Bucs Could Potentially Stick With Nick Folk
As expected, the Buccaneers are looking into making a change at kicker. However, it’s not a sure thing that they will move on from Nick Folk, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). 
Initially, the Bucs were hoping to have a handful of kickers audition early next week, but the team is not enamored with the options presently available, Rapoport hears. That’s why, at the moment, only Mike Nugent and Andrew Franks are slated to for the tryout. If more names aren’t added to the list and neither Nugent nor Franks performs well, the Bucs could wind up sticking with Folk.
It has been a rough two games for Folk. On Sunday, he struggled against the Giants before nailing the game-winning field goal at the end. Then, on Thursday, he bricked all three FG tries, costing the Bucs a win over the defending champs.
Folk has missed five field goals already this season, but he missed only four during his entire 2016 campaign with the Jets (27 for 31). The Buccaneers, understandably, want to get this right given what they went through last season with Roberto Aguayo . As Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) points out, the team has converted on just 28 of 42 field goal attempts (66%) since the beginning of the 2016 season. That marks the lowest percentage of any team in the league over that span.
Buccaneers To Audition Kickers
Well, you knew this was coming. After Nick Folk‘s dreadful performance on Thursday night, the Buccaneers will work out kickers, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
The audition will include Andrew Franks, Mike Nugent, and potentially two or three other kickers, Rapoport tweets. The kicker tryout is likely to take place next week rather than this weekend as the list is finalized, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times adds (on Twitter).
Folk went 0-for-3 on field goals against the Patriots, representing more than the difference between a Bucs win and loss. The Pats won by a score of 19-14 when Jameis Winston‘s end-of-the-game drive fell short.
Folk took full responsibility for Tampa Bay’s loss after the game, but his mea culpa will do little to help preserve his job. There’s no word on this yet, but Folk may not even get the opportunity to kick alongside the other hopefuls during the audition.
“[It has been a [bad week],’’ Folk said on Thursday (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). “It started last Sunday and today. Bad week. “I left points out there. We should’ve won 20-19. This one is on me.’’
Two of Folk’s misses came in the fourth quarter, one from 49 yards out and one 31-yarder. He also missed a long 56-yard try at the end of the first half. This came on the heels of Sunday’s performance against the Giants in which he missed an extra point and two field goals before kicking the game-winner on the final play.
NFC Notes: Bucs, Norwell, Cowboys
Buccaneers nickel corner Jude Adjei-Barimah will have surgery to repair the patellar fracture in his right knee and will be placed on IR, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. When we first learned of the injury, we heard that it could sideline Adjei-Barimah for roughly four months, meaning he would miss most of the 2017 campaign. Stroud’s report suggests that the 25-year-old DB will in fact miss the entire season.
In other bad news for the Bucs, linebacker Devante Bond, who was expected to open the season as the starting strongside linebacker, has a sprained PCL in his right knee, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Bond could still be ready for Week 1, but it may be four to six weeks before he plays again. Meanwhile, Laine adds that QB Ryan Griffin has a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder that will take a few weeks to heal. The team is not expected to sign another quarterback, which means that Ryan Fitzpatrick will likely win the backup job.
Now let’s take a look at a few more NFC rumors:
- Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com tweets that the Buccaneers are expected to bring in another kicker in the wake of Roberto Aguayo‘s dismissal, but the new signing will be used for camp/preseason reps. That suggests that Nick Folk, and not a new acquisition, will be the team’s starting kicker.
- Panthers guard Andrew Norwell is playing under a one-year RFA tender worth $2.75MM this year, but he hopes to get a long-term deal before the end of the season, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Norwell graded out as the league’s No. 11 guard in 2016, per Pro Football Focus, and has started 29 games over the past two seasons, firmly entrenching himself at left guard opposite Trai Turner. Turner, of course, recently received a lucrative extension from Carolina, and Norwell wants in on the action. He has even hired Turner’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to help him get paid.
- Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliot has until Wednesday to appeal his six-game suspension, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that Elliott will likely file the necessary paperwork on Tuesday.
- Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers was hugely impressive in Dallas’ preseason game against the Rams last night, posting four catches and a touchdown. That builds upon the solid showing he had in the team’s first preseason matchup last week, and it is clear that he is the most explosive tight end on the roster. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Gathers has come a long way in a short time — the Cowboys selected Gathers, a collegiate basketball player, in the sixth round of the 2016 draft — and makes the fairly obvious point that Gathers has a legitimate shot to make the team.
- The Redskins are very thin at outside linebacker following Trent Murphy‘s season-ending ACL tear, so they are moving ILB Pete Robertson outside to give themselves another pass-rusher, as Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post writes. Robertson, a UDFA in 2016 who has yet to play a regular season snap, did lead the Big 12 with 13 sacks as an outside linebacker for Texas Tech in 2014.
Buccaneers Waive Roberto Aguayo
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).
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.
NFC Notes: Folk, Eagles, Lions, Vick
Despite spending the entirety of the 2010s thus far with the Jets and being that franchise’s most accurate kicker, Nick Folk wasn’t especially surprised by his early-offseason release. The 32-year-old kicker is now with the Buccaneers, which would be surprising given their recent investment history at this position. Roberto Aguayo‘s struggles have opened the door to an ongoing competition, but Folk doesn’t believe he has to win it to be kicking in the NFL this season.
“If I kick well, I’ll be kicking here or somewhere else,” Folk said, via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. “I can’t worry about things I can’t control. If I kick the best I can, I’ll be just fine.”
Folk signed a one-year, $1.75MM deal with $750K guaranteed. Aguayo went 22-for-31 on field goals last season, putting the former second-round pick’s future in question. Auman offers that Folk’s experience as an 11th-year veteran could give him the edge if this competition is close, Aguayo’s status as a rare Day 2 kicker pick notwithstanding. As Auman points out, Folk winning the job would make it six straight years the Bucs will have deployed a different kicker.
Here’s the latest from the NFC.
- Despite Michael Vick seeming to indicate he was in the process of coming to an agreement with Falcons management on a one-day retirement contract, the former Falcons Pro Bowler said Sunday he hasn’t spoken with anyone with the team about doing this yet. But he has it on the agenda. “I haven’t talked to anybody about it specifically,” Vick said, via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “It’s something that I’ve really been thinking about trying to get done. I was asked the question the other day is that what I want, and I said, ‘Yeah.’ … When I spoke to [Falcons owner] Arthur [Blank], we talked about various other things,” Vick said. “Like I said, [retiring as a Falcon] is something that can happen down the road, and I think we both know that.” Vick told McClure he still has a good relationship with Blank despite one of the most notorious exits from a team in league history. Blank did invite Vick and other former Falcon greats to the Georgia Dome on New Year’s Day for a celebratory ceremony. The 36-year-old added that the Falcons are where his “identity lies as a player.”
- A hamstring injury limited Teez Tabor this week at Lions OTAs, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. Tabor is not expected to start this year, Rothstein points out, but the second-round pick missing time during his developmental stage would bring a sharper learning curve. The Lions have 16-game starter Nevin Lawson as the likely frontrunner to open the season opposite Darius Slay, and they signed D.J. Hayden to a one-year deal.
- Dorial Green-Beckham‘s Eagles roster spot is in trouble, Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com opines. After the Eagles outfitted Jordan Matthews with outside hired guns in Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, Zangaro expects Green-Beckham to fail to make the 53-man roster. Philadelphia’s wide receiver group also houses Nelson Agholor and rookie fourth-rounder Mack Hollins. The 24-year-old Beckham, once the No. 1 recruit in the country coming out of high school, played extensively for the Eagles last season but didn’t stand out. The former second-round Titans pick caught a career-high 36 passes but saw his yards-per-catch figure drop drastically, from 17.2 as a rookie to 10.9 in 2016. That said, Matthews, Jeffery and Smith could all be free agents after 2017 — Smith’s deal has option years — so retaining a formerly coveted player with two years left on his contract might be prudent from a long-term perspective.
Contract Details: Folk, Hawley, Sensabaugh
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts:
- Nick Folk, K (Buccaneers): One year, $1.75MM. $750K guaranteed (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).
- Dwayne Harris, WR (Giants): Restructure. Salary reduced to $2.475MM. $1.1MM guaranteed. $600KK available via incentives by averaging 10+ yards per punt return (link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com).
- Joe Hawley, C (Buccaneers): Two years, $5.5MM. $1MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times).
- Keenan Robinson, LB (Giants): One year, max value of $4MM (Twitter link via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News).
- Coty Sensabaugh, CB (Steelers): Two years, $2.6MM. $425K guaranteed (Twitter link via Caplan).
NFC Notes: Bucs, Saints, Hankins
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.
Buccaneers To Sign Nick Folk
A year after trading up for kicker Roberto Aguayo and using a second-round draft pick on the ex-Florida State star, the Buccaneers may be ready to replace him. Tampa Bay has reached an agreement with free agent kicker Nick Folk, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The team announced the signing in a press release.
Folk had been on the market since the Jets released him Feb. 23, which had more to do with opening up cap room than unhappiness with his performance. The 32-year-old, after all, drilled 27 of 31 field goal attempts and connected on 24 of 26 extra points last season. After he went through four down years with the Cowboys and Jets from 2009-12, Folk converted between 81.3 and 91.7 percent of field goals in each of the past four seasons.
Given Folk’s track record, it would seemingly be rather auspicious for the Bucs if Aguayo were to beat out the veteran during the summer for the team’s kicking job. Aguayo’s preseason issues last year transferred to the regular season, in which he made only 22 of 31 field goals. At 71 percent, he ranked last among the NFL’s 31 qualified kickers in conversion rate. On the positive side, Aguayo did make 32 of 34 extra points.
Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 3.0: Defense
The initial wave of NFL free agency is now complete, and while many of the league’s top available players are now off the board, there are still plenty of quality options still on the open market.
Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each defensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.
Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.
We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.
Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by defensive position for 2017:
Edge defender:
- Dwight Freeney
Elvis DumervilChris Long- Mario Williams
Connor Barwin- Paul Kruger
- Trent Cole
- Erik Walden
- Jason Jones
Darryl TappDevin Taylor- Eugene Sims
- Howard Jones
Wallace Gilberry- Sam Acho
The pass rushing market has been completely depleted during the first week of free agency, as 14 of our original top 15 edge players have now been franchised, signed, or, in the case of DeMarcus Ware, retired. As such, a 37-year-old with 15 NFL seasons under his belt is now the best pass rusher on the market. Dwight Freeney played on roughly a third of the Falcons’ defensive snaps in 2016, and posted three sacks and 18 hurries. Capable of playing in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme, Freeney can still help out a club on the cheap.
Three players on this list — Elvis Dumervil, Connor Barwin, and Eugene Sims — were released by their respective clubs last week, meaning they won’t count against the compensatory formula if and when they’re signed. Dumervil, now 33, was hampered by injuries last season but still earned strong pass-rushing marks from Pro Football Focus. Barwin, meanwhile, wasn’t a good fit in Jim Schwartz‘s 4-3 defense, but he should flourish if he signs with a team running a 3-4 look. So far, he’s met with the Bengals (who use a 4-3) and Rams (3-4).
Chris Long has already indicated he won’t be returning to the Patriots, indicating he wants to join a roster where he’ll earn more playing time. Erik Walden, too, won’t re-sign with his 2016 club (the Colts), but he has taken a visit with the division rival Titans. Further down the list, Howard Jones has also met with at least one club, as he was hosted by the Jets on Tuesday. Jones, 27, is recovering from a torn ACL, but did post five sacks in five starts last season.
Interior defensive line:
Johnathan HankinsDontari Poe- Jared Odrick
- Vance Walker
- Sen’Derrick Marks
Ricky Jean-Francois- Roy Miller
Al WoodsTony McDaniel- Cullen Jenkins
Frostee RuckerCam ThomasJohn Jenkins- Tyson Jackson
Tyson Alualu
Although top-flight players such as Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams have already been signed, the crop of interior defenders remains strong at the top. The buzz around Johnathan Hankins has been virtually non-existent, as the only club that’s been even tangentially linked to the 25-year-old is the Redskins. He’s one of the youngest free agents on the market, and therefore is probably looking for a massive payday. But the lack of interest around Hankins may be an indication that he’s simply asking for too much money.
The same issue could be surrounding Dontari Poe, although he’s not wanting for meetings around the league. He’s visited with the Colts, Falcons, Jaguars, and Dolphins, while the 49ers and Raiders also reportedly have some level of interest. Clubs may have concerns about Poe’s lingering back issues, and he might have to accept a one-year deal in order to prove he’s healthy and willing to provide full effort.
The remaining defensive interior players are mostly over-30 veterans, with names such as Tony McDaniel, Cullen Jenkins, Frostee Rucker, and Tyson Jackson still looking for new deals. While most of these guys can still play, they may have to wait awhile — possibly into the summer — before signing on with their next club. Jared Odrick (Patriots) and Vance Walker (Bears) have both taken visits, but the most intriguing lineman here may be Sen’Derrick Marks, who offers a good amount of pass rush from the interior.
Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 2.0: Defense
NFL free agency gets underway on Thursday and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. Here is our updated outlook for each defensive and special teams position.
Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each defensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.
Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as franchised players aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.
We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.
Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by defensive position for this offseason:
Edge defender:
- Nick Perry
- Jabaal Sheard
- John Simon
- DeMarcus Ware
- Lorenzo Alexander
- Andre Branch
- Julius Peppers
- Charles Johnson
- Datone Jones
- Dwight Freeney
- Chris Long
- Mario Williams
- Paul Kruger
- Courtney Upshaw
- Jarvis Jones
Now that Chandler Jones, Melvin Ingram, and Jason Pierre-Paul have all been assigned the franchise tag, Nick Perry stands as the top edge defender on the free agent market, and is now in a position to cash in. The Packers opted against the franchise tender for the 26-year-old Perry, so he’ll hit the open market following a career year which saw him post 11 sacks.
The rest of this year’s crop of free agent pass rushers is a blend of young defenders searching for their first payday and veterans on the hunt for one last contract. Among players with youth still on their side, Datone Jones figures to interest clubs thanks to his versatility, as he can vacillate between end and linebacker, while fellow former first-round pick Jarvis Jones is solid against the run. John Simon has been overlooked while playing alongside the likes of J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and Whitney Mercilus but could represent a hidden gem, while the Dolphins are reportedly prioritizing Andre Branch.
After managing nine sacks over the first nine years of his NFL tenure, Lorenzo Alexander busted out with 12.5 quarterback takedowns in 2016, and now could be looking for a double-digit annual salary. Charles Johnson, meanwhile, looks like a good bet to return to the Panthers, but DeMarcus Ware could be something of a wild card — after missing 11 games in the past two seasons, does the 34-year-old have enough left in the tank? The same could be asked of Dwight Freeney, who at age-37 posted three sacks in a rotational role for the Falcons.
Interior defensive line:
- Calais Campbell
- Johnathan Hankins
- Brandon Williams
- Dontari Poe
- Chris Baker
- Bennie Logan
- Nick Fairley
- Alan Branch
- Jared Odrick
- Karl Klug
- Terrell McClain
- Lawrence Guy
- Stacy McGee
- Stephen Paea
- Sylvester Williams
Honorable mention: Paul Soliai
Calais Campbell is the best overall player among interior defenders, and though he’s entering his age-31 season and may not cost as much as Johnathan Hankins, Brandon Williams, and Dontari Poe, Campbell will still be highly-sought after as he searches for his last substantial payday Campbell’s agent met with the Cardinals last week, but other speculative fits for the veteran defender include the Broncos, Raiders, Ravens, Colts, and Titans.
Hankins is only 24 years old, and though the Giants are trying to retain him along with the rest of their defensive core, the 6’3″, 320-pound mauler should represent an attractive option to a number of clubs this offseason. Williams, too, offers a massive presence on the inside, while Poe could intrigue clubs based on his first-round pedigree and athleticism (though his play hasn’t always matched his potential). The Redskins’ Chris Baker is a solid, well-rounded defensive tackle, and could constitute a consolation prize for teams that miss out on their top targets.
The rest of the class offers an interesting mix of nose tackles (Bennie Logan), interior pass rushers (Nick Fairley, Karl Klug), and run stoppers (Alan Branch), so clubs hoping to bolster their defensive line should find no shortage of options. Jared Odrick recently hit free agency after being released by the Jaguars, while Terrell McClain, Lawrence Guy, and Stacy McGee could be underrated finds for the right team. McClain, for what it’s worth, has already been linked to the Falcons.
