Koetter Talks Folk-Aguayo Showdown
March 31st, 2017
Dirk Koetter opens up at the NFL Owners Meetings in Phoenix.
The bell sounds in 17 days when the Bucs return to work at One Buc Palace for the 2017 season.
And at that moment, the competition between free agent kicker Nick Folk and incumbent disappointment Roberto Aguayo begins.
There is only one kicking job.
This may not be Balboa-Creed, but it’s made kicking more interesting than Joe can ever recall — even more riveting than when Aguayo lined up last season and breaths were held from Lakeland to Largo.
Of course, while feasting on fine fruit, exotic juices and A-list oatmeal at the NFC Coaches Breakfast in Phoenix on Wednesday, Joe asked winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter about the matchup.
JoeBucsFan.com: Coach, the looming kicking battle between Folk and Aguayo, that might be the most high-profile kicking competition in NFL history. How are you going to handle that? What should we know about that?
Dirk Koetter: (laughs) Well, I think the best thing to go by is we had the exact same thing at punter last year. We had an incumbent punter [Jacob Schum]; we signed a free agent in Bryan Anger. We had a punting competition. It was very close, but it kind of became evident towards the end [of training camp] which way we were leaning. And then Bryan game out and had a great year, and Jacob got signed by Green Bay and had a good year. You know. we did it last year. This year it’s going to be kicker instead of punter. And competition seems to bring out the best. That’s not a new thing. That’s been around for a long time.
May the best man win. And the may the loser not sign with Green Bay have a good year.
March 31st, 2017 at 11:35 am
Sometimes the joes play the role of Captain Obvious lol. “how are you going to handle that compition?” “..by making it a competition where the better performer wins the job..”
The only thing “obvious” is that you never know what a coach is going to say until you ask the question. The goal is a good answer, not a good question. There are many ways Koetter could have answered this. –Joe
March 31st, 2017 at 11:41 am
A-list Oatmeal?
March 31st, 2017 at 11:54 am
I love our organization now! Great coverage Joe!!!!!
March 31st, 2017 at 12:18 pm
Good job Joe. I liked the question. I guess pepsi would have asked a much better question. Anyway i have folk in this one. Go bucs
March 31st, 2017 at 12:32 pm
I would trust Koetter if he had bacon, eggs, sausage, hash browns, pancakes & sausage-gravy biscuits like TBBF does.
March 31st, 2017 at 12:36 pm
I forgot the corn-beef-hash
March 31st, 2017 at 1:21 pm
Bring back Neil O’Donaghue, or better yet Bill Capute…
March 31st, 2017 at 1:24 pm
$HHHHIIIT! This is more like Tommy Morrison vs Chavez Jr.
March 31st, 2017 at 1:47 pm
“the goal is a good answer, not a good question” I’m actually studying about this right now. Seems simple but people really don’t get how to ask the right questions, like the guy who interviewed me at my new job. But lucky me haha! keep up the good work Joe!
March 31st, 2017 at 2:33 pm
I think everyone here is assuming one of these guys is going to emerge as the clear winner! What if it’s a really close competition? Each player will have his fans. The name calling will reach a loud crescendo here on JBF.
I’m not nearly as concerned about which kicker wins the position, as I am that one of them CLEARLY WINS the spot. If it’s a close competition it’ll be ugly.
March 31st, 2017 at 2:34 pm
Pepsi, did you really not have the balls to say that under your regular username?
Sheesh…bunch of cowards around here, lol.
March 31st, 2017 at 2:46 pm
If it is a close competition I would think tie goes to Aguyo just because he was drafted to be the long term answer at Kicker. Plus I don’t think paying $750,000 to Folk to be on the street when you have $30+ million in cap space is a big deal.
March 31st, 2017 at 2:48 pm
This is going to be tougher to discern than the punter if Aguayo kicks well. I believe he’s going to have to be perfect 45 yards and in. That’s what I expect from folk
March 31st, 2017 at 3:22 pm
Here’s hoping Aguayo turns into the kicker Licht envisioned when he overspent to draft that kicker.
Very glad to see the Bucs bring in legit competition to either push or replace him.
March 31st, 2017 at 3:59 pm
Buccaneer Bonzai, this is my regular user name. And it wasnt a ballsy thing to say one way or the other. but I disagree with Joe on the goal of an interview. I figured a better goal is to ask questions that may give an answer for us inquiring fans on something interesting to learn. Maybe a real question where not all of us are sure of the answer..hence the reason we visit a site like this – to learn more than the average fan. There are tons of average Bucs fans that dont follow much besides Sports section headlines and none of them are wondering about the “complications on handling a kicker compition” because it’s super obvious.
– Joey Buono(does this mean i have balls now?)
March 31st, 2017 at 4:27 pm
Pepsi:
There may be no more interesting aspect of training camp than what happens between Folk and Aguayo. If you are from the It-is-boring-because-it-is-about-kickers camp and think this whole subject is trivial, you weren’t at training camp last year when fans piled on Aguayo for missing some kicks at practice. May have been biggest reaction from a Bucs crowd at practice Joe ever heard.
If the subject of kickers is trivial and shouldn’t be discussed, especially when a second round pick is in the middle of the issue, Joe can assure you with 100 percent certainly neither Jason Licht nor Dirk Koetter share that thought.
March 31st, 2017 at 4:28 pm
Aguayo had dissappointing season to say the least. But watching, several of his misses were just barely off, well stuck, straight ball flight, just a few feet right or left. These are correctable, It’s not like he was shanking kicks, I think he may have had 1 true mis-hit.
Hell Nick Folk screwed up a Game winner last year, something Aguayo did not do, from 22 YARDS! No kicker has missed from 22 yards since 2012.
may the best kicker win, my money is on the kid from FSU
March 31st, 2017 at 4:31 pm
I hope Agauyo wins this competition only because he’s significantly younger and it’d be much better to just get our franchise kicker.
At the same time, I don’t know if Agauyo can be an NFL kicker. The most important part to kicking in the NFL is being able to hit from 40+. Agauyo was only 4-10 from this distance which was by far the worst in the NFL. Fans shouldn’t have to be nervous about whether your kicker will make an extra point.
March 31st, 2017 at 4:36 pm
“It’s not like he was shanking kicks, I think he may of had 1 true mis-hit”
That’s like saying at least it was a nice spiral when a QB throws an interception. It’s all about accuracy doesn’t matter to me how it looks.
March 31st, 2017 at 5:25 pm
It sucks, but I think it is time to move on. If they were unable to find a quality kicker in FA I would have said we could try and ride it with Aguayo. However, I have only felt as nervous with Aguayo kicking one time. Kyle Brindza was basically the same thing and it sucked having no idea if we would make a kick. This is the NFL and 35 yard kick should not be coin flips. Time to admit the mistake and move on.
March 31st, 2017 at 5:29 pm
You already know if he gets cut he will kick perfect on another team
March 31st, 2017 at 6:20 pm
This shows fans that GM Jason Licht is not only unafraid to make a bold move, to take a risk, but is willing to admit it and move on if necessary. Folk did not come cheap and in fact is guaranteed more than Aguayo this season. This is win win. Either Roberto proves himself to be the guy the Bucs thought he was when he was taken in round 2 last April or we have a more than competent replacement. Coach Koetter’s comments on the similarity of the punting competition last summer is dead on.
Good question Joe.
March 31st, 2017 at 6:49 pm
As if there wasn’t enough pressure on a NFL kicker to begin with…..
How about moving up to make him a 2nd round pick
Being a rookie
Now, lets bring in veteran competition
How about……the first that misses a kick gets cut….
I think if Aguayo can measure up to this….he will be golden for years to come…..I’m just not sure he can.
March 31st, 2017 at 8:34 pm
Bruce Lee I would never draft and FSU kicker. They are synonymous with wide right or wide left in the last 30 years
March 31st, 2017 at 8:35 pm
That was supposed to read 20 years
March 31st, 2017 at 8:36 pm
LOL that was not supposed to say Bruce Lee it was supposed to say personally. I think I’m going to go buy another new phone
March 31st, 2017 at 8:40 pm
Coca-Cola wins every time!
March 31st, 2017 at 9:12 pm
Joe,
Friday night in old town Scottsdale is top notch…
March 31st, 2017 at 10:02 pm
Aguayo obviously did not produce to his draft position nor an average NFL kicker. The lack of confidence in him affected the coaches calls in crucial situations which is a fact. His problem is between the ears and competition will show if he has it. We can’t put him on the field if the coaches aren’t confident in his ability to hit a 45 yard field goal. Regardless of where he was drafted.
March 31st, 2017 at 10:05 pm
Aguayo didn’t just look like a kicker going through a slump last year, he looked like a deer in headlights. Whenever he made a kick he acted genuinely surprised that it went in and every time he missed one he acted genuinely surprised that it didn’t go in.
This competition is either going to make him grow a set of balls and go out there and bang the ball through the posts or its going to make him curl up in the fetal position and give up. Either outcome at this point is good with me. If I’m leaning one way right now it would definitely be to Folk’s side. I have no confidence in Aguayo going out there and making a 50 yard field goal to win the game, and it’s painfully obvious that the organization feels that way too.
March 31st, 2017 at 10:32 pm
Pressure? Two already comparatively rich guys fighting for the right to get richer kicking a ball.
Give me a break.
March 31st, 2017 at 11:31 pm
Kevinthepainter
This is true lol