The Cowboys extend a key piece of special teams

The Cowboys extend a key piece of special teams

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(Credits: AP Photo/Brandon Wade)

One week after the start of free agency, the Cowboys already have their special teams tandem almost complete for the 2022 season. A few days ago the cowboy team renewed long snapper Jake McQuaide’s contract for another year. Now, in a somewhat surprising move, Dallas also secured the continuity of its punter.

According to reports Tuesday, the Cowboys have reached an agreement to re-sign point guard Bryan Anger. The 33-year-old will have a three-year, $9 million contract, with which the team ensures the continuity of a key piece on its special teams.

Anger, who arrived in Dallas last year, had his best season as a professional in the NFL. The punter averaged 44.6 net punt yards in 2021, setting a new franchise record. Besides, his punts allowed the cowboy defense to have a favorable field position. Anger’s performance also earned him his Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro last season.

While keeping a punter of that level on the roster is good news, this move by the Cowboys is somewhat of a surprise. Recall that Anger, who signed a one-year deal in 2021, became a free agent last week. And, according to reports at the beginning of the month, the cowboy team did not consider its continuity for economic reasons.

In fact, the economic situation with the salary cap has shaped Dallas’ offseason so far. The cowboy team made it a priority to place themselves under said cap, having ample space. For this, the Cowboys have made several moves, such as the exchange of Amari Cooper and the new contract of DeMarcus Lawrence, among others.

Now that the Cowboys have enough financial flexibility, it’s surprising that they decided to pay that amount for Bryan Anger. The punter, in fact, would go on to be among the highest paid in the NFL at his position with this new contract. However, it doesn’t fit the idea of ​​the team investing in that job when he’s trying to gain cap space.

Besides, let’s not forget that Dallas has urgent needs to cover. Although the leadership has already ensured the continuity of several key players, it is still necessary to incorporate a pass-rusher to fill the vacancy left by Randy Gregory. And while free agency has been loaded with top-tier players in that role, the Cowboys seem willing to not pay big bucks and keep “hunting for deals.”

On the other hand, the Cowboys were also expected to look for a punter with experience in fake punts. In that section, there was speculation about the possible arrival of Johnny Hekker, a former Rams player who was already under the orders of coordinator John Fassel in the Californian team. However, Hekker was recently signed by the Panthers, and his poor performance in 2021 did not make hiring him attractive either.

Also, Fassel may want to develop Anger’s ability to shoot the ball on trick plays. Let’s remember that last season we saw a sample of it, this during the playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Dallas still needs a piece to complete its special teams

After ensuring the continuity of Jake McQuaide and Bryan Anger, now the Cowboys have another task pending: find a new kicker.

Let’s remember that Greg Zuerlein was cut weeks ago, this after his irregular performance in two seasons. Right now, Dallas has Chris Naggar as the only kicker on the roster. However, it is very likely that the team will add another player to that position, probably to compete with Naggar for the starting job.

Now, it is not ruled out that the Cowboys recruit a kicker in the Draft. This, in large part, trying to emulate the success of the Bengals with Evan McPherson in 2021.

In that section, the best prospect this year is Matt Araiza, kicker and shooter from San Diego State. Araiza stands out for his performance as a punter, becoming nicknamed “The Punt God” after achieving a clearance of almost 80 yards during the NFL Combine a few days ago. However, after signing Anger to a three-year deal, it doesn’t look like Dallas can go for this player. And less if Araiza is more likely to play as a punter.

Either way, it remains to be seen what moves Dallas can make to complete their trio of specialists. Besides, let’s remember that the Cowboys still have eight free agents whose continuity is still under discussion, including Damontae Kazee and Carlos Watkins. However, it remains to be seen if the cowboy leadership makes this matter a priority, or adds another outside free agent in the coming days.

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The Cowboys extend a key piece of special teams

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