Right now the Cowboys have two kickers signed with almost no NFL experience. If Dallas wants to add someone who’s been around the league a bit, free agent Michael Badgley is available and could be competitive for the 2022 roster.
Chris Naggar, added this offseason as a free agent, has just one field goal and two extra points attempts from a single game with Cleveland last year. But that’s still more than undrafted rookie Jonathan Garibay from Texas Tech.
Experience isn’t everything. If it were, Greg Zuerlein wouldn’t have been released. Dallas has to get most consistency from the kicker position but currently are relying on two young prospects who’ve yet to prove anything on the professional level.
Badgley has some skins on his wall. As a rookie for the Chargers in 2018, Michael went 15-of-16 (93%) on field goals and 27-of-28 on extra points. He hit a 59-yarder that year which set a new franchise record.
Unfortunately a groin injury cut Badgley’s next season short and derailed his rookie rhythm. He only made 73% of his field goals in 2020 and wound up getting released by Los Angeles the following offseason.
However, as a backup for the Colts last year, Badgley looked more like his old self. Coming in off the practice squad after Rodrigo Blankenship was injured, Michael went 18-of-21 on field goals (86%) and was perfect in 39 extra points.
Turning just 27 in July, Michael Badgley still has a young leg and has been in the pressure cooker of NFL action. He’s hit multiple game winners over the last four seasons and finished last year with superior stats to Greg Zuerlein’s work the last two years in Dallas.
I’m not saying that the Cowboys should prefer Badgley over Chris Naggar or Jonathan Garibay. But in the interest of competition, it’d be nice to have one guy in that mix with some experience.
Salary cap space isn’t an issue; Dallas has well over $10 million left and won’t need but a portion of it to sign their 2022 rookies. Badgley can hardly expect more than the veteran minimum at this point so money shouldn’t get in the way here.
Even if John Fassel has high hopes for Gairbay or Naggar, Michael Badgley is worth a look. He was one of the NFL’s best kickers a few years ago and was showing last year that the groin injury is behind him. He could be a sleeper for somebody in 2022, so why not us?
