Buccaneers: 5 Potential Player Releases Prior to Week One

Roberto Aguayo

The button did say the obvious answer. I figured I would start with the one that made everyone go, “Duh, no kidding”.

We all know the story here. There was a lot of noise last year when Licht made the move to select Aguayo. Who picks a kicker that high? It never happens, but when Licht wants his guy he does what he has to in order to get him. He was the most accurate kicker in college football history, so Licht was banking on the fact that it would translate to the pros. It’s not as if he didn’t kick in big games, coming from Florida State.

How did that work out for us? Not so well would be an understatement. His field goal percentage was a mere 71%. He missed extra points and field goals virtually every time we turned around. Aguayo became known around the league, but not the way he hoped. Early returns were calling him one of the bigger busts of the 2016 draft.

Now, we all know that one year isn’t long enough to judge a draft pick. However, leaving points behind is unacceptable. The Bucs had the intention of bringing in competition for Aguayo, and that is exactly what they did with the signing of Nick Folk. Folk, an accomplished NFL kicker, will not just serve to push Aguayo. He is a career 81% field goal kicker, and he wants to continue kicking. Jets fans didn’t call him the “Folk hero” for nothing.

Licht may not want to, but he won’t hesitate to make a mistake and say goodbye to Aguayo in favor of stability at the kicking position.