Biggest Roster Decision
November 7th, 2016
In BSPN’s cross-hairs.
At the halfway point, you can bet your last bottle of beer that every general manager is studying who to retain next year and who should get the boot come February.
Field Yates of BSPN looks at the roster of the Bucs and he sees one guy whose days with the Bucs are at a crossroads. And that is the Jan Stenerud of the Bucs, Roberto Aguayo.
Getting Aguayo on track: This isn’t a decision as much as it is a major need. The Buccaneers bypassed conventional wisdom by using a second-round pick on kicker Roberto Aguayo. The bottom line when making an investment like that is that Aguayo has little margin for error. He essentially needs to be elite from the day he takes the field. So far, he hasn’t been — he has missed seven combined field goals and extra points going into Week 9. Kicking can be a rhythm and confidence component to football. Somehow, someway, Aguayo needs to get on track.
Stenerud isn’t close to being cut, no matter how loud, frequent and profanity-laced the howls from fans are. Teams just don’t toss a second round pick into the trash like the empty Jack Daniels bottle Bucs fans went through Thursday night.
Joe is still convinced Stenerud is safe through the 2017 season.
November 7th, 2016 at 7:32 am
So I’m confused, its Roberto Aguayo who is not in risk of getting cut since Jan Stenerud is not on the roster, or am I missing something….
November 7th, 2016 at 7:54 am
The. I should cut second round picks like there an UDFA. How many are still on this team from the last 7 – 8 years
November 7th, 2016 at 8:13 am
i think they need a new GM to turn this team around….go get bill polian or aask or beg rich mckay to come back lousy licht isnt cutting it
November 7th, 2016 at 8:22 am
Actually the Bucs threw the trash known as ASJ out…took a few seasons I suppose.
November 7th, 2016 at 9:18 am
Where he went in the draft is irrelevant to what happens on the football field. It is only important in the context of the fevered ego that spent a second round pick on a kicker that can’t kick. Sadly it is this ego protection that allows AguaOh,no to still be on the field missing kicks and negatively impacting football games.
Belichek wouldn’t keep trotting this kid out there. Incidentally, he also wouldn’t have drafted his aas in the second! What a joke.
November 7th, 2016 at 9:35 am
I have been the biggest critic of Jason Licht since he came here. While everyone defended him, I pointed out his weaknesses and I got jumped on because of it. Now those weaknesses are undeniable.
So hear me when I say this: Keep Jason Licht.
Sounds like an about-face on my part, doesn’t it?
Here’s the thing…every General Manager has weaknesses. Every One. Fan memory seems to be short. Our last GM was absolutely horrible at drafting. He excelled at cap management and contracts (yes, he signed some bad deals…but notice that NONE of them put us in cap trouble?). But he absolutely sucked at drafts. No denying that. As a result, this team was stuck at the bottom with no hope of pulling out.
Setting aside the win/loss stat, can anyone deny this team is better? We have an offense in development that has the potential to be great, and is already the best defense in team history.
Before the Roberto Aguayo pick, everyone here said “Trust in Licht!”
One pick, good or bad, should not be enough to change your minds, but to address the Roberto Aguayo pick, there is no reason to think it was a good pick at this point…except past history. The Raiders did end up with a 15 year kicker because they stuck with their kicker pick.
No, I’m not saying that means Roberto Aguayo will turn out the same. Sebastian Janikowski missed 10 field goals in his rookie year. But that doesn’t mean Roberto Aguayo missing now leads to him being great later, does it?
So let’s look deeper. In 1992, the Detroit Lions drafted Jason Hanson in the 2nd round. He missed 5 field goals in his rookie year, and then missed a whole bunch in his 2nd year. Went on to kick for the Lions for 20 years.
In 1972, the Green Bay Packers drafted Chester Marcol 34th overall. He missed 15 field goals his rookie year…15! Went on to play for them for 9 years.
There are other examples. Some worked out, some did not.
My point is this…we don’t know Roberto Aguayo will not turn into one of the best kickers in the league. That will take more than this season to find out. Keep him, but have a backup plan if he doesn’t start improving during next season.
November 7th, 2016 at 9:37 am
“the potential to be great, and is already the best defense in team history”
Meant to say “the potential to be great, and is already the best offense in team history”
November 7th, 2016 at 9:41 am
Drafting is more important than free agency…and since drafting is Jason Licht’s strength, stay with him.
And as for “Bill Polian”?
Get real. He would never come here for two reasons…first, he’s retired and never wants to come back. Second, even if that changed, the Glazers have more than proven they do not have the patience to invest the time it will take for a GM to turn this team around, especially if they fire Jason Licht or Dirk Koetter.
Stick with Licht, Koetter and Smith. Give Smith time and resources to turn the defense around.
November 7th, 2016 at 9:49 am
The Kid is a Rookie. Nudge him next year.
This is Mike smiths first year with the defense.
He gets another Year
The biggest problem with this team, Is that it has an idiotic, Petulent , self Entitled fan base.
And for some reason- Ownership is swayed by them!
This team leads every Pro team in Knee jerk reactions!
Im tired of seeing the Adrian Clayborns, The Donald Penns, The Mark Barrons ( Who I always said should be a Lb!) helping to stomp the Bucs Ass in the Ground.
Stop drafting.
If we arent gonna develop our rookies- stop drafting them
And stop hiring coaches. Just let the players coach themselves.
If you are gonna fire every coach or coordinator after a year or two- then you are doing more harm than good
How many different Defensive coordinators has Gerald McCoy had? 7?8?
Thats completely differnt defensives to learn, then unlearn
No wonder these guys all look lost. Lavonte David looks totally lost and disinterested this year.
Who can blame him?
We either start to have some continuity, or just except Sucking forever.
I expect continued Knee jerks.
Like much of America, Ive decided fishing is less stressful than watching idiots destroying our young players
November 7th, 2016 at 10:07 am
Capt.Tim nailed it.
November 7th, 2016 at 10:17 am
I’m still a critic…….but you are absolutely correct Bonzai it takes time!! I was vilified for calling him THE BACK/STABBER!!
November 7th, 2016 at 11:45 am
I second it, Capt. Tim. You simply cannot have the turnover in coaches and personnel the Bucs have and expect to be good. I’m as frustrated as the next guy but you have to go all in with Aguayo at this point (like we have a choice!) and you have to hope he rights the ship.
November 7th, 2016 at 12:12 pm
We knew going in that Aguayo would struggle. That’s what rookie kickers do. With that said, from the moment we drafted Aguayo, it was a mistake. One that shows how out of touch Licht is with this team. An Adam Vinatieri/Steve Gostkowski kicker is a luxury. This team had way too many holes to be drafting a kicker.
November 7th, 2016 at 11:36 am
we have very nearly cemented our status as a non playoff team. it would be foolish to not let aguayo attempt to kick his way through this when the team is back to playing for nothing more than pride and to give young guys experience for yet another season.
November 7th, 2016 at 11:49 am
He won that game in Carolina and really honestly hasn’t lost a game for them yet. It’s frustrating, but he deserves a pass right now. They need to bring in a competition next pre-season next year tho.
November 7th, 2016 at 1:17 pm
Aguayo is obviously not getting cut unless the wheels fall completely off. Even in that case he would most likely not be cut outright this year or next. He will be given 3 years to become what was expected of him when he was drafted so high.
They (Licht and Koetter) knew there was some reasonable % chance that Aguayo would have some struggles coming into the NFL and have, for now, apparently resolved to just ride it out – and assume a highly talented athletic specialist will find his mojo at some point sooner than later – and start becoming the star kicker they projected him to become.
If the kicking struggles continue all year – and Koetter doesn’t feel that Aguayo can be relied on heading into next year – then bringing in competition and perhaps even holding 2 roster spots for kickers in 2017 if need be – would seem appropriate and perhaps necessary.
November 7th, 2016 at 3:04 pm
No chance he gets cut this year… but they will bring a vet into camp and if he repeats this next preseason, he’s gone. Silly to say he get 2 full years. Kickers are everywhere ( thats why you don’t spend a high pick) and if he continues to show he doesn’t have what it takes , he won’t be around.
November 7th, 2016 at 10:08 pm
Some people really never tire of complaining.