Silly Knock On Folk
March 20th, 2017
Why nitpick?
Some folks just reach to unreal lengths to find something wrong with a guy.
Take new Bucs kicker Nick Folk. He is the most accurate kicker in Jets history — yet he’s not good enough for some Bucs fans.
One in particular — Joe’s not going to out the guy — was aroused on Twitter to this transaction and since has been attacking Joe for the gall to term this a positive move.
This Bucs fans claims Folk, since entering the league in 2007, has 10 blocked kicks, which is true. This averages out to one a season. One! Never mind Folk converted 27 of 31 attempts and 24 of 26 extra points last season.
The last time Joe checked, a blocked kick is a missed kick. So this Twitterer has his briefs bunched up over one miss a year (on average). Meanwhile, last season, Bucs incumbent kicker Roberto Aguayo missed seven kicks from 40-yards out or more in 11 attempts. A 16-year old kicking for St. Petersburg Catholic likely has as good of an average.
So the Bucs should not have signed Folk because of an average of one block per season and be content with a guy who more often than not misses from 40-yards out (a paltry 36 percent [!] of his kicks are made from that distance)?
C’mon.
March 20th, 2017 at 5:27 am
Forget Folk. How many game changing/game winning plays has Aunt Geraldine made? Every year it never fails…. Oh he needs more help etc… The MF is getting paid like a game changer. Now it’s time to ROI.
March 20th, 2017 at 5:52 am
Folk will push Aguayo to step it up or get the hell out!
March 20th, 2017 at 5:59 am
I’m getting kind of perturbed by all th GMC HATE, the Bucs wasted this guys career by not building a dominate defensive line after he arrived, that’s it, one guy can’t make all the plays, without a dominate edge rusher this defensive team will not ever be that Sapp lead Defense of old!
March 20th, 2017 at 6:00 am
I am glad Licht and Koetter walk the walk. They always say the want competition at every spot, and damn it, they got it. So either ‘Burto gets it together or bye bye. I am not as PO’d by drafting ‘Burto in the 2nd round, hell, look at the 1st round picks that flame out or bust.
March 20th, 2017 at 6:23 am
Been awhile since I’ve seen folks make so much to-do about nothing. Folk is a kicker, not a QB, RB or WR. Aquayo is a kicker, not a QB, RB or WR. The two will go head-to-head in preseason then Licht & Koetter will decide which is better. It’s called competition. It’s good. In other news, lots of Pro Days coming up (started last week). Isn’t it time for the draft yet?
March 20th, 2017 at 6:48 am
Great move. The comments on here are getting out of control. Again, he could be an even better kicker in nice Florida weather ! If he beats out aguayo. Gaurantee aguayo working his butt off to not let that happen…
March 20th, 2017 at 7:09 am
GMC.Sucks every time I see this guy play he’s getting man handled or he’s hurt. If you pay close attention after the play is over 80% of the time he’s 5 to 10 yards away from the play DAY DREAMING!!
He’s not worth the money and stop the pre game speeches they are horrible..
March 20th, 2017 at 7:12 am
Must be a over loyal FSU homer trying to defend their boy. Step it up Roberto or get to steppin
March 20th, 2017 at 7:21 am
Everyone has to remember he was a rookie. Rookies make mistakes. VH3 struggled at times too and he was a 1st rd pick
March 20th, 2017 at 7:26 am
A kicker is a kicker, don’t try and compare them to other positions cause it is not the same.
Kicking is kicking is kicking, it does not change apart from the obvious.
Either he does not miss in preseason and wins the job or he misses and they find a solution.
Simple.
March 20th, 2017 at 7:26 am
“Gaurantee aguayo working his butt off to not let that happen…”
Bird….How exactly does a kicker work his butt off to get better? Imo you either have IT or you don’t, but apparently he can become a better kicker by working at it. Sure if he’s still in high school, sure.
How does he get better? The answer is he doesn’t, no matter how much more he practices. He’s a kicker, you either make them or you don’t.
March 20th, 2017 at 7:28 am
lol PRB or Ja ja ja
March 20th, 2017 at 7:33 am
How does a kicker that can only kick under 40 yards even start at a major college, then gets drafted to an NFL team, where average kickers can make 50-55 yarders consistently? Most games are decided within 7 points, you’d think a kicker, especially one drafted, would be tested, or have film showing the capability to make 40-50 easily
March 20th, 2017 at 7:35 am
lol
March 20th, 2017 at 7:43 am
They will give Roberto every chance to win the job but competition makes people better or breaks them. Hopefully it’ll make him and if not we have a good kicker with tons of experience.
The worst thing that can happen is Licht looks bad for drafting him in the 2nd round. As long as we have a reliable kicker who cares who it is??
March 20th, 2017 at 7:50 am
I have to wonder whether this signing says anything about Aguayo’s current form. He struggled mightily last year, but he was a rookie in a position where rookies tend to struggle. You would assume that he would be safe at least for the start of this season UNLESS the team had real concerns that he is not improving. I wonder if word has been leaking out that Alberto still isn’t looking very sharp.
March 20th, 2017 at 8:04 am
Keep both kickers……alternate them…..the first one that misses gets cut.
March 20th, 2017 at 8:06 am
He struggled his last year at FSU too. It’s not just a rookie thing. And he has no leg, he can’t even come close to making a 50 yard field goal. Why is it a big deal? Because we were 9-7, what if a chance at making it to the playoffs, winning a playoff game comes down to a kick? Yoi FSU homers are pathetic. You would gladly trot that guy oit, all because of yoyr loyalty to a college 99.9% of you didn’t even attend.If your college loyalty means more than the Bucs, get off this site, go to Joe Nole fan.
March 20th, 2017 at 8:07 am
Come on Tampa Bay, waste a regular season roster spot on an extra kicker?
March 20th, 2017 at 8:11 am
Well said Chris!
Loyalty to a college you never attended over your hometown pro team is downright moronic
March 20th, 2017 at 8:24 am
I’m a little surprised you feel the need to call out a single idiot knucklehead Twitter user. I like the signing. As for the blocked kicks unless this knucklehead went back to look at every blocked kick in Folk’s career and analyzed who’s to blame he should be muted. If he actually did look at every blocked kick in Folk’s career he needs a job or a girlfriend or both.
March 20th, 2017 at 8:54 am
Chris Says:
“And he has no leg, he can’t even come close to making a 50 yard field goal.”
Not true.
Dirk Koetter said that in practice Aguayo was hitting 60 yard field goals. While practice is not live game action, it at least shows he has the leg. Therefore? You are wrong. Sorry.
March 20th, 2017 at 9:09 am
And of course we believe every word a coach says. And you were there to see that with your own eyes Bonzi? STFU and quit trying to always one up eveyone on here.
March 20th, 2017 at 9:19 am
Practice kicks mean nothing lol.
PROOF which are games “that matter”, say otherwise.
March 20th, 2017 at 9:34 am
I’m tired of the trolls who try to turn a conversation about kickers into a GMC bash-fest. Stick to the topic and save the rhetoric for D-line convos, idiots!
The Bucs signing a “real” kicker can be nothing but good for everyone. Aguayo, you’ve been officially put on notice!
March 20th, 2017 at 10:02 am
But then Bonzai, the game happens and he kicks one 50 yarder like a 6 year old girl would and never again trys one close to 50. I’m sorry youre a Nole fan first, a Buc fan second, but the signing of a legitimate kicker, one that has more 50 yard makes tgan your guy will ever attempt in his career, and two missed pats in 10 years, not one like your guy. Im about improving the Bucs, not foistering my college allegiances .
March 20th, 2017 at 10:09 am
Joe is awesome. how does an article about a comment on twitter becomes a very hot topic like this? Well done Joes well done
March 20th, 2017 at 11:30 am
I just don’t see Roberto getting any better.
Not like he made a bunch of pressure kicks in college.
In the great year he had the noles would have won the Title without a kicker. Not a bit of pressure on him.
Incredibly moronic decision drafting the guy in the second round and trading up for the privilege. Stunningly incompetent. Sickening.
March 20th, 2017 at 11:51 am
Must be the slow season if we’re getting articles based on a random twitter user lol.
March 20th, 2017 at 12:10 pm
Licht has been out in the Florida summer sun enough to take the baking. Can’t live a healthful life without the sun exposure. You can get over baked and err on occasion. Like Aguayo. GMC? I drive a 26 year old Toyota that I bought new.
March 20th, 2017 at 12:16 pm
Buc1987
You failed in that logic. He can work his butt off, MENTALLY. It’s evident he has it. I mean he was the best kicker in college football history. He just doesn’t simply lose it. It’s pretty obvious it was all in his head. The harder he practices mentally and physically, the more likely he is to rebound to his elite form.
the guy was drafted high for a reason. It was too high, sure but if we didn’t take him, some other team would have done so high as well. It’s funny you’re all willing to write him off so quick. He improved and we have a second rounder invested. We need to have faith.
March 20th, 2017 at 12:18 pm
If his abilities never manifest and he gets beaten out, then so be it. But let’s be optimistic. He has the skill set. It’s too soon to write him off.
March 20th, 2017 at 12:31 pm
Agreed Eric. Other great career kickers have also struggled mightily their rookie seasons.
And BTW I was completely against the pick at the time, but what’s done is done. Hopefully he figures it out. If not, on to the next one.
March 20th, 2017 at 12:47 pm
Me too unbelievable. I hated it.
It was ironic cuz my girl hates the draft and I was like well come sit down on the couch with me for this pick. Then I saw we traded up and I was like this is a big one, we’ll both remember this for the rest of our lives. Then they selected Aguayo and I was shocked. I was almost certain it would be Vonn Bell. It wasn’t.
I think he will have a great year though.
March 20th, 2017 at 1:57 pm
Thought it was gonna be Vonn Bell as well!
March 20th, 2017 at 2:50 pm
Chris Says
“But then Bonzai, the game happens and he kicks one 50 yarder like a 6 year old girl would and never again trys one close to 50. I’m sorry youre a Nole fan first, a Buc fan second…”
WRONG AGAIN!
You just keep getting it wrong, buddy. I am not a ‘Nole’ fan. In fact, I could not even be called a college football fan. But if I were, I would be a Bulls fan.
And, as I stated…games are a different animal.
You stated he didn’t have the leg…but you were wrong. Not having the leg means not being able to kick it that far. He can. He just choked in games.
DBS Says
“And of course we believe every word a coach says. And you were there to see that with your own eyes Bonzi? STFU and quit trying to always one up eveyone on here.”
Okay, so now you call Koetter a liar? You know what, IBS? Your use of Internet abbreviations does nothing but prove you can’t spell, even with a built in spell checker.
A bit of advice…better to let people think you are a fool than to open your mouth and prove it. Save yourself the embarrassment.
March 20th, 2017 at 3:32 pm
Not embarrassed at all Bonzai. Misspelled on purpose. Just wanted to give you something to come back with. Your like an old school teacher who has to be correcting little Johnny all the time. You always have to have the last word and be right. Just a self centered egotistical fool. Now go sit in the corner and write a little book on how bad JBF fans are.
March 20th, 2017 at 3:52 pm
Oh and to answer you question. Yes. He was between a rock and a hard place at the time. So he had to put something out that sounded good. But it backfired in the end. The real OH NO appeared.
March 20th, 2017 at 4:18 pm
“Buc1987
You failed in that logic. He can work his butt off, MENTALLY.”
Eric…I promise you he won’t baby. I’m not upset by his draft position. I’m upset that he was even drafted by the Bucs. Needs galore. Aguayo wasn’t one of them.
He lost his MENTAL state long before he was selected by our team.
My offer still stands. I’ll bet anyone… this kid is toast. Grammatica lost it too. It just happened to Roberto early.
I SWEAR on my KIDS that his mind is already cooked. I don’t care if he can kick it a mile, it won’t be consistent enough. Damn it any FSU fan should be able to honestly tell you if he’s going to make it or not. I’m a Noles fan. He ain’t making it. The mojo was gone in 2015. Then being drafted so high certainly can’t help. TOAST, I’m tellin’ ya. Toast!
March 20th, 2017 at 4:38 pm
What is wrong with you people turning competition for A Guano into an anti-McCoy rant.
Seek help.
March 20th, 2017 at 5:23 pm
First of all, don’t call me baby. This is a manly football site. I’m good on all that.
He lost his mental state before he was selected?! What makes you think so? Do you know Roberto Aguayo? Unless you do, there is absolutely no evidence that would support that claim. Just posting conjecture today, huh?
Why are you swearing on your kids? That is a pretty silly reason to do so. You could totally be wrong and if history is an indication of kickers that were drafted high, the chances are likely that you are wrong. It takes time, just like every single NFL position and it’s more than just physical. Especially at the kicker position.
The most successful kicker in college football history is going to suddenly fail after a rough rookie season in which he vastly improved as the season progressed? You swear on your kids? That’s sad.
March 20th, 2017 at 10:20 pm
Eric…did you watch him kick in 2015? I mean watch him at all? Apparently Licht didn’t either, it’s okay. Ever heard of a good kicker going bad? You act as if it never happens. Guess what? It does and Roberto’s shipped has already sailed.
You’ll see. C’mon bet me a dollar or something.
March 20th, 2017 at 10:22 pm
The last time a kicker was drafted that high- he struggled all season. Was extremely undependable. His coach beggeg to cut him.
Next year, he settled in, and became the best kicker in modern NFL.
Janokoski, with the Raiders. Ever heard of him?
Every Rookie has to adjust. Every one
March 21st, 2017 at 8:51 am
I didn’t too much but I do have the luxury of pulling up his stats and he was nearly 81% and didn’t miss any extra points. I have heard of a good kicker gone bad, however he is the best in college football history and to state that his ship* has sailed is ridiculous.
I am 100% down for a bet. We can revisit midway through the season on here and figure out a way to transfer money later but I’m in.