Bucs Punter's Early Struggles Cast Doubt on Future

Despite being drafted in the fourth round just a few years ago, there are signs that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are growing impatient with their young punter.

Aug 10, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers punter Jake Camarda (5) punts against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Bucs' GM Jason Licht has never been afraid to reach for a player on draft night. His track record speaks for itself. Look no further than his willingness to use valuable draft capital on players who don't throw, run routes, tackle, or block. Yes, that's right. I'm referring to the players whose singular role on the team is to kick footballs.

It all started back in 2016 when Licht shocked everyone by drafting Florida State kicker Robert Aguayo in the second round (59th overall). It was the first time a kicker had been selected in the second round of the NFL draft since 2005 when the Jets selected Mike Nugent. Not only that, but Jason Licht actually traded away draft assets in order to move up to select Aguayo.

There's on question that Aguayo was an extremely talented kicker as he remains one of the most accurate in NCAA history. He was even named to ESPN's 'Special Teams Mount Rushmore' alongside Sebastian Janikowski, Shane Lechler, and Brandon Mann in 2021.

Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, and Aguayo himself, he was never able to deliver on his potential as an NFL kicker. He had the worst field goal percentage of all kickers in his rookie season, and was waived by the Bucs before his second season even began.

If Jason Licht deserves any credit related to the Aguayo experiment it's that he was willing to swallow his pride and move on from the kicker so quickly. Thankfully, Licht has proven time and time again that he is willing to count his losses and adjust course, when necessary.

It wasn't until six years later that Jason Licht once again took a gamble on a talented kicker of the football. But this time, it was a punter. The Bucs drafted Jake Camarda in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Georgia.

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After an excellent rookie season, Camarda was even better in year two — his 50.1 yards per punt average was good for 5th in the NFL — though he did falter a bit as the year went along. Still, at just 25 years of age, the expectation was for Camarda to build off his early career success and continue to improve, if not maintain his respectable level of play.

Unfortunately, that hasn't happened so far in 2024.

Three games into the season, Camarda currently ranks 26th in the league in terms of yards per punt average at 45.7, almost 5 yards less than last season. Not only that, but Camarda has been less consistent. He has already shanked multiple punts, and in a season where he should be improving, he appears to be getting worse.

A rough start to 2024 for Bucs punter Jake Camarda, who ranked fifth in the NFL last year with a 50.1 average, but is 26th after three weeks with a 45.7 average this year. His net punting is closer -- 41.2 last year, 39.8 in 2024, but not where he wants to be statistically.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 24, 2024

Earlier this week, the Buccaneers signed punter Trenton Gill to their practice squad. Originally a seventh round draft pick of the Broncos in 2022 — the same year as Camarda — Gill's presence indicates that there is a real concern for Camarda's future within the organization.

#Bucs signing of former Bears punter Trenton Gill to the practice squad does send a bigger message to Jake Camarda that he needs to improve fast. Gill has a 46.1 career average and net of 38.5.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 25, 2024

The team wouldn't choose to use a spot on the practice squad for a punter if there wasn't.

Does this mean that Jake Camarda is on the verge of losing his job? Not necessarily. But at the very least, it's a clear indication that the pressure is mounting for the third-year punter. And if we've learned anything about Jason Licht over the course of his tenure, it's that he isn't afraid to move on from a kicker, even if he used valuable draft capital to get him.

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