Roberto Aguayo was cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prior to the season for the simple reason that he had failed to consistently drill makable field goals and extra-point attempts.
But, just when the Bucs thought that nightmare was over with Aguayo gone, here comes Nick Folk, who was a mess last Thursday night against the Patriots. Making sure that the tradition of bad kickers lives on for Tampa Bay, Folk missed all three of his field goal tries, none more critical than the one he missed from 31 yards away in the fourth that would’ve inched the Bucs closer to New England, 16-10. The Pats would go on to win the game, 19-14.
Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter wouldn’t say whether Folk’s days as member of Tampa Bay are numbered, only saying that there’s no need for them to make quick decisions, per Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today.
“You don't want to make any rash decisions,” Koetter said.
However, on Monday, they made the switch. From ESPN's Jenna Laine:
The Buccaneers' kicking saga has a new chapter, but with a familiar face — Patrick Murray, who was with the Bucs in 2014 and was most recently with Cleveland Browns in 2016.
The Buccaneers announced Murray's signing Monday and placed Nick Folk on injured reserve with a minor injury designation. The designation means the team must release Folk
The Bucs signed Folk back in March to a one-year $1.75 million contract, initially to compete with Aguayo for the kicker job. Aguayo played in the preseason like he did in 2016 when he made a habit of missing key field goals, so the Bucs had to show him the exit while elevating Folk. Per NFL Research, the Bucs have a 66.7 percent clip on field goal attempts over the past two seasons, and while that looks great in the NBA, that’s close to criminal in the NFL.
