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TAMPA, Florida – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have not let their epic joke with kicker Roberto Aguayo keep them from tackling the situation this year.
Three years and two days after the Bucs sadly swapped a third round pick to return to the second round and make Aguayo the best kicker since Mike Nugent in 2005, they chose Matt Gay from Utah to fifth round of 2019. NFL draft Saturday.
The response from coach Bruce Arians when asked what was the move a few moments later on ESPN?
"We need to score more points," he said.
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"Kicker's position is very important.It is one of the most important positions of the team.At the present time, we have a coach who really believes in kickers and in his importance, [he] says managing director Jason Licht, who has recruited Aguayo with former Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter.
"When Bruce was hired, we repeatedly discussed what we would do to refine how we do things to find a good kicker."
The Buccaneers also brought a former NFL kicker – a rarity among NFL coaching staff – to Chris Boniol as a specialty coach.
Aguayo only played one season after finishing 22nd out of 31, the worst result in the league, and missed two more points. It was cut during the pre-season 2017.
Aguayo has since rebounded in the league by signing with the Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Chargers. He is currently a free agent.
When asked if Aguayo's difficulties and the pressure under which he was exercising was a wise choice, he paused before writing another kickoff that several teams chose to tackle in attack. free and taking tests – Kich noted other positions.
"You would not say the same thing to a receiver, if a receiver did not work a few years ago that you had taken in the second round, would you be afraid to take a receiver in the fifth round? No," Licht m & # 39; ;said. "It's a very, very important job."
What you need to know from rounds 1 to 7:
Licht was asked if the need for a kicker somehow replaced the need to strengthen the right side of the offensive line, an area that the Bucs did not address in the project despite perceived needs. .
"Sometimes, the board of directors, in the current state of things, may not see anyone who can do it, we have also recruited other good players", did he declare.
None will be monitored more closely, however, given the difficulties faced by Tampa Bay in this position. Since 2009, at least one regular season game has been played by the Bucs at least one regular season game, more than any other league team. Even Gay confessed to being surprised when his phone rang so early.
"Honestly, what I saw and felt was perhaps sixth to seventh round, maybe even uneducated," Gay said. "So when I got the call, I looked at the chart, it was a Tampa number and I looked at the chart and saw that I was there. They were two choices and that they were a bit like: "Not at all, not now. "Just a little shocked and moved, it was amazing, honestly."
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