Let’s not kid ourselves, folks; the Cowboys still have a kicker problem on their hands.
On July 16th, 2023, the Cowboys’ kickers on the roster are hard to trust.
Why?
Because they are unproven, both of them.
You could all think I am completely wrong, but answer me this.
Would you be more confident in Robbie Gould or Brandon Brandon Aubrey, a former soccer player who kicked VERY well in the USFL, and Tristan Vizcaino?
Whoever wins the job in the next month and a half will have a short leash.
This team is in win-now mode, and I feel a game will be lost early in the season because of one of these guys.
Aubrey made 32 of 37 field goals and 57 of 59 extra points over those two seasons in the USFL.
Vizcaino has kicked in the NFL, making 11 of 12 field goals and 15 of 20 extra-point tries.
Missing five PATs is probably not a good thing. That will get you out of this league in a hurry.
Aubrey looks to be the first guy to get reps when training camp starts in less than 10 days.
Aubrey was drafted in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC in 2017.
When that ended, he was selected by the Stallions and was the best kicker for the league that had a few names, but mostly players like this.
Once the lights come on, though, that is when it matters.
Kicking in the NFL is an entirely different ball game.
As of this moment, I can’t buy into the Cowboys trusting an unproven kicker when you have a loaded roster.
You saw it with Brett Maher; it gets in your head once you miss one. I am sure you remember what led to him being cut.
Either way, I am not upset they are trying to give this guy a try first.
The moment these guys cost the Cowboys a game, the phone should be picked up, and the best available vet sitting at home should be flying to Dallas.
I hope one of these guys shuts me up and kicks the heck out of the ball.
We saw Maher have an amazing year, and as soon as he hit the wall in the playoffs, Jerry said goodbye.
It is not easy to keep this job in the NFL, and both of these guys will have a VERY short leash entering 2023.
Looking ahead
These next two months will show us a lot.
Plenty of storylines are going to be dropped the first day the media is allowed to see the Boys get after it.
The first missed kick. The first dropped pass.
All of it.
I understand the move, I just can’t get over the fact that guys like Gould, and Mason Crosby are still both sitting waiting for a call.
Kickers win games in this league, and boy has both of those guys hit some big time kicks in their life.
Crosby has been the reason the Cowboys best chance to make an NFC title game was closed.