The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have waived Roberto Aguayo, a second-round pick who struggled to perform in the NFL after a record-setting career at Florida State.
Aguayo missed an extra point and a 47-yard field goal during Friday's 23-12 Bucs loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
He was challenged during training camp by veteran Nick Folk, who will take over the starting job.
Aguayo endured a bumpy rookie season and didn't do enough early in training camp this season to keep his job. It was a sharp decline from his elite college career, during which he won the Lou Groza Award presented to the nation's top college kicker. He connected on 23 of 24 field goals during the Seminoles' national title run in 2013 and was a Groza award finalist in 2014 after converting 27 of 30 field goals. Aguayo struggled in 2015 missing, five of 26 field goals in his final season.
FSU coach Jimbo Fisher suggested last year changes to Aguayo's kicking routine may have contributed to his inconsistency.
"When you get bored doing something, 'well there's more I can do. I want to change this. I want to change that.' Kickers like tweaking those golf swings. And they get going in a direction, sometimes they can't even find out where they were originally.
"Like I remember I told him as a sophomore, remember I told you in the spring he wasn't kicking really good. 'Well, this guy said I could get 5 more yards.' I said, 'Did any of those guys make 23 of 24 or 25 of 26 or whatever the heck you did and win the Groza?' I said, 'Why are you listening to them? Why don't they listen to you?'
"But it's natural instinct to think, 'I want to get better.' And I'm not saying he's doing that _ I don't know. But kickers get a little tweaked off, and (it affects) your rhythm and timing, and I get a little distance here, but I may lose accuracy. It's a fine line.
"He did that here, and when he went back, he went back to regular Roberto."
The Bucs are being featured on HBO's "Hard Knocks" this season and Tuesday's episode could chronicle the decision to part with the second-round pick after just one season handling kicking duties.
