The Cowboys have a kicking problem through the first two weeks of training camp. Rookie Jonathan Garibay and Lirim Hajrullahu are competing for the starting role, but neither has been convincing. Garibay has struggled, missing over half his kicks with some awful misses. Hajrullahu is currently leading the competition, but he has been anything but convincing. With Zuerliens struggles last year, the Cowboys know how important it is to have a reliable kicker, and with all due respect to both players competing, I don’t think either is the answer. The Cowboys should look into addressing the issue. Here are some proven veterans the team can look into signing.
Matthew Wright
Matthew Wright spent last year in Jacksonville and made himself famous by being the one that ended the Jags 20 game losing streak. Wright was reliable last year, draining 87.5% of his kicks and 86% of his extra points. 86% isn’t great on extra points, but in all fairness to Wright, he only missed two, but since the Jags very seldom scored Touchdowns, his misses hurt his % a little more. Wright would be an upgrade from anything the Cowboys have now, and this wouldn’t be a bad route if the Cowboys decide to go this way.
Sam Ficken
After a rocky 2020, Sam Ficken bounced back last year to make 86.7% of his kicks. Like Wright, Ficken missed 3 of his 15 extra points, so his 80% looks a little worse than it is. Ficken is a little inconsistent, but that’s what you will get with a kicker available in August.
Michael Badgley
Michael Badgley is my favorite for the Cowboys to sign, and I think he would be the best option. Again like any kicker you find in August, Badgley has been incredibly inconsistent in his career. Badgley has the most talent of any free agent kicker, and he’s shown legitimate promise of being an elite kicker. In Badgley’s first year, he splashed 93.8% of his kicks and 96.4% of his extra points. After that year, Badgley has two subpar years, leading to his release. The Colts took a chance on Badgley mid-year following an injury to Rodrigo Blankenship, and Badgley performed well. He made 85.7% of his kicks and 100% of his extra points. I like that Badgley has been highly reliable under 40 yards. He’s missed only one kick under 40 yards in his career, so at the very least, that’s something you can count on.
The theme with kickers is always going to be that they are inconsistent. Outside of about 5-7 guys, the league sees constant turnover at the position because a kicker’s mind is almost as important as his leg talent. I would be ok with any of these kickers, but Badgley is only 25, and he should be where the Cowboys go to solve their kicking issues.
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