The writing has been on the wall for the Buccaneers and Bradley Pinion for a while now. The axe has finally fallen on the aging punter.
Not that it should come as a surprise to anyone, but the Buccaneers have a few more cuts coming over the next few months as they inch closer to camp.
There are sure to be a few surprises as the team has to trim the fat in one way or another, but there are also a few obvious moves that some fans may actually celebrate.
The Buccaneers cutting Bradley Pinion is one of those moves that needs to be celebrated.
Bucs are cutting punter Bradley Pinion today, as @MikeGarafolo first reported. This was fully expected once they drafted Jake Camarda in the fourth round in April. Pinion was outstanding on kickoffs last 2 years but his punting stats weren't as good. Pushed through injury in '21.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) June 22, 2022
No one ever wants to diminish a player or their contributions during a Super Bowl run, especially not a guy that was a captain on special teams and genuinely good for most of his career, but Pinion’s time was up.
This move became a guarantee from the day the Buccaneers spent a fourth-round pick on a punter, but it was probably still on the minds of the coaching staff from the end of last season. Pinion struggled as a punter and as a kickoff specialist, so a change was needed anyway.
Now, the Bucs have a younger, better punter that is going to save the team something in the neighborhood of $2 million. This money can go to a number of different places and should pair nicely with the money that Tampa won’t have to spend on re-signing Rob Gronkowski.
It’s hard to say goodbye to some players, but keeping Pinion after what the Buccaneers invested in a punter would’ve been a dramatic mistake. There will still be a bit of a prove-it period for Camarda during camp, but that practice spot will at least go to a new player with a better chance of making the roster.
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