One of the latest of the Bucs' kicking problems is gone, but the curse of the Bucs' history of disappointing 2nd round draft choices continues. It’s always been one of my theories, that a championship football team must score on their 1st and 2nd round draft choices. Those picks must develop into solid, productive players who start most every game.. and often become Pro Bowlers.. and sometimes Hall of Famers.
Sure, the Bucs have scored on 2nd rounders, but they’ve failed on just as many. Remember these names?
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, DaQuan Bowers, Dexter Jackson, Brian Price, Arrelious Benn, Sabby Piscitelli, Aaron Sears, et.al… All second-rounders, all disappointments.
Now, add Roberto Aguayo to the list. He didn’t even make it to his second regular season, before Jason Licht and Dirk Koetter cut him loose. And remember, the Bucs traded up to get Aguayo in the 2nd. Monday, at least GM Licht owned up to the mistake.
“I’m owning up to it by releasing him,” Licht told The MMQB.com. “It was a bold move, and it didn’t work out. I don’t know what else to say. I know I have the support of my coach and my ownership.”
Licht said he learned a lot from the way the Bucs handled Aguayo.
“I’ve said this before, but when we took him, we essentially anointed him. If I could do it again, I would have gone back and brought in competition to challenge him. I look back on that a lot.”
Another thing Licht and Koetter might want to consider... How about hiring a full-time, or part-time, kicking coach?
Every other position on the team has one, or even two, assistant coaches dedicated to that role. The Bucs have 24 coaches on the staff.. and yes, a special teams coach.. but no one whose specialty is kicking, or punting. We would all agree how important the kicking game is. Last seasons, the Bucs had ten games decided by a touchdown or less, and they lost 4 of those games. That was the difference in missing the playoffs. Anytime I’m at a Bucs’ practice, the kickers/punters are alone on a side field 90% of the time. How about a kicking specialist on the field, someone to watch the kickers to spot changes in technique.. things that are correctible?
Despite some opinions to the contrary, it was the right time to move Aguayo. He wasn’t getting better, even though it was only the first preseason game.
But then Sunday, the Bucs signed a kicker named Zach Hocher, to give Nick Folk some camp competition. This is Hocher’s 6th team. He’s played in 8 games. His success rate, or lack thereof, is 71%.. same as Aguayo’s. Is that competition?
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