The Buccaneers probably aren’t going to get too impatient with second-round pick Roberto Aguayo, since they traded up to take him so high.
But regardless his draft status, he’s still a kicker, and kickers have to make kicks.
Aguayo himself knows that, after missing two field goals (a 32-yarder and a 49-yarder) in Saturday’s game against the Jaguars, following a missed extra point in the exhibition opener. He didn’t miss a kick inside 40 yards in his career at Florida State.
“It shouldn’t happen with me. You just have to fix it and keep moving on,” Aguayo said, via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. “I feel like that’s what preseason games were made for, to get the young guys rolling in, to keep working, keep getting better.”
Bucs coach Dirk Koetter was matter-of-fact about the misses, noting that kickers are paid to make things instead of miss them. And as ominous as that might have sounded during the preseason, Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston said his knowledge of Aguayo from their days together at FSU made him confident he’d bounce back.
“I had more misses [Saturday] than him,” Winston joked. “That’s a way to boost his spirits up. One thing about Roberto is the snap-and-clear mentality. I think he’s really talented. He’s just teasing people right now. I know he’s going to produce during the season.”
He better, considering the investment they made in him.