and seeing two sets of yellow poles could mess with one’s vision, and maybe even accuracy… Just an observation
March 18th, 2019 at 2:19 pm
Here is a stat that stands out with out new punter, Pinion……when holding for Robbie Gould of SF……..Gould hit 75 of 78 FGs……
Thus…..perhaps our holder problem is solved.
I think Santos is OK….it seems most of the kickers we have only kicked poorly fo us.
March 18th, 2019 at 2:25 pm
have to agree with rod munch
March 18th, 2019 at 2:29 pm
And yet Joe still stands behind Jason Gump… SMDH
March 18th, 2019 at 2:41 pm
I’m fine with Santos until he misses a game winning 34 yarder
March 18th, 2019 at 2:47 pm
What are kicking stats with Anger holding?
I can vouch how a holder makes a LOT of difference.
Great holders make a kicker better, bad ones make a kicker worse.
March 18th, 2019 at 3:16 pm
When it comes to this position and whom the Bucs hire…..
Let’s just take that problem (#13) and kick it down the road……lol
March 18th, 2019 at 3:44 pm
Licht is wishy washy, a terrible leader, king of the clown show.
Nothing has changed at all.
March 18th, 2019 at 3:49 pm
I dont get all the Bryant talk. I am confident in saying that if Bryant was ONLY being offered a contract from the Bucs of the 32 teams….he would hang it up rather than play with this franchise who erroneously disrespected him and has paid dearly for it.
March 18th, 2019 at 3:52 pm
Cobraboy,
Can you please explain how a holder makes a difference
March 18th, 2019 at 4:02 pm
The dude got cut…from Jacksonville, before. Says alot. Maybe he had a couple decent years, but hands down Gostkowski is the “crown jewel” of this FA kicking class, not Myers. And ages is a very irrelevant factor in top shelf kickers, just ask Vinatieri, Morton Andersen, Bryant up till last year. At 35 still, Gostkowski crushes Myers, would likely come a tad cheaper too.
Now what Licht did, was what he’s done all offseason, is just hang on to his salary as feebly long as possible by spending, cutting, trading almost nothing, to sadly create no ripples, to keep his pitiful salary. JUST look and listen to Licht in his offseason press conference at how many times he said he was grateful to “still be here”, and “thankful to the Glazers”. Like 7 or 8 times. Vomitous.
Mr. No Ripples…
But Gostkowski was the catch for sure.
March 18th, 2019 at 4:19 pm
Maybe they should still sign Bryant like Bonzai thinks…we could just start collecting kickers like Gruden collects QB’s!
March 18th, 2019 at 4:25 pm
Jameis is a fantastic QB and will be a Buc for a while. Get used to it. If the kicker keeps screwing him out of wins, then, if I’m Jameis, I’m out!
March 18th, 2019 at 4:36 pm
If Joe was gm we would be cap strapped until 2030 so that we could go all in on next year.
March 18th, 2019 at 4:55 pm
Well we could always use our second round pick.
March 18th, 2019 at 4:57 pm
Licht is a genius.
March 18th, 2019 at 4:58 pm
@D1: When you line up a kick, you line up on a specific spot where you expect the ball. You expect a particular lean angle of the ball. You expect particular hand/finger pressure on the ball. You expect no movement of the ball. You expect consistent hand/arm movement on the ball in your peripheral vision.
If any of those things are off, the kick can go awry because it is extremely difficult to change your kicking leg trajectory once the movement begins. If you have to adjust, even a little, mid-swing you could be screwed.
I was blessed with a great college holder, and for one pro season a phenomenal holder, a WR named Ron Holiday. They make a LOT of difference.
Before I got hurt, I had a horrible, terrible holder in a QB who was a top-6 1st Round pick. He was horrible. I never knew where the ball was going to end up which screwed the entire operation. In fact I blame him to an extent on my injury. In practice, on a “block the kick” exercise for the defense, right before I was about to make contact with the ball, leg in focused mid-swing, this brainiac pulled the fumbled ball up off the ground on a “fire” call and I got run flat over, never saw it coming, by a DE, blind-sided, as he scooted around right end.
Holders make a LOT of difference.
I think it was not a coincidence that Bucs kicking woes have been present every year since Anger was the holder. Do not be surprised if the [problem gets fixed.
A missed kick isn’t always the kicker.
March 18th, 2019 at 5:07 pm
@ Cobraboy
Check out the success of Pinion while he was a holder….I’m sure it was part of the reason he was picked up.
March 18th, 2019 at 5:08 pm
The Bucs need 2 roster spots for kicker. A short kick and extra point specialist. Then a long kicker who struggles with the shorter attempts. 2 kickers, and if one completely craps the bed, sub the kicker.
March 18th, 2019 at 5:09 pm
This years draft is all about kickers. Use all picks for kickers.
March 18th, 2019 at 5:11 pm
Donuts
His prior special teams coach is here
He even said he would play for Bucs again but has not heard from
Them
He still has a home in Tampa.
Matt Bryant would definetly play here.
March 18th, 2019 at 5:43 pm
I would not be surprised to see Bruce opt to go for it more then to kick anyways. No risk it no biscuit.
March 18th, 2019 at 6:20 pm
Santos was better than chandler and roverto and probably equal to patrick murray. Once Santos came here it wasnt him losing games it was STILL the defense and Dirk Koetters stale play caling
Next…
March 18th, 2019 at 7:22 pm
CobraBoy,
Thanks. Do you think if the holder is the problem in this case, is it possible for the kicker to not notice the problem? I’m asking, since the team has burned thru multiple kickers, camp,preseason, season, why hasn’t someone noticed?
I can get the fact that a single kicker might not catch it, but multiple kickers?
March 18th, 2019 at 8:12 pm
Can’t believe Joe hasn’t chimed in on this yet.
I guess Cobraboy made too much sense.
March 18th, 2019 at 8:53 pm
We have no $$$ for a premium kicker! This is who the Bucs can afford.
March 18th, 2019 at 8:56 pm
Chasing stats and dishing out dough for kickers hasn’t been working. Myers would’ve melted like all the others if we gave him a pile of dough. Roberto cost us draft capital, Nick and Chandler cost us $$. All those guys had great years prior to joining the Bucs. I’d rather take a shot on a kicker looking to earn dough as opposed to one who is afraid to lose it. Santos is a good kicker when healthy, and the new punter can bang the kickoffs, thus saving Santos leg. Santos can now specialize on the goal posts. Good move.
March 18th, 2019 at 10:48 pm
I mentioned Ron Holiday as a holder.
The first time I got to work with Ron he asked “seam or panel?” I had never been asked that before. I mean, you practice, generally, kicking the seam of the ball, laces forward, because the ball flies straighter and is more balanced in the air. Physics.
But in practice or a game you never really knew what you were going to get. And sometimes the holder was still spinning the ball while on the ground. Think about it: what is the probability that he can keep the ball on the spot, at the right angle, while spinning the ball to the nearest seam (usually a counter-clockwise spin so get a seam pointed at *him* knowing if he had a seam, so did the kicker.
Ron Holiday was something else. From the first operation together he was nearly perfect. But what made Ron so excellent is he could spin the ball, seam backwards, after he caught the ball and before he put it on the spot.
March 19th, 2019 at 2:23 am
CobraBoy,
Thanks , I never thought about that .
By chance was He a QB ? I ask because, as a QB you develop a feel for where the laces are from any position and whether it’s a quick spin or a flip you know the laces and ball position will be right where it should be. I’ve seen any number of coaches who have a ship fit if their QB flips the ball as he drops back or catches it out of the gun. It’s always a coach who never played the position who does it. They don’t know the hours of handling the ball ,spinning or flipping , ultimately gives the QB the ability to which you’re referring to.
Traditionally, the holder was a QB. Then it moved to the punter. These are only positions that
have that feel for the ball you’re mentioning.
March 19th, 2019 at 5:20 am
I enjoy using secondary profiles to congratulate myself and seek self-approval!
March 19th, 2019 at 9:56 am
@D1: Ron was a WR. My college holder was a WR. QB’s were my worst holders.
Think about it: WR’s catch balls coming at them in a spiral. That’s what they do, catch and tuck away.
A QB, even in a shotgun, never catches the ball spiralling to them, much less on one or two knees. Eye/hand coordination isn’t a top priority for a QB, whereas a WR lives and dies by his eye/hand coordination. A shotgun snap to a QB is a lazy loaf compared to a bullet pass.
March 19th, 2019 at 9:59 am
I think Ron just has a knack, he had “it.” We had a terrific season together.
March 19th, 2019 at 11:52 am
Former Jets kickers and former Clemson DEs just haven’t gone right with us… ever. Good kicker, but throwing money on another one year wonder from the Jets just seems like a bad idea all around.
March 20th, 2019 at 5:56 pm
Buc need to go get Ron Holiday. Sign him immediately Licht! Show some stones!