One of the most fascinating position battles (and Hard Knocks storylines) is the kicking competition down in Tampa between Roberto Aguayo and Nick Folk.
It's not often that a former second-round pick faces choppy waters like this heading into his second campaign. The Buccaneers added Folk this offseason, with general manager Jason Licht admitting after the signing that Aguayo "wasn't very good last year." Following a nightmarish rookie season, however, the 23-year-old kicker is embracing this challenge.
"It is motivation," Aguayo told PewterReport.com. "When I was in college there would be walk-on kids come in and I didn't know who they were or if they were good or whatever. But whoever they were, it was always a competition for me. Just seeing someone else out there trying to compete. I like it."
Aguayo missed nine of his 31 field-goal attempts in his first season, which was the same number he failed to hit in three seasons combined at Florida State. Per NFL Research, Aguayo's field-goal success rate (71 percent) was dead last among the 35 kickers with at least three attempts.
Folk, on the other hand, is the most accurate kicker in Jets history, making 81.3 percent of his field goals in his seven seasons with New York. That includes a sterling 87.1 mark in 2016, tied for sixth-best in the league. Adding a successful veteran in the mix can only help the Buccaneers' kicking struggles, but they didn't want to catch their young investment off guard in the process.
"They [Licht and Coach Koetter] called me and let me know, and I told them I appreciated it," Aguayo said. "That business was business and they were going to bring him in. I didn't know who it was going to be. But I knew they were going to bring someone in. It was just a matter of who it was. But it doesn't matter. I am ready to go out and compete and I know he is too."
Considering Folk has already dropped the "I have a family to feed" line, he'll be ready to rumble for the starting job. Aguayo's response will dictate his future with the Bucs.