Bucs GM Licht Defends Taking Kicker Matt Gay After Drafting Bust Roberto Aguayo

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the first team to select a kicker in the 2019 NFL draft, taking Utah's Matt Gay.

If that gives Buccaneers fans pause after their Roberto Aguayo disaster, general manager Jason Licht is ready to quell fans' nerves. 

"Kicker's a very important position. It's one of the most important positions on the team. Right now, we have a coach that really believes in kickers and the importance of it, [he] stresses it," general manager Jason Licht told reporters. 

"When [coach] Bruce Arians was hired, we had several discussions about what we were going to do to refine the ways that we do things in terms of finding a good kicker."

The Buccaneers famously selected Aguayo with the No. 59 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He went on to become one of the biggest busts in recent Bucs history, making 22 of 31 field goals during his only season with the team. He has not kicked in the NFL since.

Licht defended the decision to take another kicker by telling reporters the criticism would not carry over about another position.

"You wouldn't say the same thing for a receiver, if a receiver didn't work out a couple years ago that you took in the second round, would you be afraid to take a receiver in the fifth round? No," Licht said. "This is a very, very important position."

Gay made 56 of his 65 field goals and all 85 of his extra points during his two years starting at Utah. He was considered by many as the top kicker in this class.