Top available free agent kickers the Bucs could pursue
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ brief era of consistency at the kicker position is over.
The team released kicker Ryan Succop on Thursday, marking the end of his three-year tenure in Tampa Bay. He was a crucial part of the team’s 2020 Super Bowl run, but a massive drop in accuracy from deep in 2022 and a large cap number is likely why the team is moving on.
Naturally, the Bucs can grab a rookie kicker in the draft or sign one after it — Jason Licht has somewhat of a penchant for it — but there are also a few notable kickers who are currently free agents. Here are just a few the Bucs could look at for the 2023 season:
Zane Gonzalez
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2021 Season: 90.9 FG%, 3/5 from 50+, 22/23 XP
The Panthers released Zane Gonzalez and extended Eddie Piñeiro on March 23, and the Bucs could be a candidate to make them regret it.
Gonzalez didn’t play in 2022 due to a groin injury he suffered in the preseason, which allowed Piñeiro to take over and have a career year. That would be the only concern with Gonzalez, and the NFL’s Ian Rapoport reported that the injury is healed and he is currently healthy. Accuracy is certainly not a concern, as Gonzalez’s last campaign saw him kick at over a 90% clip for the Panthers two seasons ago.
Brett Maher
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2022 Stats: 90.6 FG%, 9/11 from 50+, 50/53 XP
Alright, alright, Bucs fans probably still remember Maher’s atrocious performance in the 2022 Wild Card game against the Bucs. But if you look at Maher’s regular-season stats, it’s very easy to call that an outlier.
Maher scored a staggering 137 points for the Cowboys in 2022, and his longest kick was hit from 60 yards out — that automatically puts those remembering Ryan Succop’s struggles from long range at ease. Maher had his best season in 2022, so it stands to reason that he could keep that play going in 2023 wherever he plays. With Succop released, that could be in Tampa Bay.
Chase McLaughlin
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2022 Stats: 83.3 FG%, 9/12 from 50+, 21/21 XP
Chase McLaughlin’s stats don’t look stellar on the surface, but there’s still a lot of benefit in a kicker like him.
He’s only 26, to start, so he has a lot of room to grow as a kicker where other kickers on the market might not. He has the potential — he didn’t miss an extra point in 2022, and his career-long is 57 yards. That being said, there is some inherent risk here. His tenure with the Browns was less than stellar, and he’s still working out some growing pains when he kicks from the 40-49-yard range. He wouldn’t be too expensive, though, and he could look to prove himself in Tampa Bay for a new start.
Mason Crosby
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2022 Stats: 86.2 FG%, 1/4 from 50+, 37/39 XP
This one isn’t likely to happen, but it’s fun to think about.
Mason Crosby has been a mainstay in Green Bay since 2007, but as it stands, he’s a free agent. He had a good field goal percentage last year and made most of his extra points, but the biggest knock is his percentage from long range. The Bucs likely don’t want another Succop, and seeing as how Crosby went one for four from 50 yards out in 2022, they may not want the veteran Packers kicker, either. Still, his age means that he could be had for cheap if Green Bay decides to move on.
