The Cowboys have a problem at kicker
After a week in Oxnard at Dallas Cowboys Training Camp, I return to San Antonio with the same offensive line concerns I had before we left, and I have added kicker to the list of concerns.
To add salt to the kicking wound, while the Cowboys don’t have a reliable kicker, the Chiefs have a safety hitting from 65. If you haven’t seen the video of Justin Reid kicking a 65 yarder, go find it.
I don’t know that I have ever spent this much time talking about a kicker and most don’t think about the kicker until he starts missing extra points and easy field goals. Last year Greg Zuerlein did not have competition in camp and didn’t get much training camp work because he was coming off surgery. Greg The Leg had the job and then started missing extra points and chip shots…so we have competition in camp this year and from what we saw, it’s a roller coaster of a competition and neither undrafted rookie Jonathan Garibay and Liram Hajrullahu have been impressive.
And while we were flying back to San Antonio on Saturday, the misses kept coming. According to the Dallas Morning News, Hajrullahu was 8-for-11 and Garibay was just 4-of-11 during the Saturday practice. The Dallas Morning News reports if totaling every live kick from camp, wind-blocked 59-yarders or not, Hajrullahu is at 82.4% (42-of-51). Garibay: 51.9% (27-of-52).
Jerry told us on The Blitz last week he wants to get consistent extra points first and that he is not overly concerned…but you know he is. He has to be. McCarthy has to be. Dak has to be.
Everyone associated with the team is aware the team played in nine one-possession games last year including four decided by 3 points or less – and we all remember the opener against Tampa Bay…
The Cowboys front office didn’t prioritize kicker in the off season. After cutting Zuerlein they signed Garibay as an undrafted free agent. They didn’t sign Hajrullahu until July. Neither has been impressive and the front office now has about a month to find someone.
Let me know what you think on Twitter @JasonMinnix and tune into The Blitz weekdays 4-7p.
