Bears get kicker Roberto Aguayo after Bucs sent him packing
Roberto Aguayo’s time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended exactly how you’d expect. Less than a day after the kicker missed a field goal and PAT in the Buccaneers’ 23-12 preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the team announced they had waived him.
It didn’t take long for him to find work elsewhere. On Sunday afternoon, the Bears claimed him off waivers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported:
Bears announced they claimed K Roberto Aguayo off waivers and placed WR Rueben Randle on Injured Reserve.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 13, 2017
After an incredible career at Florida State where Aguayo made 198-of-198 PATs and 69-of-78 field goals, the Buccaneers traded up in the second round of the NFL draft to grab Aguayo with the 59th overall pick. It was the first time a kicker had been drafted that high since the New York Jets took Mike Nugent 47th overall in 2005.
To say Aguayo’s transition to the NFL was bad would be an understatement. After reports of him struggling in practice surfaced during the 2016 offseason, Aguayo missed his first kick of the preseason, an extra point, and then missed two field goals later in the preseason.
During the regular season, Aguayo’s kicking was sporadic. He only made 22 of his 31 field goal attempts (71 percent) and his career-long make was only 43 yards. He also missed two PATs during the season. Aguayo’s one shining moment came in Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs (ironically the team the Bucs traded with to draft Aguayo), where he hit all four of his field goal attempts in a 19-17 victory.
The Bucs finally realized their mistake in grabbing a kicker so early, but now maybe Aguayo can shake off the pressure of his draft status and thrive on another team.
