TAMPA, Fla.– The Buccaneers kicking carousel has let one off and another one on.
The Bucs on Tuesday waived kicker Elliott Fry, following his frustrating performance during a scrimmage at Raymond James Stadium on Friday, and signed veteran Ryan Succop, who will challenge last seasons starter, Matt Gay.
Fry missed out on two begins the skirmish, a 49-yard field goal and an additional point. Gay missed out on one kick from 50-plus backyards. Coach Bruce Arians said the Bucs require to see more consistency out of the kicking position.
1 Related” We cant miss additional points,” Arians said Sunday. “We cant distribute the easy points. Kicks inside the 30-yard line ought to be automated.
” If you can hit a 56-yarder, thats terrific. However when we drive the ball to the 10 and miss a basket, theres nothing that tears a group more apart on offense than simply, Hey, we just took the ball down the field. We didnt get any points. So, the gimmes– whos the most constant? If you can do that and still kick 56, 57, now youre All-Pro.”
Succop, 33, has actually invested 11 seasons in the league in between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans, making 82% of his profession basket and 97% of his extra point efforts. He struck a record 56 straight basket inside the 50, from 2014 to 17, according to ESPN Stats & & Information
. Gay made 77.1% of his basket last season and 89.6% of his additional points– 23rd and 28th in the league– and went 0-for-3 on field goal efforts in the season ending.
Gays strength has been on long field goals: He made 5 of 8 efforts from 50-plus yards last season. The majority of his struggles have actually come inside 40 yards and in the south goal line, which is open air, with wind not blocked by the arenas ornamental pirate ship.
Often you feel like it is going one method, and the ball goes the other,” Gay said. Its more psychological than it actually is whats going on with the wind or whats going on with anything, because its understood around the league that end zone is what it is. Being able to go in there and hit an excellent ball– if youre confident in your good ball, that ball will go through.
” I believe thats the method for me– and not checking out too much into whats going on there, because I believe often you play mind games with yourself.”
Gay is utilizing a new kicking strategy by shortening up his method in hopes of fixing a few of his misses. Hes taking the new competitors in stride.
” Competition is the standard of the NFL. Everyones defending a job and if you do not carry out, somebodys right there prepared behind you, prepared to take your area,” Gay stated. “Competition is going to reproduce success, and I believe the capacity of our team this year is super-high, and I think the kicking position is very crucial. … If I are available in and do my thing and do my part, I feel confident in myself– and look after what Im doing– that will be me going into the season.”
From 2010 to 2019, the Bucs had nine various kickers try a field objective, connected with the Cleveland Browns for second most amongst all groups, according to ESPN Stats & & Information. Only the Chargers had more during that period, with 10.
Fry missed two kicks in the scrimmage, a 49-yard field objective and an additional point. Gay made 77.1% of his field objectives last season and 89.6% of his additional points– 28th and 23rd in the league– and went 0-for-3 on field objective attempts in the season ending.
Sometimes you feel like it is going one way, and the ball goes the other,” Gay said. Being able to go in there and hit an excellent ball– if youre confident in your excellent ball, that ball will go through. “Competition is going to breed success, and I believe the capacity of our team this year is super-high, and I think the kicking position is really essential.
