One of the current needs of the Cowboys is to add a new kicker. Following the release of Greg Zuerlein, the cowboy team needs a reliable and efficient specialist. And while Dallas signed Chris Naggar weeks ago, he may not be the starter at the position this season.
Of course, filling that vacancy on special teams is a priority. This was stated by Stephen Jones, executive vice president of the team. Now, who could be Dallas’ new kicker? Below, we review the possible options available.
Few candidates in free agency
At the start of this year’s free agency, standout kickers like Younghoe Koo (Falcons), Nick Folk (Patriots) and Matt Gay (Rams) were available. However, all of them signed new contracts with their teams. And as advanced as the market is, there are very few proven quality options that are still out of gear right now.
One of them is Michael Badgley, also known as “The Money Badger”. The 26-year-old kicker could still be re-signed by the Colts, with whom he wound up playing last season. However, Badgley’s recent performance may raise questions.
“The Money Badger” began the 2021 campaign with the Tennessee Titans, but was released after missing a field goal and an extra point in Week 1 against Arizona. He was later signed by the Colts, even managing to start after Rodrigo Blankenship’s injury. With Indianapolis, Badgley achieved an effectiveness of 100% in extra points (of 39 of 39). As for field goals, he scored 18 of 21 attempts for an effectiveness of 85.7%.
The biggest concern surrounding Badgley is his effectiveness. As of the 2020 season, “The Money Badger” is the third kicker in the league with the most combined field goal and extra point misses. Plus, he’s inefficient at field goals from long range, scoring just 3 of 10 attempts of 50 yards or more in his four years in the NFL. As such, Badgley doesn’t seem like an option that can improve on what Greg Zuerlein did in Dallas.
Remember when K Michael Badgley lasted one day with the #Titanshe’s lived to see another day with the #Colts while Blankenship is still out. pic.twitter.com/UVsRbw4R6f
— Kayla Anderson (@KaylaAndersonTV) October 31, 2021
Other kickers still free include Matt Ammendola and Sam Ficken, both former Jets players. However, none offer convincing effectiveness. Another candidate would be Kai Forbath, who already played in 2019 with Dallas replacing Brett Maher and had a 100% effectiveness in three games. In fact, Forbath has been a free agent since the middle of the 2020 season.
Other than them, there aren’t many options available when it comes to experienced kickers. A last resort would be to test Canadian Football League (CFL) players who have migrated and are on an NFL practice squad.
Here are all 10 FGs from Kai Forbath in DAL. The Philly kicks are the most impressive, imo, due to the wind factors. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/eRQexgINJ9
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) May 14, 2020
Will Dallas Draft a Kicker?
Seeing that scenario in free agency, it is very likely that the Cowboys add a kicker in the Draft. In fact, Dallas may be looking to emulate the success the Bengals had last year by drafting Evan McPherson. And if so, there are some prospects who may be of interest to the cowboy team.
One of the highlights this year is Cade York. LSU’s product comes from being 100% successful on extra point attempts the past two seasons. Meanwhile, as far as field goals are concerned, his effectiveness was 85.7% in 2020 and 83.3% in 2021.
What is most notable about York, however, is his ability for long-range field goals. The young kicker holds the LSU record after scoring a 57-yard attempt in 2020 through fog. Plus, he scored on all four of his 50-plus yard attempts last year. Without a doubt, this is a good cover letter for this prospect ahead of the NFL Draft.
Cade York really just made a 57-yarder through the fog to give LSU the lead ‼️ @YorkCade @LSUfootball
(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/D6hlg6qpGC
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 13, 2020
Another flashy prospect is Nick Sciba. Hailing from Wake Forest, this kicker has been synonymous with consistency in his college football career: 100% shooting extra points and shooting over 80% field goals for four seasons.
However, Sciba has never made a field goal of 50 yards or more in his collegiate career. His furthest touchdown has been 49 yards, in 2018. His only exception was a 52-yard field goal in the 2022 All-Star Hula Bowl, though that doesn’t count in his collegiate stats. While Sciba can improve on his long-range goals while in the NFL, Dallas might prefer someone who’s immediately effective in that department.
“Nick Sciba delivers AGAIN”
Q4 1:09 | 24-18 #Deacs pic.twitter.com/JuRRD06qcl
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) March 19, 2020
A third candidate would be Cameron Dicker, a product of the University of Texas. “Dicker the Kicker” has impressed in college football after scoring multiple field goals of more than 50 yards. Besides, he is a versatile player who can also play punter if needed.
However, its effectiveness can generate certain doubts. Unlike York and Sciba, Dicker hasn’t had a single 100% extra-point shooting season. Meanwhile, his effectiveness in field goals in 2021 was 86.7%, although in the previous three seasons he was below 80%. Seeing this, it would be necessary to see if Dicker can offer an adequate performance at a professional level.
Earthquake! ????#ThisIsTexas #HookEm @camerondicker pic.twitter.com/uCHGWxyzcJ
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 7, 2020
Of course, these aren’t the only prospects at kicker heading into the 2022 Draft. Gabe Brkic (Oklahoma), Jonathan Garibay (Texas Tech) and Andrew Mevis (Iowa State) are also among the best at their position in the class. of this year. Now, it remains to be seen whether the Cowboys go with either of them outright, or by choosing them from a practice squad months after the Draft.
Now, it’s worth mentioning that the cowboy team has not had any formal meetings with any of these prospects. However, the Cowboys are still likely to have some rapprochement in the coming weeks.
Either way, the outlook seems to indicate that the Cowboys will go for a kicker in this year’s Draft. If this doesn’t happen, the team may have a tough time filling that roster spot. Either way, Dallas should have someone consistent this year who doesn’t have win-cost lapses, just like Greg Zuerlein did in 2021.
