Should Dallas Cowboys consider Bengals' approach to getting a Kicker?
Taking a kicker in the NFL Draft? Let me start off by saying that for a long, long time, I would've been strongly against this idea. But after watching how it has worked out for a team that's headed to Super Bowl LVI, I wouldn't oppose the Dallas Cowboys adopting the strategy. Now granted, the […]
Taking a kicker in the NFL Draft? Let me start off by saying that for a long, long time, I would've been strongly against this idea. But after watching how it has worked out for a team that's headed to Super Bowl LVI, I wouldn't oppose the Dallas Cowboys adopting the strategy.
Now granted, the Cincinnati Bengals are going to the Big One for a lot of different reasons other than their rookie kicker. But Evan McPherson has been simply phenomenal this season and it shouldn't be overlooked.
In the postseason, he's a perfect 12-for-12 in field goal attempts. That includes three attempts of 50+ yards. On the regular season, McPherson made 28 out of 33 attempts (85%) as he went 6-for-9 in 40-49 yard attempts and 9-for-11 in 50+ yard attempts. His FG percentage could've been better as he ranked 20th in the NFL for the season but he was perfect on the road (including the playoffs).
Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys struggled with Greg Zuerlein all season long. While his field goal percentage wasn't significantly lower than McPherson's, the biggest issues might've come in the shape of extra points.
Zuerlein only made 87.5% of his extra-point attempts for the Cowboys, which ranked 24th in the NFL. McPherson ranked in the Top 10 at 95.8%.
And here's the thing. While the Dallas Cowboys clearly had a situation to address at kicker throughout the season, the truth is there were no clear-cut options available in free agency. Even Jerry Jones said on the air that Zuerlein's struggles were going to impact the Cowboys' fourth-down decision-making in the postseason.
And even though it's not the most valuable position in the sport, the truth is that it's difficult to find trustworthy kickers in the NFL. Only 17 kickers in the NFL with over 20 attempts made more than 85% of their field goals.
In short, the Cowboys knew they had a kicking problem yet there wasn't an answer in the market. Veteran kickers who become available in free agency tend to have similar histories. Careers filled with ups and downs, hot streaks and cold streaks. Add to that the fact that the Cowboys are $21M over the cap, per OverTheCap.com.
Suddenly, drafting a kicker doesn't sound like that bad of an idea. The Bengals took one with their fifth-round pick, which would likely be the earliest in which it would be acceptable. If the Dallas Cowboys like a particular kicker prospect and want to risk spending a Day 3 pick on him at the right time, I wouldn't hate the idea.
Not after what we saw from Zuerlein and McPherson in 2021.
Featured image via James D. Smith via USA TODAY Sports
