The Pirates release K Ryan Succop after three seasons with the club

Tampa, Fla. — The team announced Thursday that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will acquire a new starter in 2023, with the Bucs’ salary cap clearing including the release of Ryan Succop.

The move saves $3.75 million in salary cap space.

Soukup, 36, has been with the team for three seasons. Prior to his arrival, the Bucs averaged 78.4% on field goals from 2009 to 2019 – the last in the NFL. With Succop, Tampa Bay averaged 84% – fourth best in the NFL – from 2020 to 2022.

But coach Todd Bowles expressed a desire to improve the Bucs’ long-range kicking game after last season and that wasn’t Succop’s forte. Made 2 out of 7 attempts of over 50 yards in 2022; Whereas he went 12 of 12 on kicks over 40 yards.

Succop successfully hit the game-winning kick in the Bucs’ season-opener against the Dallas Cowboys in 2021. He also kicked four field goals and an extra point in the Bucs’ 19-16 overtime victory over the Arizona Cardinals in 2022.

In 50 games for the Bucs, he went 84 of 99 on field goal attempts and 132 of 141 on extra points. His 384 points scored are eighth in Bucs history and sixth among kickers.

Since 2009, the Bucs have had 13 players attempt at least one field goal in a regular season game, tied for the most in the league with the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers, according to ESPN Statistics & Information research.