Jimbo Fisher isn't comprehending the heat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are taking for trading up in the second round to draft former Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo.
When told by the Tampa Bay Times that some Bucs fans are unhappy with the move and how many analysts panned it, the Florida State coach responded: "Why?"
"Tell me what a guard or a tackle's going to do more than a kicker does in critical situations," Fisher said. "They're all just as critical. ... When a puzzle's put together, if one piece is missing, it's still empty. When you can get the best kicker you've seen and one of the best in the history of the NCAA, why would you not?"
There are several reasons why not. Good kickers are available in later rounds or even undrafted -- six of the top seven graded kickers by Pro Football Focus in 2015 entered the NFL undrafted. A team like the Bucs had many gaps to fill and that kicker piece to the puzzle wasn't as large as some others. Kickers also play far fewer snaps than your average starter. So while a kicker might play a crucial role, that starting second-round guard (the Bucs found one last year) impacts around 60 plays per game.
We aren't attempting to smash Aguayo, who could very well be one of the best NFL kickers starting his rookie year -- playing on the narrower hashes in the NFL should only aid the most accurate kicker in NCAA history.
Fisher did note that the Bucs were smart about their trade, using the extra pick obtained by moving down a couple spots in the first round to snag Aguayo.
"Really they didn't lose anything," Fisher said. "To me, it was genius. It was pretty smart, what their GM and them did. Got a piece of the puzzle which they needed...
"I'll say this: Most people who said that (it wasn't a smart pick) ain't ever coached. Maybe that's including scouts. They ain't never been on that sideline."
Clearly Fisher has a horse in this game. Trading up for a kicker is always going to be panned. It's up to Aguayo to prove the Bucs brass is on the right side of the argument.
