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When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent one of their fourth-round picks in the 2022 NFL draft on Georgia punter Jake Camarda, you might have been able to hear the collective groan from Bucs fans for miles.
Those fans are no stranger to Bucs general manager Jason Licht using draft picks on specialists, but things haven’t gone well in the past in that department, with Roberto Aguayo and Matt Gay both lasting just a year each as Tampa Bay’s kicker.
So, why did Licht pull the trigger on a punter this time around?
“Yeah, we liked him a lot,” Bucs vice president of player personnel John Spytek told the media this weekend. “He fits a lot of what we are looking for. He has a incredible leg. He’s got what I told [Buccaneers staff writer] Scott [Smith] before, ‘easy power’. He’s got the ability to hang the ball high and drive it 60-plus yards down the field. [Director of College Scouting] Mike Biehl were at the SEC Championship game – don’t hold me to the exact distance of the punt – but it was like a 70-ish yard punt that went out at the 2 [yard line]. So, when you’re looking for a punter that you’re going to draft in the fourth [round], you’re looking for that kind of ability to flip the field and change the game almost. They go from backed up to backing up Alabama.”
“Just really enjoyed watching him through the process,” Spytek continued. “He goes to the Combine – he competes. Those guys don’t have to run 40 [yard dashes], but he goes out and runs it in 4.5 [seconds]. He shows you the kind of athlete he is and you can see that when he kicks. He’s an athletic punter and obviously, he can kick-off, too. We expect him to grow and continue to get better with the nuances of punting. We’re really excited to add Jake. The other [punter] went right in front of him – we had those two guys kind of neck-and-neck and it felt like the right time to do it.”
An added benefit to Camarda’s arrival is the supplanting of veteran Bradley Pinion, who struggled mightily last season in Tampa Bay. He’s also set to make nearly $3 million in unguaranteed salary this season, making him a sure bet for release at some point before the season starts. The Bucs will be able to save valuable salary cap space replacing him with Camarda, money they could potentially use to bring back veteran starters like Rob Gronkowski or Ndamukong Suh.
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