The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hope they've solved their kicking woes.
Again.
Free agent Chandler Catanzaro becomes the latest kicker to get an opportunity to stop a seemingly never-ending carousel of potential solutions
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The Bucs also formally announced the signing of veteran defensive lineman Mitch Unrein, who got a three-year, $10.5 million deal after spending most of the past three seasons with the Chicago Bears.
Catanzaro, meanwhile, has also kicked for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets during a four-year career. He's converted 84.4 percent of his field goal attempts. Since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2014, he ranks eighth in the league with 103 made field goals and seventh with 461 points scored.
"I looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunity and just doing what I have the past four years," said Catanzaro, who spent three seasons with the Cardinals for moving to the Jets in 2017. "I think I've proven I belong. I think my career stats say that."
The Bucs have been searching for some stability at the position since 2013. The team has used six different kickers over the past five seasons, including second-round draft pick Roberto Aguayo in 2016 and Nick Folk and Patrick Murray a year ago.
The hope is the strong-legged Catanzaro not only will be dependable on field goals and extra points, but improve the team's kickoffs as well. The 27-year-old had a 67.2 touchback percentage on kickoffs with the Jets
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The fifth-year pro made 25 of 30 field goals and was 29 of 29 on extra points in 2017.
Since Connor Barth handled Tampa Bay's place-kicking duties from 2009 to 2012, the Bucs haven't had a player hold the job for consecutive seasons.
Murray served separate stints in 2014 and 2017, and Barth returned for a second stint in 2015 before general manager Jason Licht surprisingly traded up to select Aguayo in the second round of the 2016 draft.
Folk was signed in free agency last winter to replace an inconsistent Aguayo. He struggled, too, before spending much of last season on injured reserve. Murray returned for his second stint with mixed results, especially on kickoffs.
Catanzaro said he's "definitely aware" of Tampa Bay's kicking woes, but noted: "I wasn't here during that time, so I'm looking forward to doing my thing this season."
"I'm never complacent," he added. "I'm always looking to get better."
Unrein spent four seasons with the Denver Broncos from 2011 to 2014. The following year, he played two games for the San Diego Chargers before being released and signing with the Bears.
In 95 career games, including 24 starts
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The 30-year-old is the second defensive lineman the Bucs have signed in free agency this week, joining former Eagles tackle Beau Allen.
Joe Thornton tested the free-agent market last summer before ending up back in San Jose on a one-year, $8 million deal.
If Thornton has his way this offseason, he’ll sign with the Sharks again before hitting the open market, even if it has to be on another short-term deal.
”It’s no secret I’m a Shark,” Thornton said Tuesday. ”I bleed teal and I want to come back and I know I’m going to be healthy when I come back. I’m sure we can figure something out, but I want to come back.”
Thornton spoke as the Sharks packed up for the summer following a second-round loss to Vegas. Thornton missed that series with a major right knee injury that had sidelined him since Jan. 23 but expects to be fully recovered by next season.
Thornton turns 39 in July but still was performing at a high level before tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee in January. Thornton had a similar injury to his left knee late last season and played four playoff games before offseason surgery but wasn’t able to make it back this year.
”I don’t think there’s a player that I’ve met in 40 years in this business that I respect more than Joe Thornton,” general manager Doug Wilson said. ”He’s incredible. … I look forward to sitting down with Joe and his agent very quickly. He’s an inspiring man, what he’s done to this organization. He was playing really well prior to getting hurt, and even his leadership after, being around the guys and what he does. He’s a special
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Thornton said he’s willing to sign a one-year deal again and would be willing to take less money if it helped the team acquire other players.
While Thornton started slowly this season as he worked his way back from surgery in April 2017, he was back to his usual form by late November. He had 11 goals and 15 assists in his final 28 games before the injury.
Thornton has been a leader ever since arriving in San Jose in 2005 and is the greatest player in franchise history. He ranks 12th in NHL history with 1,030 assists and is 16th with 1,427 points. With seven more games, Thornton will become the 19th player to reach the 1,500-game mark for a career.
”I think we’re all blessed to play with a guy like that on the ice, off the ice,” defenseman Brent Burns said. ”He’s one of the legends of the game, statistically, on-ice talent and what he does for everybody off the ice. He’s definitely the best teammate I’ve ever played with. We’d be lucky to have him.”
Thornton’s pending free agency is just one of the key decisions the Sharks will have to make this offseason. Midseason acquisition Evander Kane also can hit the market this summer. If he signs, they owe Buffalo a first-round pick in 2019. If he leaves
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Kane provided a major boost when he was acquired from Buffalo at the trade deadline in February. He had nine goals and five assists in 17 games, providing needed speed and physicality on San Jose’s top line.
That carried over to the first round when he had three goals and an assist in a sweep against Anaheim but Kane wasn’t nearly as effective against Vegas as he played through injuries to his knee and shoulder.
”I think he’s a difference-maker,” Wilson said. ”He came in here, and I talk about our leadership and our culture, I think he really appreciated that. We appreciated him. I think it was a good fit for him, it was a good fit for us.”
Eric Fehr is another potential free agent who could be back, while forwards Joel Ward and Jannik Hansen are expected to leave this summer. San Jose also must reach deals with restricted free agents Tomas Hertl and Chris Tierney, and can begin negotiating extensions with captain Joe Pavelski and center Logan Couture in July.
The Sharks have plenty of projected salary cap room to make those moves and also could look to add a big-ticket player like John Tavares of the New York Islanders if he hits the open market.
”I’m excited for this team,” Thornton said. ”A lot of guys made big leaps this year. I’m sure teams are always adding new things or trying at least to add new things. But if you’re a Shark fan, you’ve got to be excited for this team still.”
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