The Bucs got a big win against the Chiefs last Sunday and one player had a huge impact in the win. That would be rookie kicker Roberto Aguayo who went 4-4 on his field goal attempts and every one of them was needed as the Bucs won 19-17. Aguayo has been hot as of late making 9 out of his last 10 attempts and has been showing why he was a second round pick. Not only is he looking smooth on his field goals but on his kickoffs he has been getting great hang time which is helping the kick coverage pin the opposing team farther back. Aguayo was so good last week that he was awarded with the NFC special teams player of the week via Rick Stroud.
#Bucs PK Roberto Aguayo was named the NFL Special Teams Player of the Week after making all four FGs vs. KC Chiefs
The rookie kicker is gaining confidence with every game, and looks like he has found his confidence again. He is striking the ball with power and accuracy and his kicking motion looks much smoother as there is no hesitation in his follow through. Hopefully he can continue this hot streak against the Seahawks because the Bucs are going to need every point on Sunday.
There was plenty of opinions on how the Buccaneers 2016 draft went. Claims that the Bucs had found 4 new starters, if you count a kicker as a starter. To cries calling for Jason Licht's head for drafting a Kicker in the 2nd round. I'm going to recap each pick and assign it a letter grade based on where the player was taken and how they have impacted the the team.
Vernon Hargreaves: Touted as the best cover corner in the draft, fell to the Bucs when they moved down 2 spots from 9 the the 11th pick. Hargreaves was inserted as the starting nickle back during training camp while playing the outside on the 2nd team. During the preseason Vernon was grading out as the best corner in the league, due mostly to a 2 interception game against the Jaguars. Only a few games into the season and VH3 has moved to a starting outside corner spot. Essentially benching Alterraun Verner and his $6.7 million contract. He's 4th on the team with 23 TOT and caused an interception on Monday night, deflecting a ball into the air that LB Daryl Smith circled under to complete the turnover. My Grade: I'm giving Hargreaves an A. Besides all the reasons mentioned above there is no other position in the NFL that is a harder transition from college to the pro's, besides quarterback, than corner. Recently Head Coach gave Vernon high praise, when he mentioned that Hargreaves was low maintenance. Translation, you can treat him like a veteran. He knows his assignment, he's where he's supposed to be in the defense, you don't have to hold his hand.
Noah Spence: Considered the best pure pass rushing defensive end in the draft and was linked to the Bucs with their 1st pick, early in mock drafts. Taken in the 2nd round as an answer to the Buccaneers decade drought of not having a 10+ sack man. Noah was praised for having great hands and an array of rush moves during training camp. His edge speed is undeniable, but fans quickly learned that he is to small to stand up against the run. Even with all the injuries along the defensive line Spence is still being used as a situational pass rusher. My Grade: Noah earns a B. You may think this is a little generous but he does have one sack, one off the team lead. If that's still isn't enough to convince you checkout this clip. Spence is at the top of the screen.
Noah Spence here with a nice swim move getting pressure. If he holds it 1/2 a second longer he's on the gro... https://t.co/gZinztOiWO
Roberto Aguayo: Regarded as the best kicker, well ever. The Bucs gave up their 3rd round pick and the 4th rounder that the acquired in the Giants trade to move up and take this once in a generation kicker. The Bucs let loose of all his competition before training camp. Aguayo couldn't lose his job unless his leg fell off. That didn't keep him from trying though. My Grade: D. The game winner against Carolina on Monday night saved Roberto from a failing grade. Actually I like the pick of Aguayo, but he has to kick for the Bucs for the next 10 years to ever grade out as an A draft pick.
Ryan Smith: Picked in the 4th round from North Carolina Central University. Brought into play safety even though he played corner back in college. A broken hand in the preseason has slowed Smith's progress. Mike Smith is bringing him along slowly in hopes that he's ready to go if the injury bug bites. My Grade: C. Hard to give him a grade due to the lack of playing time. It is a bit concerning that he isn't getting any snaps at the position that is easily to worst on the team. On the plus side Ryan does return kickoffs for the Bucs and not a skill everyone possesses.
Caleb Benenoch: 5th round pick Benenoch came out his junior year when most draft experts thought he would improve his stock with another year at UCLA. There is some obscure NCAA rule about being in school and practicing with an NFL team. It's only a problem if your university grade on a trimester system. Guess which system UCLA uses? Due to this Caleb missed OTA's and fell behind. My Grade: B. Caleb got a slow start but did make the team at the deepest position on the team. He also can play all 3 line positions and has been active for every game.
Devante Bond: Was all primed to have a breakout senior year at the University of Oklahoma. An ankle injury derailed most of his senior season but the Bucs found him and drafted Devante in the 6th round. Bond was drafted to take over for bridge free agent signee Daryl Smith once he learns the SAM LB position. Bond was put on IR with a hamstring injury and might return later this year. My Grade: Incomplete. Bond could be the starting strong side linebacker next year or he could be on the street. Time will tell.
I found this highlight reel of Devante back in his JuCo days, he was a man amongst boys.
Dan Vitale: Best fullback in the draft was the buzz. Jason Licht has used late round picks to try to find his team a lead blocker. Buc fans thought they had their man in the 6th round draft pick from Northwestern. Even though Vitale was an instant fan favorite his lack of blocking ability doomed him in the end. My Grade: I'm giving Danny a C. Now hear me out. Late round draft picks aren't supposed to make good teams. Also, others must like his skill set because he's been picked from the Bucs practice squad twice. If Vitale was drafted in any earlier rounder his grade would be lower.
You can follow us at our official Twitter feed @realbucstalk. As always thanks for reading and Go Bucs!
Buccaneer fans were all up in arms about Head Coach Dirk Koetter's play calling during Monday nights narrow victory over the Carolina Panthers. No play received more attention from the Twitterverse than a 3rd and 9 run call late in the 4th quarter.
The game was tied with under 4 minutes to play the Bucs had the ball inside the Panthers 40. Jameis had just thrown into what appeared to be double coverage and given the season long struggles of placekicker Roberto Aguayo, fans really wanted a first down. What they got was a run play to the right that produced little to no gain. Followed by another Aguayo miss and the tweets started to fly.
First I was right there with the armchair quarterbacks. Fantasizing of being outside of One Buc Place with my pitchfork. Screaming for Dirks head due to his lack imaginative play calling. Then I remembered something Chris Myers said while doing the TV coverage for Buccaneers preseason games. "Aguayo likes the ball on the right hash mark". The skies parted, the sun shined and I was okay with the play call. In fact I think it was the right call.
Coach Koetter was putting his team, our team, in the best position to win the game. The run to the right main objective wasn't to pick up a first down. It was to put the ball on the right hash. Giving his kicker the best chance to make the kick and take the lead. Handing the game over to his defense to get one stop and essentially win the game.
We all know that Roberto missed that kick, but Dirk put him in position to succeed and the plan almost worked out the exact same. The defense did get a stop. The Bucs did put the ball on the right hash mark and Aguayo did make the game winner. Just 3 minutes and 35 seconds later.
Kudos to you coach Koetter. Your play calling proved to be spot on and your team executed for you. Well, at least the second time.
Everyone likes lists. Here is a quick rundown of grades for the Buccaneers against the Carolina panthers.
A Jacquizz Rodgers touched the ball 35 times during Monday's game. Though his yards per rush average was pedestrian, 3.4, Rodgers continually moved the chains and set the tone for the game. The Bucs fed him the ball on the first 6 plays. While picking up 2 first downs was big, it put the defense on it's heals that lasted throughout the contest.
B-Buccaneers Corner Backs did have a hand in letting Panthers tight end Greg Olsen run free to the tune of 9 catches for 181 yards. A lot of those plays were against the Bucs linebackers. Account for the 2 interceptions caused or made by the duo,and add in a pass breakup that was an eyelash away from a pick 6. This and not giving up a passing touchdown earns the pro bowler and the rookie a high mark.
C+ The Bucs Defensive Line didn't have 1 sack or 1 tackle for loss and brought little to no pressure to Derek Anderson's doorstep. So why an average grade you may ask. The Buccaneers DLine was missing 3 out of 4 starters and had 2 players, Gholston & Lambert, in for more than 95% of defensive snaps. An unheard of stat in today's NFL. While the unit as a whole wasn't necessarily an asset it sure wasn't a huge liability as it could of been.
D-Roberto Aguayo missed half his kicks and may have been one miss from losing his job. Never the less he made the game winner and aloud the Bucs to put a smile on their collective faces going into the bye week.
F Demar Dotson was hailed as the best offensive lineman in Bucs camp. He got a big new contract, some job security, everything was coming up roses for number 69. Then the season started and his film so far is more of how not to than that of a cornerstone lineman. Leading the team in penalties (fact), whiffed blocks (maybe) and tripping over ones feet (possibly but definitely happened). Once Aguayo made that game winning kick, Dotson has taken over as the biggest disappointment.
The Bucs got an much needed victory last night beating the Carolina Panthers on a last second field goal by Roberto Aguayo by a score of 17 to 14 final. One of our keys to the game was protecting the football and the offense did just that which helped them win the game. The Bucs offense was a little conservative last night but they were physical and ran the football with purpose as spot starter Jacquizz Rodgers had over 100 yards rushing. I personally liked that coach Koetter started the game with 6 straight runs as he wanted the offense to set the tone for the game and how it was going to be played. The Bucs needed a game like this as every unit made big plays and it was a great team win.
Huge credit for last night's win has to go to the defense though as they forced three turnovers and showed tons of fight throughout the game. This was without most of their starting defensive line as the Bucs started two rookies up front and still managed to get stops and force turnovers. It wasn't perfect but to be without their best player in Gerald McCoy, and to play the way they did have to give big kudos to the defensive coaching staff and the whole defensive line group. Our two playmakers in the secondary made big time plays especially Brent Grimes who made one hell of a play to prevent a go-ahead touchdown for the Panthers.
Finally our special teams made some big plays as well in which they recover a fumble, our punter was outstanding, and our kicker Roberto Aguayo made a big kick to win the game. Most importantly, the Bucs are 2-0 in the division and 2-3 overall as this was an huge win for this team. Hopefully this win will start an winning streak and this team can gather some momentum.
Realbucstalk has added to their team, here is an article written by our newest member Douglas O'Connor, you can follow him on twitter as well: @Ren_Daxt
The pieces are in place for the Buccaneers to become a perennial playoff team. Though young the Bucs have top tier NFL talent throughout their organization. General Manager, Jason Licht, who understands player contracts and how to work the draft. Experienced coordinators on both sides of the ball and Pro Bowlers dot the roster at key positions. Then why is Tampa Bay 1-3 and in danger of falling 3 games out of first place just after passing the quarter pole of the season? There are many reasons for the disappointing start but all can fall under the umbrella of growing pains.
I will start at the top. Jason Licht has proven to understand the draft process and find ways to get the players he covets. His free agent acquisitions however have largely been busts his first two years. This off seasons signings is a mixed bag, mostly to to injuries but all in all his best group yet. Buc fans hope Jason has figured out the difference between contract year performers and solid contributors.
Coaches: One of Head Coach Dirk Koetter's biggest worries about becoming the big man on campus was his ability to manage the clock late in games. So much so he assigned Assistant Wide Receivers Coach Andrew Weidinger as a Game Management Coach to help him in such occasions. Fast forward to week 3 against the Rams. The Bucs were driving for the winning touchdown with under 2 minutes to go when coach Koetter didn't call a time out hoping to catch a tired Rams with a winning TD pass. Weidinger was telling Koetter to call a time out but he ignored the plea and took the shot into the end zone. The pass was overthrown and over 40 seconds had ticked off the clock. Fans can debate if that was the way to go or not, but the fact of the matter is that the Buccaneers ran out of time before they ran out of downs and lost the game.
Offense: This analysis, as it always will, begins and ends with number 3 Jameis Winston. Having a young quarterback lead your team and the phrase, growing pains, being thrown around is about as common as Doug Martins name showing up on the injury report. I can't tell fans anything about Jameis that they don't already know but here is my two cents anyway. Jameis is putting his football team in bad situations by making bad decisions with the football. There is no 10 point play in football. Sometimes a sack is better than forcing the ball into a tight window. Going 3 and out and punting isn't the end of the world. Take what the defense gives you and move the chains. All fans love his competitive nature but when two defensive linemen are hanging off of you, it's time to take the sack and get'em on the next play.
Defense: Not surprisingly the defense is going through the biggest pains. Having to learn a new scheme and language is no small task, but NFL teams do it every year and aren't last in the league in points given up. Which the Bucs are. Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith has stated that it takes four weeks to learn his defense, react on the field instead of thinking. He has also talked about how Chris Conte and Bradley McDougald, the Bucs starting safeties that have been in fans cross hairs, are communicating much better. Well coach it's week 5, time to show how much the guys on your side of the ball have grown in your system.
Special Teams: To be perfectly honest I really don't even want to do this one. Did you hear that the Buccaneers traded up back into the second round and selected a kicker and said kicker is struggling on his extra points as well as field goal attempts? Yay, so did everyone else in the NFL fandom kingdom. Look Roberto Aguayo is going to be the Bucs kicker this year and next year no matter what happens. It is what it is and I totally understand the frustration. When points are at stake almost every time you touch the ball going through growing pains can be soul crushing for the invested fan. Bright side, the punter is really good.
The Bucs prevailed over the Falcons today 31-24 and there were a lot of bright spots but here a few that really caught our eye.
Winston Deep Ball
Jameis did miss his first deep throws early in the first to Humphries and a wide open Evans in the end zone but he made up for it as the game went on. Winston connected with ASJ for a 30 yard TD on the first possession after halftime and a 45 yarder to Evans the drive after. Both were perfect timing passes that dropped right in the receivers hands. With the size of all our bucs receivers and tight ends the deep ball will be used heavily and its a great sign that Winston has the timing down.
Redzone defense
A major weakness of the bucs for the past 5 or more years has been defense, but primarily red-zone defense and today they showed improvement. Of the 4 times the falcons got into the red-zone the bucs stopped them 3 times. The bend but don't break defense could be coming back but improvements still need to be made.
Punter/Special Teams
Overall the special teams had a picture perfect day. Roberto Aguayo made his first and only regular season kick for 43 yards as well as all 4 of his extra points. The coverage teams all did their part as there were no big returns to flip the field. The biggest highlight to me was punter Bryan Anger as he was booming kicks left and right. Anger had 5 punts averaging 45 yards per punt, with a long of 57 yards. Field position is huge in this game of inches and Anger can be seen as a weapon as he can determine where the other team will begin their drives.
Tampa put on a show in the 30 to 13 win over the Cleveland Browns and both sides of the ball showed great signs of how good they can be. Here are a list of the positives to take away from it all.
Offensive Line:
Many bucs fans seemed to be worried about the oline as if they weren't one of the strengths of this team and without question they proved it yesterday. Even without offseason acquisition J.R. Sweezy, Ali Marpet and Kevin Pamphile the offensive line had their way with the Browns Dline. One lineman in particular that stood out was fill in guard Josh Allen as he was mauling guys on every play and no doubt showed his value to coaches as well as showing the depth of the Oline. Winston consistently had time to make throws and work through his progressions, evident by the multiple down the field throws.
Defensive Line:
The Dline line looked terrific. The overall speed across the line is amazing. McCoy and Ayers looked like the veterans they are and consistently pushed the pocket. Jack Smith and Noah Spence when in together were flying around the corners drawing RG3 in to McCoy and company. The Dline accounted for 7 of the 8 sacks on the night and always seemed to rush the throws. Most of the sacks came on 4 man rushes which brings back signs of the bucs great Dlines of the past. Can't forget to mention William Gholston and Howard Jones who both got sacks yesterday and continue to make plays.
Special Teams:
Robert Aguayo! He was no doubt the biggest question mark of the preseason. Everyone thought his confidence was shot and that he was a waste of a second round pick. Well he proved that he can make kicks going 6 for 6, 3 Field goals of 48, 21 and 27 yards and 3 extra points. Its only one preseason game but going 100% is movement in the right direction, especially when the first kick was the deep 48 yard kick after having to face all the scrutiny all week. Aguayo is no doubt the bucs kicker and the more kicks he gets the better. Also the punt return team looked great. Adam Humphries had a 73 yard return for a touchdown but it was mainly from key blocks from guys like starting CB Verner and Rookie Noah Spence.
No huddle Offense:
Pretty much the entire first half the bucs were in a no huddle offense. Winston took total control of the offense and made plenty of nice reads to dismantle the Browns defense. Yes, there weren't many rushing plays but there often isn't going to many during a 2 minute no huddle offense. Winston came out of the game with 259 yards and 2 touchdowns in one half. Beautiful numbers which were mostly run in the no huddle offense and best of all, NO interceptions.
Winston/Evans Connection:
Winston and Evans look as if they are both ready for week one. Evans seems to have found his hands again as he caught everything that touched his fingers. They hooked up on many timing throws and plenty trust throws where Evans is just bigger than the corner and Winston is throwing it up exception Evans to win the battle. Evans came out with 5 catches for 115 yards and 1, 37 yard touchdown that was a thing of beauty. They are primed for one productive season.
These are good signs but again it is preseason and can't get too high as there is more work to be done. The main thing is the team will be full strength for the most part to start the regular season which is 2 weeks away.
The Franchise QB himself Jameis Winston took to the podium earlier this week to talk nothing but good things about his former Nole teammate and now buccaneer teammate Roberto Aguayo.
What makes Aguayo special?
Other than he's automatic, just he's competitive as well. He's always having fun out there, he's a different swagger for a kicker, he's always focused but he likes to have fun doing it.
If you are that good I guess the stress levels are dropped a little bit, but its safe to say Jameis isn't worried about that side of the ball anymore. Aguayo gives confidence to the offense knowing that they can be guaranteed 3 points from 40 yards and in. Many so called draft experts were strong in saying that taking Aguayo in the 2nd was a reach and Winston had time to discuss that as well.
Opinions are always going to be out there. Im just happy to have Roberto on this team. Just like a lot of people had opinions about me when I first came out and first started the season. Roberto's going to shut them up.
Confidence is an understatement when it comes to Winston's view of Aguayo and you need that to be a united team. Swagger to the kicker position is a funny thing to talk about but if you are automatic I guess you can walk around with you head held a little higher than normal.
Did the Bucs reach with taking FSU kicker Roberto Aguayo in the 2nd round? Many Bucs fans believe so but did they really? Aguayo has the title of being the most accurate kicker of all time in college football. The title speaks for itself but is he worth that high of a selection.
I was one of the Buc fans to jump at the TV and wonder why they did it as well but looking more into it I can understand why Licht made the move. Aguayo was taken only 16 spots before where the Bucs would have been up in the 3rd round, so would fans be upset if he fell to the 3rd? The Bucs seemed to be set on taking him in the draft no matter what, so trading their 3rd and 4th round pick that they picked up from the Bears to make sure they got their guy seems understandable.
The other argument many Bucs fans have about taking a kicker that high is wondering what other players they could of had that were more valuable than taking Aguayo. Yes, the Bucs have needs on the defensive side of the ball and could have used another edge rusher or safety at that pick, but were they as good as Aguayo at their position? A few names that were available were S Vonn Bell, DE Carl Nassib, DE Yannick Ngakoue and DE Bronson Kaufusi. All of whom were good players in college and major contributors on their teams, but were they as elite as Aguayo was at his position? Obviously not and each of those players had certain knocks on them as being undersized, one year wonders or not having a set position. Taking Aguayo is what you see is what you get and has the potential to be a starter for 10+ years.
Aguayo is coming to Tampa and immediately taking over the starting kicker position as the Bucs have officially cut previous starter Connor Barth. Many fans will jump on him the second he misses a field goal due to his draft selection but with the nickname of Mr. Automatic he will quickly prove why he is worthy of it. He has plenty of pressure on him right now but I'm not going to argue against him until he shows he's anything but an accurate kicker.
Now that the draft is over with whats the best way to sum up the Bucs draft picks? To me its to look at how much they have improved the roster and did they get potential starters. That answer is a complete yes and if you look at the picks they have a potential for 4 starters right off the bat in Hargreaves at CB, Spence at DE, Aguayo at K and Vitale at FB.
Licht set off to try and match or even surpass last years home run of a draft they produced 4 key starters on the team and he may have done that this year. No, this draft isn't the caliber of a Winston or Kwon Alexander but they are crucial starters that the Bucs needed and didn't have going in. They potentially have a shot at also getting a starting Saftey and kick returner in this draft as Ryan Smith will be given every opportunity to compete at those positions.
As a whole the draft is a success in my opinion. The team got better and is definitely more athletic. Spence will have all eyes on him not only because of his past but because of his incredible potential to become an edge rush talent the Bucs have not seen here since Simeon Rice. It's early but Jason Licht comes out of this draft smiling again knowing that he has made his team better.
The Bucs were bold after getting edge rusher Noah Spence as they traded up 15 spots from their 3rd round selection back into the 2nd round to select Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo. It's another starter for Jason Licht and Aguayo is good enough to be this team's kicker for the next 10 to 15 years. Aguayo is not just a really good kicker, he is the greatest kicker in college football history which is saying something. Special teams was an issue last year and now knowing that 3 points is close to automatic when the offense gets to the opposing 35 yard line is nice to have. Aguayo wanted to be a Buc and is just automatic from 40 yards in as he hasn't missed from there during his three years at FSU. So far Bucs Gm Jason Licht has added three starters, look for him to add a few more tomorrow.
Roberto Aguayo is hands down the best kicker in this draft and possibly the best kicker to enter this decade. Former Florida State Seminole completed 88.5% of his field goals, with a long of 53 and get this, he never missed an extra point.
During interviews today Roberto admitted his liking of the bucs, per Jenna Laine.
.@_RobertoAguayo told me the Bucs were the first team he rooted for. Went to training camp at Disney and saw Matt Bryant. #NFLCombine#FSU
The bucs went through their pains last year dealing with the "Leg" Kyle Brindza, who could kick the ball out of the stadium but couldn't kick the easy chip shots. The bucs settled with Connor Barth who I am a fan of yet he doesn't have the leg for the deep ball. Which leads us to Roberto Aguayo. Jason Licht stated earlier this offseason that he wants 5 starters in this draft. That may have been a joke yet taking Aguayo would be taking an immediate starter and big upgrade to what we have on this roster. Let the guy connect with famous Jameis again, I'm sure he's not opposed.
