Patriots signing historic kicker bust feels right for 2020
By Jerry Trotta
The Patriots signed a kicker to their practice squad despite Nick Folk’s dependability.
To say everybody is looking to move on from 2020, during which seemingly everything has been flipped upside down, would be a comprehensive understatement. In fact, it was so disorderly that the New England Patriots watched their playoff streak and AFC East title reign come to a humbling end.
With that in mind, it would only be fitting that the normally-buttoned-up franchise closed out the season by making a mystifying roster move, right? Remember earlier in the week when we relayed the news that the Patriots brought in kicker Roberto Aguayo for a workout?
Well, according to ESPN insider Field Yates, he was just signed to their practice squad.
The Patriots are signing K Roberto Aguayo to their practice squad, per source.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 26, 2020
Aguayo has bounced around the league since being drafted in the 2016 second round and now has another chance to try and develop in New England.
We know what you’re thinking: Nick Folk has been immaculate this season, why would the Patriots sign his potential replacement with just two games remaining in the campaign? We’re trying to wrap our minds around the move and it honestly makes zero sense.
For starters, Aguayo has been out of the league for three seasons after being drafted in the second-round (!) by Tampa Bay back in 2016. He was highly touted coming out of Florida State, but grossly failed to live up to those standards as a rookie, making just 22-of-31 field goal attempts (71%) that year.
The 26-year-old hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since, spending preseason time with the likes of the Panthers, Bears and Chargers before he was ultimately cut by each team coming out of training camp.
Kicker Roberto Aguayo, who has been out of the NFL for almost three full seasons after initially entering the league as a second-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2016, is signing with the Patriots’ practice squad, per @FieldYates.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 26, 2020
It remains to be seen if the Patriots are serious about making Aguayo their starter for next season, but this move indicates they are genuinely considering that a possibility. If that does end up being the case, he’ll have some colossal shoes to fill as Folk has been nothing short of automatic this year, converting on over 92% of his field goal and extra-point attempts.
With Folk’s contract set to expire at season’s end, this is definitely a move Patriots fans should keep tabs on over the next few months.
