Dallas Cowboys rolling with rookie kicker? Mike McCarthy urges patience

FRISCO, Texas — In 2007, Mike McCarthy was 44 years previous and in his second yr as Inexperienced Bay Packers head coach. He was nonetheless studying the commerce and feelings would typically flare, particularly with a rookie kicker.

McCarthy is now 58 and going through a pressure-packed 2022 as he enters his third season because the Dallas Cowboys coach and is more likely to face a equally unsure kicking scenario that would make his feelings flare once more.

With the Packers in 2007, Mason Crosby was a sixth-round decide. As 2022 begins, McCarthy is not fairly certain who would be the Dallas kicker.

The Cowboys have only one on their 90-man roster — Jonathan Garibay, undrafted out of Texas Tech.

In all chance, the Cowboys will add one other kicker earlier than flying to Oxnard, California, for coaching camp in July, however the assorted veterans obtainable have résumés that do not assure extra success than Garibay.

It is attainable the Cowboys re-sign Chris Naggar, who was launched earlier than the rookie minicamp this spring. He has kicked in a single NFL sport. They’ll doubtless hold their eye on kicker battles throughout the NFL this the summer season, and would possibly even look to the USFL for assist.

“Endurance,” a smiling McCarthy stated when requested what it’s prefer to have such a quandary at kicker.

How’s his persistence nowadays?

“Higher as we speak than I used to be in 2007, I am going to say that,” McCarthy stated. “It was a very good expertise.”

In 2007, Crosby made 31 of 39 subject objective makes an attempt because the Packers made it to the NFC Championship Recreation. He hit a 42-yarder in his first sport to beat the Philadelphia Eagles and none of his misses got here in a sport Inexperienced Bay misplaced.

Within the one session he kicked throughout an offseason observe that was open to the media, Garibay displayed a powerful leg. He made a number of kicks from 50 yards, but in addition had a miss from 55 and a 53-yarder ticked off the precise upright. McCarthy believes the expertise of snapper Jake McQuaide and holder Bryan Anger will assist.

“You’ll be able to positively get a really feel for his skill,” McCarthy stated. “… He is off to a very good begin. He is simply younger.”

Crosby had a greater collegiate résumé than Garibay, though Garibay did make a 62-yarder to beat Iowa State and assist Texas Tech turn into bowl eligible. It was the longest make in FBS final season. Garibay missed only one try all yr (15 of 16) and was a first-team All-Huge 12 decide. In 2020, he made 8-of-11 tries.

“Man, as a kicker, you all the time dream of moments like that, simply having the chance,” Garibay stated. “I dwell by the saying that I might quite be prepared for a chance and never have it then have one and never be prepared for it. I feel when it got here right down to it, I used to be excited for that chance to kick that subject objective.”

The Cowboys’ kicking scenario final season was too shaky, even for a group that completed 12-5 and gained the NFC East.

Greg Zuerlein missed six subject objective makes an attempt final season, when three of the Cowboys’ 5 losses have been determined by fewer than three factors. He missed a minimum of one kick in every of these video games, though he made a 56-yarder to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.

The Cowboys remained in Zuerlein’s nook, believing (hoping?) the veteran would discover his type after not kicking within the offseason and thru virtually all of coaching camp due to again surgical procedure. In March, they determined to maneuver on from his $2.2 million wage, though they practically re-signed him earlier than he joined the New York Jets.

How the Cowboys are dealing with the place harkens again to the Nineteen Nineties after they relied on former particular groups coach Steve Hoffman to discover a cost-effective kicker, and he principally discovered them with the likes of Chris Boniol, Richie Cunningham and Lin Elliott.

In newer years, their method has been just like 2011 after they had 5 kickers on the coaching camp roster — Dan Bailey, David Buehler, Dave Rayner, Shayne Graham and Kai Forbath.

Bailey, undrafted out of Oklahoma State, gained the job and at one level turned probably the most correct kicker in NFL historical past. He made 32 of 37 field-goal makes an attempt as a rookie.

Beneath the Bailey mannequin, Garibay would have an inside edge.

A minimum of for now, months earlier than the video games begin when McCarthy’s persistence is excessive.

“It implies that they anticipate so much from me,” Garibay stated. “On the finish of the day, I anticipate so much from myself. … It is a whole lot of psychological. It is primarily psychological. There’s a whole lot of nice guys on the market which have the energy, which are actually good kickers, which have energy and accuracy. Simply typically it is a psychological factor. It is 99 % psychological and the opposite 1 % might be psychological, too.

“I feel there’s a excessive expectation and I am simply making an attempt to do like I’ve all the time executed — concentrate on myself, not concentrate on the competitors, and take it one kick at a time. That is the mentality you have to have — one for one on a regular basis.”