Aug 27, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts Rodrigo Blankenship (3) stretches on the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
The one they call “Specs” may be getting another opportunity in the NFL.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Monday that free agent kicker Rodrigo Blankenship is in Tampa Bay this week for a minicamp tryout with the Buccaneers. Noting that Blankenship is finally healthy after undergoing surgery in January to fix a torn muscle in his leg, Rapoport says that the Bucs are one of several teams interested in him.
Blankenship, the former University of Georgia kicker who won the Lou Groza Award in 2019, has three career seasons of NFL experience. He was the go-to kicker for the Indianapolis Colts as a rookie in 2020, going 32-for-37 (86.5 percent) on field goals and 43-for-45 (95.6 percent on extra points).
But Blankenship suffered from waning effectiveness in more recent years, in part due to a hip injury that cost him all but five games of the 2021 season. Blankenship was waived by the Colts after Week 1 in 2022 and eventually landed with the Arizona Cardinals. He made two appearances for Arizona (converting on both of his field goal attempts) but was waived soon after with an injury settlement.
Still only 26 years old, Blankenship should have plenty left to offer if he is indeed fully healthy again. Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay’s starting kicker for the last three years, saw his contract expire this offseason, and the newly-signed Chase McLaughlin might not have the starting job locked up yet. That could open the door for Blankenship to make an entrance (something that he does really darn well).
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