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Big Dan Bailey The Dallas Cowboys cut Kris Brown July 26. The day after, they invited Oklahoma State rookie free agent Dan Bailey to camp.
Game on.
The Cowboys haven't had a longterm solution at kicker in 15 years. They've spent two recent draft picks on kickers including current solution David Buehler and former hero Nick Folk (currently kicking for the New York Jets). They thought Folk was the solution. I never quite gathered that they thought Buehler was the solution.
The Cowboys (see: Jerry Jones) wanted Buehler to be the solution because it would save a roster position and cash.
Buehler may or may not be the answer. He's had one season as the field-goal kicker and he missed eight. The 4-6 from 50+ yards, that's OK. It's the 12-18 from 30-49 yards that kills them. An NFL kicker has to be perfect from 30 yards. Buehler wasn't. He was erratic and that leg that once boomed kickoffs out of the back of the endzone wasn't getting them as far back before.
One other thing is bound to screw over Buehler: Due to rule changes, kickoffs are now from the 35-yard-line, not the 30. That means a kicker that can get the ball at the goalline from the 30 can probably get it to the back of the endzone. Ideally, Buehler should be able to get it through the uprights.
Buehler's main strength -- kickoffs -- is now moot. Ordinary kickers can now do what Buehler does. But can Buehler do what ordinary kickers can do?
Buehler had 32 field-goal attempts last season hitting 75 percent. Bailey attempted 31 field goals and hit on 87 percent. This was against Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri and all the behemoths of the Big XII with the college kicking angles.
Almost every day there are reports of Bailey hitting 4-4 in training camp and Buehler missing one or two. The heat is on and, right now, Buehler is on the outside looking in.
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