Buccaneers Lining Up Kicker Tryouts

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Buccaneers are making calls on Friday to set up tryouts for free agent kickers after Nick Folk missed three more field goals during Thursday’s loss to the Patriots.

• According to Rapoport, Tampa Bay will likely wait to see how the free agent kickers perform before cutting Folk.
• As for the free agents who will be in attendance, Rapoport lists Andrew Franks and Mike Nugent along with two or three others.

Folk missed all three of his field goal attempts last night, so this shouldn’t come as a big surprise.

Buccaneers HC Dirk Koetter says he has already spoken to GM Jason Licht, but they “don’t want to make any rash decisions.”

“[General Manager] Jason Licht and I had a brief conversation afterwards,” Koetter said, via ESPN.com. “That will be something that will be forthcoming. But you don’t want to make any rash decisions.”

Folk, 32, is a former sixth-round pick of the Cowboys back in 2007. He spent over two years in Dallas before he signed on with the Jets in 2010 as a free agent.

Folk was entering the final year of his four-year, $12 million contract that included $2.1 million guaranteed and set to make a base salary of $3 million for the 2017 season when the Jets released him during the offseason.

The Buccaneers later signed Folk to a one-year, $1.75-million contract to compete with Roberto Aguayo and he managed to win the job this summer.

In 2017, Folk has appeared in all four games and converted just 6 of 11 field goal attempts (54.5 percent) to go along with 7 of 9 extra point tries.

Nugent, 35, is a former second-round pick of the Jets back in 2005. He has spent the past six seasons with the Bengals but has really struggled this year.

Nugent was in the final year of his two-year, $3.5 million contract and set to make a base salary of $1.2 million for the 2016 season when the Bengals cut him loose in December of last year.

The Giants signed Nugent to a contract a month ago before cutting him loose this past weekend.

In 2016, Nugent has converted 23 of 29 field goal attempts (79.3 percent) and 23 of 29 extra point tries to go along with 28 touchbacks.

We’ll have more regarding the Buccaneers and their kicker situation as the news is available.