One of the glaring holes for the Los Angeles Chargers this past season was their struggles in the kicking mind. With that in mind, the Bolts decided to ink former Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Roberto Aguayo to a deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Former Buccaneers’ kicker Roberto Aguayo is signing with the Los Angeles Chargers, per source. A fresh start in LA for the former second-round pick on a team that needs a kicker.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 10, 2018
Aguayo was drafted with the 59th overall pick in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, making him the first kicker selected in the second round since Mike Nugent back in 2005. He struggled in his only campaign with the Buccaneers, missing nine of his 31 field-goal attempts (including four-of-1o from 40+ yards and a pair of extra points).
Aguayo briefly bounced back, earning an NFC Special Player of the Week award after drilling 4-of-4 field goals. He finished his rookie campaign with the worst field goal percentage (71.0) in the league among kickers making more than five attempts.
Tampa Bay kept the Florida State product onboard for the 2017 season, but they also brought in Nick Folk to compete with him in training camp. Aguayo was cut by the team after missing a 47-yard attempt and an extra point in Tampa's first preseason game. The 23-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Bears in mid-August, but he was eventually cut just prior to the start of the regular season. He was picked up by the Carolina Panthers in late October as a member of their practice squad before being released in December.
Los Angeles struggled immensely with their kicking game, missing a league-high 10 field goals while using four kickers: Nick Novak, Travis Coons, Younghoe Koo, and Nick Rose. Although the team has agreed to a deal with Aguayo, they will likely bring in another kicker to compete for the starting job next season.
Nonetheless, it's an opportunity for Aguayo to finally get his brief career on track as a starting kicker in the NFL.
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