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PK Matt Bryant, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
HT: 5-9, WT: 200, Born: 5-29-1975, College: Baylor, Drafted: ---
2008 Projections
Best Case
In 2005 Bryant narrowly beat out Todd France in preseason to win the Tampa Bay job. He went 21 of 25 (84.0%) on field goals and was perfect on 31 PATs. The Buccaneers were pleased with the results and signed Bryant to a five year contract. In 2006 he hit 17 of 22 (77.3%) field goals and added 22 PATs. He was perfect on his field goal attempts under 40 yards, and his one missed PAT was blocked. That was his only missed PAT in the last six years. His long field goal of 2006 was a game winner as time expired to beat Philadelphia. It was from 62 yards, twelve yards farther than his prior career long, and one yard shy of the NFL record. Last year he turned in another solid effort, going 28 of 33 (84.8%) on field goals. It was the most number of field goals he had kicked in any year of his NFL career. To match last year's production, the Buccaneers will again need to provide ample opportunities and Bryant will need to maintain his recent accuracy.
Worst Case
If Bryant regresses to his earlier track record, then he will drop out of the top ten in kicker scoring. As the kicker for the NY Giants, Bryant went 26 of 32 (81.3%) on field goals in 2002, and 11 of 14 (78.6%) in 2003. He missed five games during the 2003 season, and then lost the job during preseason in 2004 due to injury. During the regular season he substituted for other injured kickers in Indianapolis and Miami. During his first year with the Bucs, he missed two short kicks, which coaches and fans expect to be automatic. He was wide right from 29 yards and wide left from 27 yards. The last two years Bryant and his hamstrings played full 16 game seasons for the first time since his rookie year. Injury cost him his job with the Giants and a shot at the Cowboys job, and he missed a game in 2005. Bryant's kickoffs are borderline acceptable but not strong. He averaged 60.0 yards and totaled six touchbacks last year. After making his big 62 yarder in 2006, Bryant missed all three attempts from 50+ yards last year, coming up short twice and wide once.
Outlook
During Martin Gramatica's early glory years (2000-2002), the Bucs ranked 4th, 10th, and 4th in kicker scoring. From 2003 to 2006 they didn't do nearly as well. They ranked only 31st, 23rd, 30th, and 28th. In 2006 the bottomed out with the fewest kicker scoring opportunities in the league. Last year the team regrouped and made it to the playoffs. Along the way Bryant scored 118 points and the Buccaneers ranked 10th in kicker scoring. The coaching staff and offensive players remain essentially intact from last year, so another productive year is certainly possible. After a slow start to his career, Bryant has evolved into a decent kicker. Bryant will probably once again outscore many kickers taken ahead of him in fantasy drafts this year.
