For the Bucs, the kicking competition seems a little … familiar, shall we say?
Tampa Bay brought kicker Connor Barth back to town this week for a rematch with Patrick Murray. Murray won the kicking competition over Barth, who had been the team’s kicker for the previous four years, in last year’s training camp. Barth instead spent five games last season with Denver.
“It’s very rare that one guy stays with a team for their whole career anymore,” Barth said. “It used to be something that happened, but that’s just the way it is. You come in and it’s a business. You’ve got to look at it like that. You’re just trying to build the best team you can to hopefully win a Super Bowl. We just come in and shake hands, we compete and laugh and have fun off the field. That’s just the way it is.
“I’ve been through a lot of teams, a lot of coaches. You’ve got to look at it like you’re blessed to still play. It’s kind of still fun. I used to take it for granted a little bit, but now I enjoy every day I come out here because you never know if it’s going to be your last. That’s the NFL. It stands for ‘not for long.”’
One difference for Barth is the new longer extra point after touchdowns that puts more pressure on the kicker.
“You’re just hoping that I add a little more value, someone who’s accurate,” Barth said. “Now you’ve got to focus in. It’s a big difference in a game. You’ve really got to go out there and concentrate.”
For the Bucs, it may be difficult for Barth to beat out Murray, who hit 20 of 24 field goals last year. But in the case of an injury, knowing a bit more about Barth’s abilities at age 29 could not hurt.
