Many have wondered why the Bucs didn't re-sign Matt Bryant when they decided to part ways with Mike Nugent.

First, there's the obvious concern, which is Bryant's health. He missed the whole preseason with a hamstring injury and rebuffed the team's efforts to encourage him to kick at some point. Even now, the Bucs aren't convinced he's 100 percent. Because the injury is a hamstring strain, a condition that tends to have recurrences, there is naturally going to be some hesitation.

And here's the point that reinforces the fact that Bryant might not be in the best shape: the Browns and Giants have conducted workouts with him and decided against signing him. The Giants had him in just this week but opted to stay with their own struggling kicker, Lawrence Tynes.

There's also another component at work here: Cost. Bryant would be a more expensive option than Shane Andrus, who joined the team on Monday. Andrus, a player with no credited NFL seasons, received a minimum-salary contract of a $310,000. Bryant, a veteran in his eighth season, would command a minimum salary of $745,000. That's a big difference when you consider the Bucs are already on the hook for more than $2 million they paid to Nugent because veteran salaries became guaranteed after Week 1.

So, when criticizing the Bucs for signing Andrus and staying away from Bryant, be certain to consider all the facts.