Dallas Cowboys to consider anybody on earth at kicker ... except Brett Maher
The Dallas Cowboys have been done a great job in improving their roster since the end of last season with the draft, free agent acquisitions and trades for two veteran starters in receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
But one giant hole remains at kicker following the late season meltdown of Brett Maher, who missed five of six extra points in the playoffs and wasn’t re-signed.
The Cowboys have Tristan Vizcaino on the roster. But he is not the target to be the kicker in 2023.
Vizcaino has played in just 10 games over three seasons and is 11-of-12 on field goal attempts. But he 15-of-20 on extra points in stints with the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers and Cardinals. That Maher-like percentage, which includes five extra-point missed attempts through the first seven weeks in 2021, can’t be comforting.
Vice president Stephen Jones acknowledged the obvious last month and said selecting a rookie was in 2023 NFL Draft was on the table.
“Certainly, we’re going to try solve it one way or another,” Stephen Jones said. “Right now, i think it’s certainly an itch that needs to be scratched at some point.”
The Cowboys didn’t draft a kicker and didn’t sign one as an undrafted free agent.
But the Cowboys are still looking.
Special teams coach John Fassel said the job is open for anyone, from anywhere.
“We have Tristan on the roster. Anybody else on earth who is not on the team right now, is under consideration,” Fassel said. “That’s everyone really. I think we have a lot of different guys that we’re still looking at — XFL, USFL, veterans on the street, younger guys who still haven’t found their way.”
Fassel even said that bringing back Maher is a possibility but only after being asked specifically about the team’s former kicker.
He didn’t bring him up on his own.
“I think everything is on the table,” Fassel said. “Let’s face it, if you look at Brett, he had a great year. He had a bad game. But he played 22 game, but he had a bad game-and-a-half. I think everyone’s on the table. I’m proud of what Brett did here. If he gets a shot here or somewhere else, I’m sure he’ll perform well.”
Fassel was being nice and magnanimous.
Maher missing five of six extra points in the playoffs, including four in one game, has not been forgotten by owner Jerry Jones.
When asked about the kicker void during the draft, Jerry Jones was pointed and direct in saying a rookie was distinct possibility.
“They have a lesser chance of getting the yips, the younger they are,” Jones joked.
After not taking a kicker in the draft, Jerry Jones said the team would most likely go with a veteran.
And Fassel admits it easier to bring a veteran into the mix, especially with the quality of experience still available on the market.
Fassell openly mentioned veterans like Mason Crosby, Robbie Gould, and Ryan Succop as possible free agent acquisitions without being prompted or asked about them.
“It’s probably the easier way (to go) because you know what you’re going to get,” Fassel said. “If you’re going to bring them in, you have to be excited about what it is. There’s veterans on the street right now — let’s face it, there’s Mason (Crosby), there’s Robbie (Gould), there’s (Ryan) Succup. There’s a lot of guys that have performed in the NFL, and you weigh that against everything else. There’s really no secrets of who’s available. The good thing for us at the kicker spot is just being patient and deciding who that second guy is we’re going to bring in, whether it’s now or training camp.”
What is known, whether they admit it or not, is that the second kicker won’t be Maher.
This story was originally published May 16, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
