Bucs Stuck With Gay?
June 16th, 2019
Job locked up?
Is it already a done deal that rookie fifth-round pick, kicker Matt Gay, will be the Bucs’ opening day kicker when the for the home opener against the 49ers in September?
One beat writer seems to lean that way. And now we have another member of the Bucs press corps writing it looks like Gay has already locked up the job.
Jet-flyin’, kiss–stealin‘, data-analyzin’, Bucs-film-studyin’, limousine-ridin’ Thomas Bassinger of the Tampa Bay Times this week typed an article saying Cairo Santos is, well, a dead man kicking.
Bassinger also pointed out how his research shows drafting a kicker is a waste of a pick.
And the Bucs still drafted Gay, which tells us a couple of things (assuming that they had a plan): 1.) Santos was their “safety school.” It’s sort of like when a student really wants to attend the University of Florida but applies to Florida State University just in case UF turns him down. 2.) The Bucs liked Gay so much that they didn’t want to risk another team taking him in the sixth or seventh rounds.
Joe sort of gets where Bassinger is coming from in that the real tragedy of the Roberto Aguayo mess wasn’t so much that Aguayo stunk, it was what the Bucs could have had instead of Aguayo with that valuable pick coughYannickNgakouecough. Now that has Joe reaching for his bottle of Advil.
Look, if Gay can be an above average kicker and help the Bucs win games and put a stop to this freaking amusement park carousel of a kicking situation, no one will give a damn about the fifth-round pick.
June 16th, 2019 at 12:10 pm
Patriots kicker gostowski was a 4th round pick in 2006. He is still kicking for them.
June 16th, 2019 at 12:36 pm
Every college has a kicker; sometime two. Why is it so darn hard to find a kicker in the pros?
June 16th, 2019 at 12:37 pm
The draft is a crapshoot. Any pick above the 4th round is a crap crapshoot.
Kicker is a very important position in the NFL unless the rules change. Top kickers are coveted, but that does not mean poor decisions aren’t made about them. Like cutting Matt Bryant in his prime.
So far, with limited exposure to technique, I like what I see in Gay.
June 16th, 2019 at 12:39 pm
Edit: I never really warmed to what I saw in Aguayo with a lot more exposure to technique than Gay.
Then I read he changed some techniques from his college days? And continued to change throughout his slump? WTF?
June 16th, 2019 at 12:39 pm
Is there absolutely NO way to move on from the Aguayo pick and stop using it as just a way to fill up space? Holy cow! Enough is enough!
June 16th, 2019 at 12:49 pm
No. The Bucs are NOT stuck with Matt Gay. This is a different situation than the Roberto Aguayo situation. Bruce Arians is now in control. BA will demand the better kicker get the starting job. Very few people will care if a 5th round pick does not make the final roster. Remember that worthless punter that the Draft Genius Mark Dominik drafted in the 5th round?
June 16th, 2019 at 1:03 pm
Again.. criticizing the Bucs in a Vaccum. There were Punters and Kickers drafted before and after. Give it up..
June 16th, 2019 at 1:03 pm
Except for 2018/19…,just how many Buc picks rounds 5-7 are on the roster?
My count is zero…correct me if I’m wrong.
June 16th, 2019 at 1:04 pm
God Gay please end our kicking woes! I am so sick of missed POTs. Gramatica imploded and Bryant broke his frickin foot playing stupid basketball (worst sport ever). Thus began the BKC- Bucs’ Kickers Curse
June 16th, 2019 at 1:06 pm
The Bucs are a great team. Testing. Alpha. Bravo. Charlie. Echo. Delta…
June 16th, 2019 at 1:07 pm
Watching this replay of the nfc championship game. Checking King Suh manhandle aints olinemen. Didn’t realize the rams were ranked 19th in defense last season. Yet another example how parity can easily place a team not only the playoffs but well into the super bowl.
June 16th, 2019 at 1:11 pm
Tampabaybucfan Says:
June 16th, 2019 at 1:03 pm
Except for 2018/19…,just how many Buc picks rounds 5-7 are on the roster?
My count is zero…correct me if I’m wrong.
Caleb Benenoch 5th round 2016
Devonte Bond 6th round 2016
June 16th, 2019 at 1:14 pm
Already seems to be some early issues between players and the QB in Cleve… And folks see a super bowl run. Yea right.
June 16th, 2019 at 1:15 pm
I totally agree St. Pete Bucs Fan. Do you think any other NFL team gives this much coverage to a busted 2nd Round pick from 3 or 4 years ago? There has to be a million other things to think and write about.
As for the question, are we “stuck” with our 5th Round kicker? NO, this makes absolutely no sense. Best kicker wins the job.
I understand Bassinger tries to be “controversial” to sell newspapers and/or click bait, so I don’t read his subpar “journalism”.
June 16th, 2019 at 1:23 pm
Matt Gay, love-child of Beau Allen and Pat McAfee. Don’t judge either, it was just a one-night stand. Happens.
I’m just glad we drafted him, although I wish it was with the first draft pick…because I love drama.
June 16th, 2019 at 1:54 pm
In my opinion the difference in physical talent is razor thin between most drafted in the 3rd-7th and undrafted player. The hardest part to measure is heart(desire, love of the sport) and desire to put in the work to get better. For Kickers its all how mentally tough they are and ability to block out pressure from situations and the crowd.
June 16th, 2019 at 2:09 pm
Thanks Ndog…..but they may not survive cuts this year
June 16th, 2019 at 2:48 pm
I don’t buy the idea that you don’t draft a kicker or punter. I DO buy the idea that anything before round 5 is almost insane. I mean, Aguayo was an unforgivable pick. He’d have to be a perennial pro-bowler and all-time big game clutch kicker to be worth a second rounder. As it is… Just sad. People on this here board (mostly FSU homers) were calling for Aguayo in round 4, I recall…
Grammatica was a 3rd rounder. That worked out okay, for a while.
June 16th, 2019 at 3:34 pm
Cobra- I talked with Husted last month when he was in town for a kicking camp and he agreed with you on Gay’s mechanics over Aguayo. Gay’s form reminds me of Matt Bryant simple and smooth not so much to go wrong.
Speaking Of Matt Bryant it was Conner Barth who ruptured his Achilles at a charity basketball game with other NFL players.
June 16th, 2019 at 3:43 pm
First of all….UF is the safety school for FSU. Everyone knows that. Get with the program Joe
June 16th, 2019 at 3:48 pm
Basketball the worst sport ever? You mean the 2nd most popular sport in america? You mean the 2nd most watch sport behind the nfl? You mean the 2nd most revenue generating sport behind the nfl? Tampa fans really are dumb.
June 16th, 2019 at 4:03 pm
Kalind- I would never pick UF as a safety school.
Go Noles!
And fire Licht today
June 16th, 2019 at 4:17 pm
@Stanglassman: The stronger the leg, the less you have to add more motions to the kick and the smoother the swing.
The less the motion, the less that can go wrong.
Aguayo never had a particularly powerful leg, so his mechanics included a lot of extra tweaks to generate more NFL-type power.
SeaBass is similar to Gay: big, strong guy who didn’t need much for a solid thump. Simple motion.
Simple is good…and easier to replicate.
June 16th, 2019 at 4:36 pm
Licht is awful….he’ll last as long as BA carries him but his “legacy” in NFL circles is sealed.
June 16th, 2019 at 4:46 pm
It would be fantastic if the width between uprights were the same in college as the pros….
June 16th, 2019 at 4:59 pm
If you just accept a mistake and don’t do anything about it you’ll never be successful! The best executives will not only correct it but improve the original position they were facing to begin with. The elite executives will actually fix problems before they actually become problems.
June 16th, 2019 at 5:16 pm
Really don’t see any comparison in the Gay pick. A second round pick was a
huge gamble. Fifth round pick,not so much. Gay probably had Arians stamp of
approval . There are plenty of kickers out there ,but few are any good.
But Licht proclaiming Aguayo to be a generational kicker , is a ( dozen) egg on your face moment. Oh what a lucky man he is !
June 16th, 2019 at 5:22 pm
Cobra,
The main question I have on Gay is if his ability to avoid blocked kicks. Any Comments?
June 16th, 2019 at 6:28 pm
@Bob: hard to say with a small sample of work. I have not heard that was a problem in college and a FG is lined up at 7yds, not 8 as in the NFL (players in college are not as tall or quick.)
It is usually shorter kickers with less leg strength who need a longer approach and have to swing more parallel to get power on the ball for a longer FG resulting in less elevation, and not the big leg guys.
Just watching the few videos Joe has posted, Gay has plenty of thump without changing his motion.
Time will tell.
June 16th, 2019 at 6:39 pm
@ bob
The longer kicks (45 + yarders) are more likely to get blocked because you have to drive the ball which means they start off lower than when you are kicking a 30 yarder. Shorter kicks get higher elevation from the start then 45+ yarders. Its up to the line to keep the defense from elevating in those situations. Its not on the kicker
June 16th, 2019 at 6:42 pm
Tampa Bay has a long history of 2nd Round busts. Of the 45 2nd Rounders I looked at, I’d say 20 are busts/not very good at football: Jimmy DuBose, Johnny Davis, Brett Moritz, Booker Reese, Keith Browner, Jackie Walker, Don Smith, Danny Peebles, Demetrius DuBose, Melvin Johnson, Jacquez Green, Arron Sears (mental issues), Sabby Piscitelli, Dexter Jackson (the WR, not S), Brian Price, Arrelious Benn, Da’Quan Bowers, Johnthan Banks, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, and Roberto Aguayo. I’m sure this number will increase once we realize what we have in Noah Spence, Justin Evans, Ronald Jones, MJ Stewart, Carton Davis, and Sean Murphy-Bunting.
There were 17 players I ranked as Average/Below Average, with only 8 players ranked Above Average: Dave Lewis, Kevin House, James Wilder, Ricky Reynolds, Mike Alstott, Brian Kelly, Lavonte David, and Ali Marpet.
My point is do we need to beat a dead horse over ONE bad 2nd Round pick 3 or 4 years ago when we’ve had so many others? LET IT GO.
June 16th, 2019 at 6:45 pm
When kickers fail, it’s 95 percent mental. All of these guys can kick the ball accurately for Coastal Carolina, or even for FSU when the team is going to win no matter if he makes a kick or not. Missed kicks won’t get you beat often in college. The pressure changes when a miss will mean a win or a loss in the usually close NFL games. The mental side is the hardest to measure. That’s why kickers flame out.
June 16th, 2019 at 7:27 pm
Thanks Cobra,
Read somewhere that his approach to the the ball might be a bit of an an issue for blocked kicks.
June 16th, 2019 at 7:58 pm
Don’t worry about his mechanics that is why we are fortunate that we have a former veteran kicker who BA has hired as our kicking coach.
June 16th, 2019 at 10:25 pm
They are the same. 18 feet, 6 inches wide.
June 16th, 2019 at 10:41 pm
The end of another Fathers Day so cheers to all the great dad’s! I raise my glass of red wine in your honor because you might not be perfect but your kids think you are and that’s what matters.
June 17th, 2019 at 8:03 am
I’ve heard that our kickers are practicing with the skinny goal posts. In theory, that will make it easier to make the wide ones.
We’re going to hear about Roberto Aguayo until the Bucs find a great kicker who lasts several years. May as well get used to it.
We are not stuck with Matt Gay.
He is the better kicker of the two. Santos is just plain bad. My greater concern is that we are stuck with Santos because the Bucs gave him a multi-year contract.
It’s nice that fans think the best players will get the spots, but that’s not always the case and we don’t know it will be with Arians.
Matt Gay is the first kicker I’ve had a good feeling about since the departure of Connor Barth (the forgotten kicker).
I’ve heard that he makes more kicks than Santos.
I’ve heard that the Bucs have him attempting tougher kicks than Santos.
I’ve heard that his kicks sound like cannons going off.
I’ve heard that his kicks are always straight and narrow.
I was skeptical when he was picked, but the thought of being stuck with Santos made me open-minded, and Matt Gay has impressed so far.
And finally, for someone to say Gramatica had a ‘couple’ good years is ignorant.
June 17th, 2019 at 10:15 am
Gay will be given the job, like Berto was given the job, because Licht went against common sense, and drafted both of them.
June 17th, 2019 at 10:27 am
Santos is an average kicker. That’s why we thought we might have something after all the sh!t stains we previously had on the roster.
Santos does not have the leg to be consistent with a 40-50 yard kick. Apparently Gay was hitting bombs straight down middle of the thin goal posts but that also doesn’t mean he’s going to be doing that during the regular season.
Spending a fifth rounder on a kicker he’s very likely going to start day one and cutting Santos is $1 million more in the bank to find an OG when the time comes.
June 17th, 2019 at 11:46 am
Wasn’t that crappy RB from USC a 5th round draft pick? He didn’t make the team because of this “draft status”.
June 17th, 2019 at 11:50 am
webster Says:
June 16th, 2019 at 3:48 pm
Basketball the worst sport ever? You mean the 2nd most popular sport in america? You mean the 2nd most watch sport behind the nfl? You mean the 2nd most revenue generating sport behind the nfl? Tampa fans really are dumb.
^^^That was his personal opinion Web. Basketball is SHIIIITE tho.
June 17th, 2019 at 11:53 am
College football is actually the most-watched sport behind the NFL.
June 17th, 2019 at 11:54 am
SOEbuc Says:
June 17th, 2019 at 10:27 am
Apparently Gay was hitting bombs straight down middle of the thin goal posts but that also doesn’t mean he’s going to be doing that during the regular season.
^^^Exactly! Seems Licht doesn’t have a mental template for players entering the NFL. Kickers need that DB mentality, snap and clear. Focus of the faking Jedi! I don’t think they take mental makeup into account. BUT, Licht created that mess taking Roberto in the 2nd round, that really faked his head up he stated as much recently. Licht is tone deaf and drafts like we draft in Madden. Most of us would do better.
June 17th, 2019 at 12:34 pm
@Bonzai: Santos is not a bad kicker. He is fairly accurate and was a breath of fresh air last season considering the train wreck at that position.
The only real knock on Santos is he does not have a big leg.
I think Gay may work. No guarantees, but so far so good.
I like BA is putting pressure on these guys.
June 17th, 2019 at 12:36 pm
Bucs first team in the league with a Gay kicker.
June 17th, 2019 at 11:36 pm
Beavis and Butthead can’t stop laughing at our kickers name
June 19th, 2019 at 2:39 am
Huh huh he he he… hey Beavis the Bucs kicker is a Gay