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Roberto Aguayo

NFC Notes: Kap, Eagles, Aguayo, Brooks

August 25th, 2017 at 9:04pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Nick Foles battling an elbow injury that has kept him out of preseason action and Matt McGloin having such a subpar summer that he’s likely to lose his roster spot, the Eagles may have a backup quarterback problem. They could potentially solve it by signing free agent Colin Kaepernick, Mike Sielski of Philly.com contends. Kaepernick remains unemployed in part because owners don’t want to deal with the backlash that would accompany signing the political activist, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the Eagles. After all, owner Jeffrey Lurie signed Mike Vick as a backup QB in 2009, after he served an 18-month prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting ring. While it’s up for debate whether Kaepernick is in the right, Vick’s actions were undeniably revolting. And yet he was able to land a second chance in Philadelphia.

More from Philly and two other NFC cities:

  • Second-year kicker Roberto Aguayo‘s struggles have transferred from Tampa Bay to Chicago, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com writes. Aguayo, whom the Bears claimed off waivers from the Buccaneers on Aug. 13, missed a 49-yard field goal in his preseason debut with Chicago last week and, according to head coach John Fox, had a rough practice Friday. “I think our kicker had a little bit of a struggle today in some of his field goals, but it was something we knew about Roberto,” Fox said. “He’s got a very strong leg; he needs to work on his accuracy. That’s why we’re out here practicing.” Fox added that the Bears will spend the next week-plus working to help Aguayo turn around his fortunes. Otherwise, given that he’s competing with Connor Barth, Aguayo could find himself on waivers again. That would be a stunning turn of events for a kicker who was not only a second-round pick in 2016, but someone the Buccaneers also surrendered a third- and fourth-rounder for when they traded up to select the ex-Florida State standout.
  • It appeared Eagles defensive lineman Beau Allen would miss the first few weeks of the regular season when he suffered a chest injury in April. That won’t be the case, though, as Allen passed a physical Friday and came off the active/PUP list, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The three-year veteran is now in position to keep his iron man streak alive, as he has never missed a game during his career. The return of Allen will further bolster a strong D-line and give the Eagles a player who was on the field for 554 snaps last year (412 on defense, 142 on special teams).
  • The 49ers released linebacker Ahmad Brooks on Friday rather than closer to the Sept. 2 deadline because they wanted to give him a better chance to hook on elsewhere before the season opens, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters (via Mike Florio Pro Football Talk). “Doing it right now is more just in the best interest for Ahmad,” Shanahan said. “It’s a real tough decision. [General Manager] John [Lynch] and I had gone back and forth with it the last few days. Once we really came to the conclusion he wasn’t going to be a part of our final 53, we weren’t going to keep him around just to let him know [eight] days from now. So, we know there’s a lot of teams that will be interested in him. So we gave him that opportunity to go out and find them.” Brooks should indeed draw interest in free agency, having posted no fewer than five sacks in any of his eight seasons with the 49ers. He also missed just eight games during that span.

Bears Claim Roberto Aguayo

August 13th, 2017 at 3:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have claimed kicker Roberto Aguayo off waivers from the Buccaneers, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Roberto Aguayo (vertical)

While claiming a kicker would typically carry little financial risk, that’s not the case for Chicago given that Aguayo was a second-round pick in 2016. Roughly two-thirds of Aguayo’s 2017 base salary is guaranteed, meaning the Bears will now be on the hook for $428K if they cut the former Florida State Seminole.

Connor Barth is the incumbent kicker standing in Aguayo’s way, and his contact contains guaranteed money as well ($155K worth), meaning the Bears will be absorbing dead money no matter which kicker they ultimately choose. Barth converted only 78% of his field goals in 2016 (including 1-of-3 from 50+ yards), but did make all but one of his extra points.

Aguayo, of course, posted even worse numbers during his rookie campaign in 2016, leading to his release on Saturday. Aguayo made only 22-of-31 field goal attempts last year (71%) and missed two extra points. That performance, combined with his struggles in camp and the preseason, was enough for Tampa Bay to thrown in the towel, despite having traded up in the draft to select him a year ago.

Buccaneers Waive Roberto Aguayo

August 12th, 2017 at 11:26am CST by Ben Levine

It looks like the Buccaneers’ kicking competition has already been decided. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports (via Twitter) that the team has waived kicker Roberto Aguayo. Assuming he isn’t claimed, the organization will owe the player $428K (via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter).

Roberto Aguayo (vertical)The Buccaneers (in)famously traded up in the second-round of the 2016 draft to select the Florida State product, surrendering a third- and fourth-rounder to make the pick. Aguayo struggled mightily during his rookie campaign, connecting on a league-worst 71-percent of his field goals.

Those struggles continued during the team’s first preseason game on Friday night. Aguayo did connect on one field goal, but he also missed a 47-yard attempt and an extra point. After the game, coach Dirk Koetter sounded like his patience was wearing thin.

“You know, I keep saying it, I can’t say it anymore. If you’re a kicker, you’ve got to make your kicks,” Koetter said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com).

Aguayo is only 23-years-old, so there’s still a chance that he could develop into a competent kicker. As NFL.com’s Albert Breer pointed out (via Twitter), former second-rounder Mike Nugent struggled mightily before ultimately finding his own in Cincinnati.

As Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times cleverly noted on Twitter, the Buccaneers are now all but assuring that they’ll have a new primary kicker for the sixth straight season. The team will be turning to veteran Nick Folk, who joined the organization back in March. The veteran spent the past seven years with the Jets, and he set a franchise record with a 81.3 career field goal percentage (he also ranks second in franchise history in total points).

While the 32-year-old struggled earlier in his career, he’s been rather consistent over the past few years, connecting on at least 80-percent of his field goals over the past four seasons. Folk is also extremely reliable on extra point attempts, as the veteran has only missed a pair of his 337 career attempts.

South Rumors: Fournette, Albert, Vaccaro

May 21st, 2017 at 11:18am CST by Rory Parks

Leonard Fournette recently inked his rookie deal with the Jaguars, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, Fournette is the only 2017 top-10 draft choice under contract to entirely avoid offset language. Executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin is apparently unconcerned about being on the hook for the full amount of Fournette’s rookie contract if Fournette should be cut within the first four years of his contract, or maybe he is just confident that Fournette will not fizzle out that quickly. This is in keeping with Jacksonville’s standard operating procedure, as the Jags have not included offset language for former top-5 picks Blake Bortles, Dante Fowler, Luke Joeckel, and Jalen Ramsey.

  • The Jaguars recently touched base with left tackle Branden Albert, who continues to stay away from the team as he pushes for a new contract. Albert still has roughly a month before he can be fined for his absence, but Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders believes he is only hurting himself. The club drafted Cam Robinson in the second round of this year’s draft and has already stated that he will compete for the starting LT position, and given Robinson’s upside, there’s reason to think that he could win it. As such, Cummings does not believe that Albert will hold out of training camp.
  • David Grunfeld of the Times-Picayune believes the Saints should let Kenny Vaccaro play out the 2017 season, his contract year, and then determine whether or not to give him a big-money deal or put the franchise tag on him in advance of free agency next offseason. The club has two former second-rounders, Marcus Williams and Vonn Bell, who could theoretically replace much of Vaccaro’s production at a fraction of the cost.
  • We heard several months ago that the Buccaneers could be preparing to move on from Roberto Aguayo, and as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk (citing PewterReport.com) writes, Aguayo is ready for his competition with newly-signed Nick Folk. Said Aguayo, “It is motivation. When I was in college there would be walk-on kids come in and I didn’t know who they were or if they were good or whatever. But whoever they were, it was always a competition for me. Just seeing someone else out there trying to compete. I like it.”
  • We learned yesterday that Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff is confident the team will reach a long-term pact with RB Devonta Freeman.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Saints, Hankins

March 19th, 2017 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Parks

We heard earlier this month that the Buccaneers have “loose plans” for Doug Martin, which seemed to substantiate a prior report that the team was considering retaining their long-time running back. Martin, who will be suspended for the first three games of next season as part of a four-game ban he received in 2016 for violating the league’s PED policy, recently completed a voluntary rehab stint and met with head coach Dirk Koetter and GM Jason Licht a week before the scouting combine. Koetter and Licht both had nice things to say about Martin, but they were still vague on his future with the club.

As Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times writes, there are a number of factors working against Martin’s return, including his injury history, the above-referenced suspension, and the fact that his salary is no longer guaranteed as a result of the suspension. Cummings believes the team would be wise to select a running back from the deep class of RBs in the 2017 draft, and if the Bucs land one of this year’s top prospects, that might spell the end of Martin’s tenure in Tampa Bay.

Now for more from the NFC. We took a swing around the AFC earlier today:

  • Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders says that the Buccaneers‘ recent signing of Nick Folk suggests that the team is prepared to move on from Roberto Aguayo, though Tampa Bay could carry two kickers next season if need be and have Aguayo serve as a kickoff specialist if he cannot beat out Folk for full-time duties. Folk recorded just 39 touchbacks in 2016, the third-worst mark in the league, though he and Aguayo averaged the same distance average on kickoffs.
  • The Saints need to bolster their pass rush in 2017, and after signing Alex Okafor earlier this week, they are now meeting with one of the better pass-rushing prospects in this year’s draft class. As Herbie Teope of The Times-Picayune writes, the club is meeting with Kansas State DE Jordan Willis today. Willis is considered a second- or third-round prospect, and New Orleans has been monitoring him in recent months.
  • Free agent safety Duke Ihenacho will apparently not return to the Redskins in 2017. As Peter Hailey of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes, Ihenacho fired off several cryptic tweets over the past couple of days indicating that his time with Washington is over. Given that the Redskins recently acquired D.J. Swearinger and plan to move Su’a Cravens back to safety, Ihenacho’s departure makes sense.
  • Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com believes there is currently a 50-50 chance that DT Johnathan Hankins returns to the Giants. He also hears that Big Blue wants to add a physical power back to complement Paul Perkins, and LeGarrette Blount could be an option in that regard.
  • Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press examines seven free agents still on the market that could benefit the Lions, including LB Zach Brown and DE Chris Long.

Extra Points: Marshall, Bortles, Payton

January 2nd, 2017 at 9:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL as we wrap up the night…

  • Despite a down season, Jets wideout Brandon Marshall said that he’s still planning on playing for another five years, writes ESPN.com’s Colin Stephenson. In fact, the 33-year-old suggested that he’d be willing to take a pay cut to stay in New York. “Like I said, it’s not about the money anymore; it’s all about winning,’’ he said. “But I know what I’m worth. I think this team knows what I’m worth, as far as the organization. But it’s not about the money. I’m good. I’m good with the money. I just want to win. That’s all I want to do is win. So I don’t care about anything but winning. That’s it.’’ Marshall is due $7.5MM next season, although the money isn’t guaranteed.
  • Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said he will bring in competition for kicker Roberto Aguayo, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com writes. “We’ve got to have competition at every position,” Koetter said Monday. “Nothing’s given and if they’re not the best player, then I can be pretty certain in saying that they won’t be out there.” The Bucs traded back into the second round in 2016 to select the Florida State product, making him the highest-drafted kicker since Mike Nugent. Many criticized the pick but GM Jason Licht later said he assigned Aguayo a first-round grade. The rookie ultimately connected on 71-percent of his field goals this season, the lowest mark in the league.
  • Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles says he played this season with two shoulder separations and wrist tendonitis (Twitter link via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com). The injuries likely contributed to the 24-year-old’s subpar stats this season. After a breakout campaign in 2015, Bortles threw for 3,905 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions this season.
  • Impending Colts free agent defensive back Darius Butler told Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter) he’s ready to transition full time to safety. Butler finished the season with 27 tackles, three interceptions, and one forced fumble.
  • Despite rumors that may say the contrary, Saints head coach Sean Payton said that he plans on coaching the team in 2017, tweets Larry Holder of NOLA.com. Previous reports indicated that the organization would be willing to trade their long-time coach, and the Rams have been noted as a potential destination.
  • Could Cowboys DE Randy Gregory really be back for the playoffs? According to Jon Machota of the Dallas News (via Twitter), the embattled defender will have an appeal hearing in the next week or so to determine whether he’ll be eligible for the postseason. Gregory recently appealed his year-long ban.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Aguayo, Lions, Kaepernick

October 16th, 2016 at 12:34pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a quick swing around the NFC:

  • Buccaneers rookie kicker Roberto Aguayo connected on a game-winning 38-yard field goal on Monday night, but Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times says that Aguayo’s boot only served to buy Tampa Bay a little extra time to address its kicker situation. Even with the winner, head coach Dirk Koetter sounded as disgusted as he did relieved by Aguayo’s performance this season, and as Stroud observes, if Aguayo continues to struggle–he is 4-of-8 on field goals with one missed extra point in nine tries–it could cause a schism between the coaching staff that is judged on wins and losses and the front office that wants its gamble on drafting Aguayo in the second round to pay off.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press believes the Lions opted for veteran Justin Forsett instead of a younger, high-upside back like Karlos Williams simply because they weren’t looking for a project for their backfield. With Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, and Dwayne Washington all under contract for the next few years, Birkett believes Forsett was a better fit for Detroit’s locker room. Once Riddick returns from injury, Birkett believes he and Washington will split the work about 60-40, with Forsett filling a supporting role.
  • In the same piece, Birkett writes that there is a very good chance that Matthew Stafford signs a third contract with the Lions next summer, no matter how the teams finishes in 2016. Indeed, Birkett believes the only way Stafford does not sign a new deal with Detroit is if he would rather hit free agency in a couple of years, which currently seems unlikely.
  • The odds are currently against 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick resurrecting his career in 2016, but if he does, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says he could leave the Niners “in the lurch.” Under his newly-restructured deal, Kaepernick can void the final three years of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent after the season if he desires. Given the strained relationship between player and team, Kaepernick could look to cash in elsewhere following a strong performance in 2016.
  • Earlier today, we learned that the Cowboys might not hand the reins back over to Tony Romo even when Romo is fully healthy.

Extra Points: Aguayo, Contracts, Wilson, Jets

July 2nd, 2016 at 5:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Buccaneers GM Jason Licht justified his decision to take a kicker in the second round by labeling Roberto Aguayo as the top kicking prospect he’d seen.

“This is the best kicker I’ve ever seen in college, my favorite kicker,” Licht told Thomas Bassinger of the Tampa Bay Times. “I’m not going to risk [not] getting him and then have to go through a kicking carousel again during my tenure. I want to get the best kicker. Every position, I want to get the best.”

The rookie who never missed a kick under 40 yards with Florida State and drilled all 198 of his college-range extra points induced the Bucs to trade up to draft him, making Aguayo the highest kicker selected since Mike Nugent went to the Jets in the 2005 second round at No. 47.

While Massinger argues the numbers do not support Licht’s decision, the GM noted Aguayo’s combination of power and accuracy will make a big difference for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in nine years.

“There are lot of kickers that are very accurate — Connor Barth was an accurate kicker — but a lot of those don’t have a powerful leg,” Licht said. “(Aguayo’s) also a weapon as a kickoff guy, too. He can either put it out of the end zone or he can hang it high and drop it on the 5 (yard line) or the 2. … When a team is confident in a kicker, it can affect your game plan a little bit. You can know where you need to get to. We know that if we can’t get it beyond that, we’re still fine.”

Here’s more from around the league.

  • In light of what’s occurring with the Broncos and Von Miller as the franchise tag deadline nears, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap writes incoming rookies’ agents should attempt to take some power back and demand teams incorporate language that prohibits the use of the tag for their clients. Using a CBA clause that contains language indicating the possibility of a contract preventing the use of a franchise or transition tag, Fitzgerald notes this could be a way for players to regain some leverage that the 2011 CBA stripped from them. Of course, getting a team to agree to such a premise when it holds a player’s exclusive rights coming out of the draft is a different story. Players like Miller and Muhammad Wilkerson have seen the fifth-year option and now the franchise tag restrict their earning potential severely compared to old-CBA first-rounders, however.
  • Fitzgerald notes that Russell Wilson signing for four years and being able to become a prospective free agent a year before Andrew Luck could help compensate for the Seahawks quarterback not receiving the guarantees ($87MM to $61MM) the Colts signal-caller did. The cap expert rates Wilson as the better player who could cash in higher than his 2012 draft class peer as a result of age and skill by the time the passers are due to sign their third contracts.
  • Darron Lee should sit behind Erin Henderson at inside linebacker alongside David Harris as a rookie, with the first-round Jets pick likely taking on sub-package responsibilities as a rookie, Darryl Slater of NJ.com writes. Slater expects Henderson, who played in 16 Gang Green tilts last season as a reserve, to start despite Bruce Carter‘s offseason arrival. The Jets possess solid experience in Harris, Henderson and Carter compared to their unseasoned charges on the outside, as Roster Resource details.
  • Johnny Manziel does not look to be aiming to return to the NFL in 2016, but he’s generated interest from the Arena Football League.

Bucs Sign Kicker Roberto Aguayo

June 7th, 2016 at 2:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers announced that they have signed second-round pick Roberto Aguayo. With the kicker under contract, the Bucs have now signed every member of their 2016 draft class. Roberto Aguayo (vertical)

Some were surprised when the Bucs traded into the second-round of this year’s draft to grab the FSU kicker, but it turns out that the team thinks even more highly of his leg than that. Recently, GM Jason Licht claimed that he had first-round grades on three of his rookies this year, including Aguayo. Along with Aguayo, the GM feels that he snared first-round talents in cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III and defensive end Noah Spence.

Hargreaves, meanwhile, inked his rookie contract roughly one month ago. The No. 11 overall pick was the second cornerback to come off the board in the 2016 draft, having been selected one spot behind Eli Apple, after the Buccaneers traded down from No. 9 to No. 11. The University of Florida product will compete for a starting job in Tampa Bay’s secondary this summer, joining free agent signee Brent Grimes at or near the top of the club’s new-look cornerback depth chart.

To recap, here is the full list of the Bucs’ 2016 draft class:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

South Notes: Bucs, Aguayo, Winston, Jaguars

May 20th, 2016 at 10:45am CST by Zachary Links

Draft evaluations are subjective and tend to vary greatly from team to team. This week, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht reminded us of that fact when he explained that he had first-round grades on three of his rookies this year, including kicker Roberto Aguayo. The Bucs thought enough of the FSU product to trade into the second round for him and apparently it’s a move that the Bucs made with confidence. Along with Aguayo, the GM feels that he snared first-round talents in cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III and defensive end Noah Spence. In 2015, Licht says he also hit it big.

“We think we got four last year,” Licht told Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report, referring to quarterback Jameis Winston, left tackle Donovan Smith, guard Ali Marpet, and linebacker Kwon Alexander . “That’s the goal – to get multiple first-round draft picks each year. When it’s all said done, to look back and say, ‘We got multiple first-round picks in this draft’ – that was the goal.”

While you ponder Licht’s assessment of his last two drafts (and his evaluation of Aguayo), here’s more out of the South divisions:

  • New Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken admits that he wasn’t a big fan of Winston prior to the 2015 draft. Today, the former Southern Miss head coach isn’t afraid to admit that he has had a change of heart. “It’s who he is, how he’s wired,” Monken said, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I think that’s one thing that’s a misnomer. I think from the outside you would’ve looked at it with all the things that were publicized in the past about him and who he is. I was dead wrong. He wants to win as much as we do. He’s a competitive joker, man, he’s smart, he’s intelligent…you can win a lot of games with guys like that.”
  • Jeff Linkenbach‘s contract with the Jaguars is for one season and will pay $810K, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. The guard/tackle has 86 appearances and 36 starts on his NFL resume.
  • The Jaguars got some bad news on Thursday when they learned that first-round pick Jalen Ramsey will have to undergo surgery to fix a knee injury. Depending on the second opinion and the treatment option he goes with, Ramsey could reportedly miss 4-6 weeks or 4-6 months. If all goes well, however, he’ll be ready for the start of training camp.
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