The Cowboys front office has started its annual shell game as the deadline for paring down the roster to 53 names quickly approaches.
The club has released Brett Maher, the only kicker on the roster, according to multiple sources, including Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News and ESPN’s Todd Archer. Long snapper Jake McQuaide and special teams ace C.J. Goodwin have been released as well, but the moves do not signal some radical never-kick-ever strategy for the Cowboys in 2022.
All three are expected to be brought back for Week 1 and are being “cut” only temporarily as the team massages the roster.
If the Cowboys were to place players like Tyron Smith and James Washington on injured reserve now, they would be automatically ineligible to return at any point this season.
Their expected inclusion on Tuesday afternoon’s initial 53-man roster will allow them to be moved to short-term IR on Wednesday and miss just a few weeks instead… but that often means other starting-caliber specialists are asked to go through the paperwork dance of being technically cleared off the team’s roster for 24 hours.
The Cowboys have released K Brett Maher, LS Jake McQuaid and ST ace C.J. Goodwin, but all three will be back in some form for Week 1 as the Cowboys manipulate their roster, according to multiple sources. Need spots for IR to return guys, other moves. All vested vets, no waivers.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 30, 2022
Because Maher, McQuaide, and Goodwin are vested veterans with four-plus years of experience, they will not be exposed to the waiver wire, where other teams could claim them during that interim period.
The 53-man roster, due by 3 p.m. Central time Tuesday, will look somewhat odd with no kicker or long snapper on it, but it’s all part of a master plan. The roster will look decidedly more normal by the time the season opener versus Tampa Bay rolls around on Sept. 11.
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