The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made some kicking moves. After rookie Matt Gay won the starting kicking job, they waived veteran kicker Cairo Santos on Saturday, as noted by Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.
Matt Gay was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Buccaneers drafting a kicker shouldn't have been that shocking to anyone, as Santos didn't quite get his grip on the job, going 9-of-12 on field goals.
Although that's not miserable, it's not what teams are hoping for, especially considering the veteran missed his only try from more than 50 yards yards. Clearly, Tampa Bay wanted a more reliable choice, and seem to believe Gay fits that bill.
The Utah product didn't come into camp with a job, though. Despite being a fifth-round pick (relatively high for a kicker), nothing was guaranteed. Gay had to prove himself in training camp and in the preseason as the Buccaneers still had Santos on the roster, as well.
Gay did just that, though, winning the starting job and causing the Buccaneers to move on from Santos.
While Gay presumably has a job for the foreseeable future, Santos is back on the market. Despite struggling a bit with the Buccaneers last season, Santos has actually had a great career. In five NFL seasons, Santos has hits 83.2 percent of his field goals. He's struggled a little from deep (7-for-14 on 50-plus yards), but is basically automatic inside 40.
Although he likely won't have a job to start the year, he's a proven weapon. At some point in during the season, teams will find themselves with an injured kicker or with someone that simply isn't cutting it. Expect Santos to get a look by one of those teams.
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