A challenger approaches for Buccaneers kicker Matt Gay

In an attempt to fix the kicking woes, the Buccaneers have signed free agent kicker Elliott Fry. This move is likely more to push Gay rather than to entirely replace him, but Gay’s seat has at least started to warm up.

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Fry’s experiences have been far different than Gay’s. Fry was decent in college, but he did not find an NFL team to sign with immediately and had to wait until the formation of the AAF in 2019 to get a chance to play at the next level.

Despite playing well for the Orlando Apollos, when the AAF folded, Fry bounced around the NFL but couldn’t stay put. After most recently being waived by the Carolina Panthers, Fry is looking to earn his first real NFL snaps with the Buccaneers.

Signing Fry as a competitor to Gay was an excellent moved by the Bucs. Gay is young and needs to be pushed if he is to reach his full potential. If Gay can’t handle the pressure, which is a possibility, Fry could be the improvement that Tampa Bay needs.

There is also another possibility; that Gay and Fry are both not the answer. This is an unlikely scenario, but the pressures of the NFL are genuine, and sometimes players can’t hold up. One way or another, the Buccaneers are going to determine their kicking needs due to this competition.

If everything goes according to the plan, Matt Gay will use this as motivation and return to training camp with a chip on his shoulder. Kicking is an extremely cerebral position, and winning the starting role back could help Gay take the next steps and help the Buccaneer special teams even more in 2020.