Should the Buccaneers go easy on Matt Gay in training camp?

After a less than stellar first season in the NFL, Matt Gay may be on the hot seat going into training camp for the 2020 season.

The Buccaneers shocked the fanbase back in 2019 when they used a fifth-round draft pick on another kicker. The name Roberto Aguayo still sends shivers down the spine of even the most devout Bucs fan, and the idea of making that mistake twice with Matt Gay was too much to bear.

Fortunately for all parties, Gay was able to play at a higher level than Aguayo in his first season. The kicker from Utah showed decent accuracy from range, especially during the preseason, but there were still numerous misses that came back to haunt the team.

Matt Gay missed enough PATs and game-winning field goals to make the fanbase wonder if using a fifth-round selection on a kicker was worth it if he was going to miss the same kicks that undrafted players could hit consistently.

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Hint: No team should ever draft a special teams player. No punter, kicker, long-snapper, or return man is ever worth a draft pick. The free-agent market is deep enough at these positions.

Because the Buccaneers used a draft pick on their newest kicker and he showed some upside, some may argue that Tampa Bay should give Gay another season before labeling him the next Aguayo. Perhaps he should get another shot; otherwise, the pick is wasted.

Unfortunately, the Buccaneers have already “wasted” this pick. Matt Gay could turn out to be a lights-out kicker, but that doesn’t make up for draft selection of a position that can be switched out in free agency every week with few adverse side effects.

In short, the Bucs can’t ease off of Gay during this offseason. Tampa Bay will have to push their kicker as far as possible, and this will either lead to improvements or an immediate answer on a different course of action.

Gay and recent kicker signing Elliot Fry need to both be given fair shots during camp. It may seem counterintuitive because the Bucs have already invested in Gay, but at this point, that fifth-round pick is a sunk cost. Tampa Bay needs to find a kicker that is accurate under pressure far more than they need the value of that pick back.

The best way for the Buccaneers to keep up this pressure is by holding a fair tryout process for Fry. By giving both kickers a similar number of opportunities, the Bucs will have a better sample of both players’ abilities in various situations.

Often, situations like this give an advantage to the veteran option. These returning players get more slack or play in beneficial conditions, but Tampa Bay has to make sure there is no preferential treatment if they hope to improve the kicking overall.