Tag: Greg Zuerlein

Cowboys release K Greg Zuerlein, TE Blake Jarwin ahead of free agency

Just three days away from free agency discussions, the Cowboys have released 5 players to help get themselves under the 2022 cap. | From @CDBurnett7

NFL free agency talks open up on March 14, just three days away, and the Dallas Cowboys are beginning to clear space entering crucial contract discussions. Earlier in the week the team restructured the contracts of QB Dak Prescott and Zack Martin. Although the moves saved Dallas nearly $23 million in cap space, they still had work to do to get under the 2022 salary cap max of $208.2 million by March 16.

While some bigger names have been bandied about for weeks now, the fog surrounding other contributors has now cleared as Dallas has shed some cap, releasing tight end Blake Jarwin and kicker Greg Zuerlein.

For Zuerlein, this moves seems apropos considering the rocky season he had in 2021. In his second year with the Cowboys, he missed 12 kicks, including a few costly ones in games that ended as losses. Three misses in a two-point loss to Tampa Bay in the season opener were the first warning shots and then two more misses in a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Raiders were front and center on national television.

Entering the final season of his Cowboys’ contract, Zuerlein was scheduled to make $2.5 million in base salary and similar to the situation with free agent punter Bryan Anger, Stephen Jones will be looking for a cheaper option.

In the case of Jarwin, it’s an unfortunate situation for the 2017 UDFA. Jarwin broke onto the scene for the Cowboys in the final game of the 2018 season with 119 yards and three touchdown catches in a win. Expectations rose for the Oklahoma State product but the return of Jason Witten from retirement derailed his ascension.

Fast forward to 2020 and Jarwin entered as the sure starter at tight end but tore his ACL in the first game of the season against the Rams and then backup Dalton Schultz usurped his role moving forward. Jarwin may have been ready to resume his role as a starter with Schultz a free agent, but a major hip injury knocked him out for the season and potentially ended his career.

The release of Jarwin saves Dallas an undisclosed amount this offseason as there was an injury settlement. In the final year of his deal, Jarwin was set to make $4.5 million in base salary and had bonuses totaling another $750,000. Looking forward, these departures create space for the Cowboys to make their necessary moves.

Dallas also released three other players, headlined by CB Reggie Robinson, a 2019 fourth-round pick. RB Ito Smith and WR Robert Foster were also let go.

When a player is released from the roster, the savings are offset by other players who are then added to the Top 51 calculation of the salary cap. So while Zurlein was due to make $2.5 million, a new player making $705,000 is now part of the equation, making the savings for moving on from the kicker around $1.8 million. Jarwin’s potential $5.25 million will be lessened by the same amount and the other three players were so close to the minimum, the net savings there are around $600,000.

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Cowboys sign kicker; competition for Zuerlein?

SMU product Chris Naggar spent time with the Jets and Browns last season; the Cowboys have signed him to a futures contract for 2022. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys have taken an early offseason step toward addressing one of 2021’s trouble spots.

Chris Naggar, a kicker out of SMU, has been signed by the team to a futures contract for 2022. His addition should send an obvious signal to veteran Greg Zuerlein that he’ll have some competition heading into next season. Zuerlein was a sixth-round draft pick by the Rams in 2012 and was the league points leader and a Pro Bowler in 2017, but he struggled in his second year with the Cowboys.

Naggar, 24, was a punter at Texas before transferring to SMU and moving to full-time placekicking. As a senior with the Mustangs, Naggar went 17-for-21 on field goals and 43-of-46 on extra points to lead the conference in accuracy. He went undrafted last year, but spent part of training camp with the Jets.

Cleveland signed him just before the season; he did not play in the Browns’ Week 1 game and was then moved back to the practice squad. Late in the season, he made the active roster again as a COVID replacement, kicking a 37-yard field goal and going 1-of-2 on PATs on Christmas Day versus the Packers. He was released by the team a few days later.

For the Cowboys, Naggar will be expected to push the squad’s 10-year veteran for a job. Zuerlein was 83% on field goals in 2021 and missed six PATs, the most in his career. He missed a field goal in three of the Cowboys’ five regular-season losses; those games- against Tampa Bay, Las Vegas, and Arizona- were decided by three points or less.

Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel defended his longtime kicker all year, but finally admitted last month that missing the offseason (due to back surgery) had affected Zuerlein throughout the ’21 campaign.

“I think it is psychological,” Fassel told reporters.

The coach also talked about being able to recognize when a kicker- for whatever reason- simply no longer has the goods to deliver on gameday.

“There might come a time where, yeah, he doesn’t get it back. But this time isn’t now,” Fassel said. “I love Greg, and I believe in Greg, and I’m not supporting him just because of my experience over the last 10 years. This is a production business, and when we stop producing, things change. But I just have full faith in Greg. I do, and if I’m wrong, then I’ll be wrong. But [I] just really think that I’m going to be right. I guess we’ll see.”

Naggar could help bring some clarity to that evaluation process.

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Cowboys’ Fassel doubles down on Zuerlein confidence: ‘I’m going to be right’

John Fassel opened up about Greg Zuerlein’s inconsistency, but backed up his kicker with playoff pressure around the corner for Dallas. | From @CDBurnett7

The Dallas Cowboys fell to the Arizona Cardinals by three points in Week 17. Late in the first quarter, kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 43-yard field goal. While missing out on three points is just one of several factors contributing to Dallas’ loss, blown opportunities in the kicking game isn’t anything new for the club. Zuerlein has missed a career-high six PAT’s and tied a career-high of 12 total misses over his 15 games played.

He’s missed a field goal in three of the Cowboys’ five losses and all were decided by three or less points. This includes a pair of misses against Tampa Bay in the season opener, another game that had enormous seeding implications by the end of the regular season. Even in Saturday’s win Zuerlein missed an extra point, but despite his season-long woes, special teams coordinator John Fassel has his back. On Monday, Fassel doubled down on his support.

Prior the game, Fassel spoke of his continued confidence in Zuerlein’s ability to make the big kick and to figure out what’s causing the misses. When asked if he had wavered, he responded “If I’m wrong, then I’ll be wrong. But I really think I’m going to be right. I guess we’ll see,” per USA Today’s Jori Epstein.

“I love Greg, I believe in Greg and I’m not supporting him just because of my experience with him over the alt 10 years,” Cowboys ST John Fassel told us. “This is a production business. When we stop producing, things change. But I have full faith in Greg. I do.”

After the backlash Fassel faced for special teams conundrums in 2020, the unit has been a bright spot for Dallas in 2021, but Zuerlein’s inconsistency has stuck out like a sore thumb.

If a missed field goal costs the Cowboys in the playoffs, Fassel seems willing to fall on his sword for Zuerlein.

Later in the press conference, which was a long one for Fassel, he made a comparison to golf legend Tiger Woods and opened up about Zuerlein’s shaky season. Fassel admitted his fear, but didn’t back down about his kicker.

Dallas had Lirim Hajrullahu on roster and could’ve called Kai Forbath back up after his perfect stint with the team in 2019, but it’s stayed stern and the result of their decision truly begins Sunday against the 49ers in the wild-card round and Fassel’s reputation may hang in the balance.

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Cowboys final injury report for Week 10 tilt vs Falcons

Dallas has a full injury report ahead of their game with the Falcons, get the latest on Tyron Smith, Randy Gregory, Amari Cooper, and more. | From @AsaHenry_55

The Dallas Cowboys are in search of a bounce-back win against the Atlanta Falcons this week, but doing so will likely be no easy task as the Cowboys’ Week 10 injury report features more players than it has in any week prior.

Two players critical to the Cowboys success, left tackle Tyron Smith and defensive end Randy Gregory have been ruled out. Though most are likely to play, a total of 13 players are listed on Dallas’ final injury report of the week, and that’s not counting kicker Greg Zuerlein, who was added to the COVID-19 list this week and will miss the game on Sunday.

 

Gregory hit short term-IR this week after straining his calf during practice, a similar injury as what Michael Gallup and Dak Prescott suffered this year. Gregory was having his long overdue breakout campaign, wreaking havoc on offenses, and this will unfortunately sideline him for a minimum of three weeks.

This will be back-to-back games Smith has missed with an ankle injury. Last week against Denver the club moved Terence Steele to left tackle, and La’el Collins regained his post at right tackle, but Steele struggled significantly on the left. Some thought the club might try to swap Steele back to the right since he has played that position well this year, but it appears the line will look the same as Week 9. Smith has yet to hit the IR, which indicates that a return from his ankle injury shouldn’t be too far away.

Receiver Cedrick Wilson (shoulder) is listed as questionable, as is quarterback Will Grier (knee).

Wide receiver Michael Gallup and defensive tackle Trysten Hill were activated from the IR and the PUP list, respectively.

Gallup will suit up for the first time since Week 1 after straining his calf, and the potential impact of his return cannot be understated.

Hill saw his 2020 season end early with a torn ACL, and he will make his 2021 debut against the Falcons. Hill could have an opportunity for immediate snaps with Brent Urban (triceps) and Neville Gallimore (elbow) both on the IR.

A number of key Cowboys were limited or out early in the week but upgraded to full participants, including Ezekiel Elliott (knee) , CeeDee Lamb (ankle), Jayron Kearse (shoulder), and they are all set to play. Amari Cooper was limited all week with a hamstring but is also expected to play.

On the Falcons side, there are five players on their final injury report.

TE Lee Smith is doubtful, along with OLB/DE Steven Means, and DL Jonathan Bullard. DB Kendall Sheffield has been ruled out, and DL John Cominsky is questionable.

Of course Atlanta is still without star receiver Calvin Ridley, who announced earlier this year he was going to take time away from the sport to focus on his mental health.

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Greg Zuerlein still in doubt; Cowboys to re-sign Lirim Hajrullahu

The Kosovo-born kicker was the Cowboys’ safety net in the preseason and again after Greg Zuerlein’s misses in Week 1. | From @ToddBrock24f7

For a guy whose job can be measured in threes, Lirim Hajrullahu is hoping the third time’s a charm in Dallas.

The Kosovo-born kicker is being signed by the Cowboys, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. It will mark the third time in less than 90 days that the specialist has been inked to a deal by the club.

News of the signing makes regular kicker Greg Zuerlein even more doubtful for Sunday’s home date against the Falcons. Zuerlein was placed on the Reserve/COVID list on Tuesday, and head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed reports that Hajrullahu would be one of two kickers given a tryout following Wednesday’s practice session to potentially replace him.

Brett Maher, the team’s kicker for 2018 and most of 2019, is said to have represented himself well during the audition. But after going 12-for-12 and being the team’s previous safety-net option- both during the preseason and again after Zuerlein struggled in Week 1- Hajrullahu will apparently once more suit up wearing the star.

Hajrullahu, a former CFL All-Star, booted two extra points in the team’s third preseason game versus Houston in August, but got no field goal chances. He was cut once Zuerlein had fully rehabbed from offseason back surgery.

But after Zuerlein missed a pair of field goals and a PAT in the season opener against Tampa, Hajrullahu was brought back onto the practice squad as insurance. Zuerlein went on to connect on all four of his kicks in Week 2, including the game-winning field goal as time expired; Hajrullahu was released two days later.

Zuerlein has not been ruled out for the Week 10 game as of yet, and McCarthy expressed optimism that he’ll be able to clear COVID protocols in time to play.

“Still hopeful Greg can hopefully, you know, potentially be ready,” McCarthy said during a Wednesday press conference. “I know it’s against the odds, but we’ll see how it goes.”

All signs, however, point to Hajrullahu making his NFL regular-season debut on Sunday.

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Cowboys place Greg Zuerlein on COVID list, to work out Brett Maher

The Cowboys were said to be holding kicker workouts on Wednesday; Zuerlein’s status and availability for Sunday is still not known. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Kicker Greg Zuerlein has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, according to the Cowboys. As of Tuesday afternoon, it is not known if Zuerlein tested positive for the virus or was deemed a close contact of someone else who received a positive test.

Until the kicker’s exact status is made public, it is also unclear if he would be eligible to return to action before Sunday’s game versus the Falcons at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Zuerlein got no kicking opportunities in Week 9’s loss to Denver, save for three kickoffs. He missed a field goal in each of the two previous games, and two in the season opener. He is 14-of-18 on three-point tries, 21-of-23 on extra points for the season.

Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Cowboys would be looking at new options on Wednesday.

Currently, the Cowboys do not have a backup kicker. When Zuerlein was on injured reserve during training camp, the team brought in Lirim Hajrullahu for a short preseason stint. The former CFL All-Star was re-signed to Dallas briefly as special teams coordinator John Fassel assessed Zuerlein’s Week 1 troubles.

Brett Maher is reported to be one of the kickers being looked at. Maher played for Dallas in 2018 and for most of 2019, going 49-of-66 on field goals and 68-of-69 on PATs. Maher made multiple kicks of 60-plus yards as a Cowboy, but was released late in the 2019 season over accuracy issues.

Kai Forbath, who went 10-for-10 on field goals and 10-for-10 on extra points for the Cowboys during a three-game spell in 2019 (when he took over for Maher), is among the experienced NFL kickers not currently on a roster.

Fassel has said that punter Bryan Anger would be the team’s emergency kicker for an in-game situation. He’s also suggested that wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, defensive end Azur Kamara, and center Tyler Biadasz all have some degree of kicking skill, though the Dallas coaching staff is certainly not considering using any of them in an actual game if there is time to secure the services of a free agent specialist.

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WATCH: Zuerlein makes FG to send game to OT

In the waning moments, Greg Zuerlein made the field goal to send the game to overtime in Foxborough.

The Cowboys and Patriots have turned this game into an absolute thriller. After the pair of wild touchdowns by both teams, Dallas took over down three with 2:05 left in the game and quarterback Dak Prescott made a pair of excellent throws to wide receivers Cedrick Wilson and CeeDee Lamb to set up a 49-yard attempt for kicker Greg Zuerlein.

He nailed it, redeeming himself for the 51-yard miss on the previous drive. New England ran out the clock to end regulation and the Patriots won the overtime coin toss and receive to start the final period.

Giants lose to Cowboys, 44-20: Instant analysis

Analyzing the New York Giants’ 44-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Week 5.

A wild day in the NFL’s one o’clock window was the precursor for an NFC East showdown between the rejuvenated Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants, a team hoping to keep their recent positive momentum going.

All of the goodwill the Giants earned after their comeback win in New Orleans went flying out the window on Sunday in Big D. The Giants literally got their clocks cleaned by the Cowboys in a game that was difficult to watch for Giant fans.

Dallas opened the game with a crisp drive but were stopped dead when Giants linebacker Lorenzo Carter tipped and then plucked a Dak Prescott pass out of the air on fourth-and-2 at the Giants’ 48.

The Giants could only get down to the Dallas 36 after a six-play drive. Graham Gano, following the trend of the day around the league, pushed the 54-yard field goal attempt wide of the right upright.

Dallas drove down to the Giants’ 12 but tight end Dalton Schultz could not reel in a pass on the goal line on third down and the Cowboys settled for a 31-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein to open the scoring.

On the Giants’ next possession Saquon Barkley left the game after turning his ankle stepping on the foot of defensive back Jordan Lewis. He was carted into the locker room and did not return.

Dallas looked like they were going to run the Giants right out of Texas until Prescott fumbled a snap on the Giants’ ten yard-line. Reggie Ragland recovered the ball on the eight to stop what had been a steamroller of a drive. The Giants could not capitalize as they went three-and-out.

Dallas went up, 10-0, when Prescott found CeeDee Lamb down the right side of the field for a 49-yard touchdown hookup. Lamb had beaten cornerback James Bradberry and Prescott hit him in stride. It was the second consecutive game Bradberry has been beaten long.

The Giants weren’t about to let Dallas have all the fun. They kicked a field goal on their next drive to narrow the core to 10-3 and then went on a 12-play, 83-yard drive that culminated in a one-yard dive by Devontae Booker on fourth down to tie the score at 10.

But the big takeaway from that drive was the loss of quarterback Daniel Jones to a concussion suffered on third and goal as he was trying to score on a keeper around left end. Jones stumbled back to the huddle and had to be carted into the locker room. Mike Glennon relieved Jones.

Dallas scored on a Prescott-to-Amari Cooper 24-yard touchdown connection one play after James Bradberry dropped a sure interception.

The Giants opened the second half with a seven-play, 42-yard drive that ended with a 51-yard field goal from Gano to make the score 17-13.

After the Cowboys pulled ahead, 27-13, after three quarters, the Giants drove down into the red zone in the early fourth quarter only to come away with nothing. Kadarius Toney was practically tackled in the end zone by Dallas cornerback Anthony Brown but no flag was thrown.

The final score was 44-20. The Giants dropped to 1-4 on the season and have to play some of the league’s best teams over the next six weeks. This game was as deflating as loss as the Giants have had in recent years, and that’s saying something.

Notes

  • Wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton were both inactive again with hamstring strains. Kenny Golladay injured his knee at some juncture in the first half and was ruled out at halftime. Safety Jabrill Peppers (hamstring) was inactive. Xavier McKinney started in his place.
  • With Ben Bredeson (hand) out again and Andrew Thomas questionable (but active) with a foot injury, the Giants’ starting offensive line was — left to right: Nate Solder, Matt Skura, Billy Price, Will Hernandez and Matt Peart. It was the fifth different starting lineup in as many games.
  • Rookie cornerback Rodarius Williams hobbled off the field in the third quarter.
  • Toney caught 10 of his 13 targets for 189 yards an ran for seven more before getting ejected for throwing a punch in the fourth quarter.

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Studs and Duds: Coaching staff struggles can’t mar Cowboys victory

Dallas escaped LA with a last second win over the Chargers, these are the Cowboys who helped or hurt themselves during the narrow victory. | From @AsaHenry_55

Cowboys fans have become accustomed to nail-biters, and Sunday’s narrow road victory over the Chargers was no exception. Neither club played their best football, in what was expected to be a much higher-scoring affair, but Dallas avoided the dreaded 0-2 start to the season on a last-second field goal, 20-17.

There were a number of excellent individual performances, but in a game marred by 20 accepted penalties for a combined 175 yards, it wasn’t beautiful effort by any stretch of imagination. The breaking of on-field rules weren’t the only mistakes being made, however.

Here’s a look at a number of players who stepped up and stood out to help the Cowboys secure the 3-point win, and a few of the things Dallas can hopefully improve upon moving forward.

Thrill of victory for Cowboys; agony of defeat for Vikings

Greg Zuerlein won it for Dallas while Greg Joseph missed a chance to win a game for Minnesota

The Dallas Cowboys felt the pain of losing a game in the final seconds in Week 1 when they fell to Tampa Bay.

On Sunday, the Cowboys sent out Greg Zuerlein for a 56-yard field goal with 4 seconds left at SoFi Stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Greg the Leg as he is known drilled the kick and Dallas left LA with a 20-17 victory and a 1-1 record.

That was the good news for a kicker in the late window. The news was not as good for the Minnesota Vikings and Greg Joseph.

Watch as the Viking kicker has a chance to win it but misses and Minnesota falls to 0-2 with its 34-33 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the desert.

The kicks by both guys named Greg happened within a minute of each other and left one team with the sweet taste of victory and the other with the bitter flavor of defeat.