Bucs cut long snapper, sign former USF center

Morris Unutoa is out, Ryan Benjamin is in as team tries to cure long-snapping woes.

By ROGER MILLS and RICK STROUD
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 15, 2002

TAMPA -- Problems with the field-goal unit, specifically the long snapping, drew the ire of Bucs coach Jon Gruden and the team did something about it.

Tampa Bay signed former USF long-snapper Ryan Benjamin on Monday and released veteran Morris Unutoa, who signed Oct. 1 to replace the injured Mike Solwold.

"I've got a house here and it makes all the little things a lot simpler," said Benjamin, 24, a River Ridge High graduate and native of New Port Richey who worked out for the Bucs three weeks ago when Solwold went down. "I don't have to get a new place or leave the family, and I can play at home."

Benjamin is not only familiar with the area but also with the Bucs. He spent part of the 2001 offseason with Tampa Bay (signed April 27, released June 7), a span that included a couple of minicamps. Benjamin played one game last season for the Bears (against the Cardinals) and was with the Patriots during the 2002 offseason.

On Sept. 30, the day after Solwold was hurt in Cincinnati, the Bucs invited Benjamin for a tryout. Benjamin, Unutoa and former Bucs snapper Mitch Palmer worked out the next day.

"I got two solid workouts with them and the circumstances fell my way," Benjamin said. "It's understandable. This is bad for (Unutoa) and good for me. I was kind of thrown into it but with the long-snapping position you get used to dealing with stuff like that and you can't let it affect you."

Benjamin, who said he routinely checked to see if any long snappers were injured, plans to wear No. 66 in honor of former Redskins snapper Dan Turk. Turk is remembered by Bucs fans for his botched snap on a field goal in the final seconds of the NFC division playoff game against the Bucs in 1999. Tampa Bay won 14-13. It was Turk's final snap. He died of cancer the next year at 38.

Obviously unhappy about the performance of the field-goal unit against the Browns, Gruden made it clear Monday that a change was coming.

"Yes, absolutely," Gruden said at his morning news conference. "It wasn't a problem, it was a catastrophe, an inexcusable display, honestly. When you have (kicker) Martin Gramatica, you can make an argument, and I will say that he is the best kicker in the Universe, you better give him a snap, put it on the tee and you better protect him because he's capable of three-run homers every time he steps to the plate. ... I was not pleased with that at all."

Although the Bucs did pull away for a 17-3 win and a 5-1 record, Sunday's effort from the kicking unit was the product of multiple breakdowns. And it is an area of concern heading into Philadelphia, where the Bucs have not been able to score a touchdown in back-to-back playoff games.

One problem was Unutoa, who was in his second stint with the Bucs. Unutoa, who was coaching high school ball in Orem, Utah, through the first few weeks of the season, struggled in Atlanta (his first game back with the Bucs) and had more woes against Cleveland.

Part of the problem also may have been that the Bucs spent training camp and preseason getting Solwold, Gramatica and holder Tom Tupa into rhythm, only to see that rhythm broken by Solwold's injury on Sept. 29.

Even the sure-footed Gramatica, who entered the game converting nine of his 11 previous field goals, pushed a 34-yarder wide left in the third quarter.

"We had a rough day," Gramatica said. "On that one I simply miss-hit the ball and pulled it left. You look at every kicker and there are only a few who have had perfect seasons, only a few who haven't missed any. ... It's definitely not the time to panic. We just had a rough field-goal kicking day. Tom punted very well, our coverage unit was outstanding and what more can you say about Karl Williams (six punt returns for 120 yards, including a 43-yarder)."