The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released kicker Roberto Aguayo after his crucial misses in the team’s 23-12 preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals Friday. The Buccaneers decided it was time to part ways with their former second-round pick when Aguayo missed an extra point and a 47-yard field goal. In last year’s Draft, the Buccaneers traded up in the second round to take Aguayo, who went 198-for-198 in extra point attempts and 69-for-78 in field goal tries during his stint at Florida State.
Aguayo struggled in his rookie season, missing nine of 31 field-goal attempts and failing to make two of 34 extra point tries.
Aside from his struggles with accuracy, Aguayo also showed little range in his kicks, with his longest field goal coming from 43 yards. With Aguayo’s release, the Buccaneers will use veteran kicker Nick Folk, whom they signed to a contract with a guaranteed $750,000 to provide competition in the offseason. During practice, Aguayo still struggled with accuracy but the Buccaneers decided to move on after his performance on Friday.
Broncos’ Derek Wolfe suffers sprained ankle
Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe was carted away from the practice field after suffering a moderate ankle sprain. However, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network Insider reported that Wolfe could only miss some practice time to recover.
On his Twitter account, Wolfe also said that he avoided serious injury, as he tweeted a picture of his swollen right ankle.
The Broncos cannot afford to lose Wolfe as they have already lost defensive lineman Billy Winn for the season due to a torn ACL suffered in Thursday's preseason game. The Broncos’ defense is also without Shaq Barrett, pass rusher Shane Ray and nose tackle Kyle Peko.
Last season, Wolfe tallied 5.5 sacks in 14 games, and his relentless pass rush was instrumental in the Broncos’ vaunted defense.
Shane Ray aims for early return
Broncos pass rusher Shane Ray announced that his recovery from a torn ligament in his hand is going as planned. Ray said the stitches in his hand have been removed, allowing him to return to the weight room and prepare for his return in the regular season.
According to Rapoport, Ray could return by Week 2 or Week 3. A 2015 first-round pick by the Broncos, the 24-year-old Ray has complemented Von Miller as the team’s pass rushers. In 16 games last season, Ray tallied 48 tackles and 8.0 sacks, doubling his output from his rookie year.
