Finally, a finishing kick
12:52 AM CST on Wednesday, March 29, 2006
It took considerably longer than it should have, but give owner Jerry Jones credit for finally understanding the Cowboys’ remarkably lucky streak of finding quality free-agent kickers is over.
Give him credit for shelling out big money – at least to the Cowboys – to get a kicker like Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate kicker in NFL history.
Vanderjagt is flawed, no doubt.
Critics will point to his weak kickoffs and his inability to consistently hit clutch kicks in the playoffs. They will also point to his age (36).
But he’s still the best kicker the Cowboys have started a season with since Jones bought the team in 1989. The Cowboys have won Super Bowls with kickers like Lin Elliot. Eddie Murray and Chris Boniol, but those were star-studded teams capable of blowing out lesser opponents. They didn’t rely on their kicker to win games.
These Cowboys aren’t nearly as good.
They need a reliable kicker. They need a guy capable of making clutch kicks to win games. More important, they need a guy who can just make the kicks he’s supposed to make.
That’s something Billy Cundiff, Jose Cortez and Shaun Suisham each failed to do last season. The Cowboys finished 9-7 in 2005 and missed the playoffs, in part, because their triumvirate of kickers made just four of eight attempts beyond 40 yards.
They also combined to miss kicks of less than 40 yards against Washington, Seattle and Denver that played an important role in each of those losses. Don’t expect that to happen next season.
But it wouldn’t have happened without vice president Stephen Jones, coach Bill Parcells and scouting director Jeff Ireland convincing Jerry Jones that it was time to change the team’s philosophy. It took some time, but they convinced Jones that the Cowboys had simply been lucky – not smarter than the rest of the NFL – to use undrafted, free-agent kickers each season.
After all, no other NFL team consistently took that approach. Jones justified it by heaping praise on kicking coach Steve Hoffman, who did a wonderful job in 16 seasons with the Cowboys, but it must also be noted that Dallas was the only team to have a full-time kicking coach.
And it’s no coincidence that Hoffman spent a year out of football before the Falcons hired him this spring. There’s so much parity in today’s NFL that the best teams can no longer get by with an average kicker. The best teams have quality kickers.
That move alone makes Dallas a better team in 2006.
Q: Because of his knee surgery, it might not take a high draft pick to lure Green Bay into a trade – maybe a fifth-round pick – for Javon Walker. Why not give him a nice incentive-based four-year contract?
Scott Euart, Lake Tahoe, Nev.
TAYLOR: I love your passion, but the Packers aren’t giving away the best receiver on their roster, and the Cowboys probably can’t afford him now that Terry Glenn has just received a five-year, $20 million contract. Besides, just because you offer an incentive-laden deal doesn’t mean the player is going to accept it.
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Q: I see where Grady Jackson and Sam Adams are available in free agency. With La’Roi Glover gone, wouldn’t the Cowboys be in the market for another nose tackle?
Eddie Arnold
TAYLOR: They would probably like another nose tackle, but coach Bill Parcells has always been a strong proponent of conditioning, and the guys you just mentioned are fat guys. I don’t see either as the type of player Parcells likes to have on his team, so I would be surprised if either signed with Dallas.
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Q: What are your thoughts on the ESPN rumor that the Panthers were scared Keyshawn Johnson would walk out of negotiations because the Cowboys were after him to come back to Dallas?
Seems like a real stretch to me. First, Johnson would never be a No. 3 receiver. Second, Parcells hardly uses formations with three receivers. And third, “Show me the money!”
Doug Mackenzie
TAYLOR: The Cowboys were definitely phoning Johnson on the day he arrived in Carolina and they would’ve liked for him to return under the right circumstances, but once the Panthers bumped their bonus up to $5 million, there was no way Johnson was returning to Dallas. I don’t think the Cowboys wanted three receivers, each of whom was at least 32, making an average of at least $4 million per year. Johnson just happened to be the odd man out, but he got paid, so I think he’s happy.
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Q: With the recent barrage of signings, are the Cowboys as currently constructed legitimate Super Bowl contenders?
Shane Mattingly
TAYLOR: I don’t think so. I don’t like the offensive line as it is presently constructed because there are too many questions about the starters. Is Marco Rivera going to become a dominant player again after an injury-plagued season? Can Andre Gurode be a consistently quality center? Is Kyle Kosier more than just a guy? Who is going to play right tackle because Jason Fabini is better suited as a backup? The best teams have good line play. For now, the Cowboys’ offensive line is suspect. Until the questions are answered, I don’t view them as a championship contender.
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Q: Do you see the Cowboys drafting the “best player available” now that they have addressed most of their major needs via free agency?
Reggie Owens, Newport News, Va.
TAYLOR: Absolutely. That’s a good situation for the Cowboys because they won’t feel pressure to draft a particular player to fill a need. It’s always better when you don’t feel like you have to draft a player to fill a need because it removes the temptation to pass on a better player to fill a need with a lesser player. More important, it allows the Cowboys to move down in the draft and pick up extra picks that can be used to add depth to the roster.
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Q: Do you believe the Cowboys will even attempt to contact LaVar Arrington’s agent regarding him potentially playing in Dallas?
Steve Turner, Washington
TAYLOR: I don’t think so. Historically, they don’t like working with his agent, and I don’t think the Cowboys want to pay him the hefty salary that he’s going to request. If he drops his salary demands and he’s available in May or June, I could see it happening. But I wouldn’t put more than $5 on it happening.
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Q: What we should expect out of Rocky Boiman?
Chris Benbow
TAYLOR: From the people I’ve spoken with, he’s a splendid special teams player who should help make safety Keith Davis even more efficient because he’s going to draw attention from other teams. He can play all four linebacker positions, and the Cowboys wouldn’t be afraid to start him if they suffered an injury. He’s the type of back-of-the-roster player who can be a good asset for a team.
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Q: In your recent article, you mentioned the Cowboys still need help at right tackle. Does the signing of Jason Fabini not take care of it, and if not, who do they target?
Tom Hamilton
TAYLOR: I think they’re going to take a tackle before the fourth round because they view Jason Fabini as a third tackle who would be terrific as a top backup. But they don’t want his flaws exposed by having to play him on a consistent basis. He’s capable of starting, but the Cowboys would prefer someone else step forward and win the job.
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Q: Terry Owens is a nice addition to any offense. What kind of numbers do you think he will compile in the Cowboys’ ultra-conservative and many times unimaginative offense?
Cortchie Welch, San Antonio
TAYLOR: Great question. I’m not sure of the answer, but I do know that you don’t give a player like Terrell Owens a bushel of money and not put him in position to get the ball. Todd Haley, the passing game coordinator, must be creative with formations, shifting and motion to put Owens in position to succeed and to take advantage of mismatches that tight end Jason Witten and Terry Glenn will get because of Owens’ presence. That said, I think he’ll catch 85 passes for 1,400 yards and 11 touchdowns. Glenn’s catches will be down, but his average per catch will be over 20 yards.
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Q: Do you think T.O. will try to control his attitude considering his suspension last year? Don’t you think T.O.’s agent, Jerry and/or Bill have made it clear to him that if he causes a disruption, he’ll be suspended again?
Steve Robbins, Tyler, Texas
TAYLOR: I think T.O. will try to be a good citizen, but he’s made it clear throughout his career that he’s always going to speak his mind. That’s the way he was raised and he’s not going to change now. I believe Parcells and Jerry Jones have made it clear to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, the type of behavior they expect. Only time will tell how this relationship progresses because T.O. has been so sensitive and volatile in the past.
E-mail jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
