Getty Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy walks off the field after an NFL game.
The Dallas Cowboys have now passed the second wave of preseason roster cuts, bringing the group down to 80 players before the final preseason game.
Each of the recent roster moves has its own reasons for being interesting or noteworthy, but one that stands out is the release of kicker Lirim Hajrullahu. Hajrullahu had beat out rookie K Jonathan Garibay initially but is now on the outs as the team moves forward with Brett Maher.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy explained the reasoning behind the decision on August 23, explaining that the team simply felt that Maher impressed more since coming back to Dallas on August 9.
“I had a chance to visit with Lirim [Hajrullahu] this morning,” McCarthy said. “And I really liked the way he came in here. He took control of the competition early and that was very evident… With Brett [Maher,] we just really trusted the numbers. This 80-man cut is difficult, feeling that way today. You start factoring in that we just played this last game and the other factors, so we just felt that Brett was in front and we’re giving him this opportunity to be the guy.”
Both Maher and Hajrullahu had previous stints with Dallas, but neither ever performed well enough to be considered a “franchise” kicker. However, Maher is getting a second chance. The Cowboys will wait and see if their choice pays off.
Comparing Maher to Hajrullahu
When thinking of Maher, what probably sticks out for Cowboys fans is strength. Maher knocked down a 62-yard field goal try in 2018, before making a 63-yard try in 2019, the longest completion among NFL kickers that year according to Pro Football Reference.
However, his accuracy may also come to mind. In his first run with Dallas, Maher made just 74.7% of his field goal attempts. Hajrullahu had a much shorter stint, basically kicking for just one game and making five extra points per PFR.
The other thing working in Maher’s favor is his 2021 season with the New Orleans Saints. The 32-year-old did only go 10 of 12 from extra-point attempts, but he made 88.9% of his field goal tries for New Orleans.
Dallas will be hoping Maher puts together the accuracy and the power, but McCarthy isn’t ruling out adding another competitor at kicker.
Cowboys May Add Another Kicker
When McCarthy was asked about the potential of signing a new leg in free agency, he remained non-committal. However, he did not shut down the idea and credited the Cowboys’ personnel staff for keeping an eye open.
“I think it’s up to the players, and singling out Brett, it’s just like anything. Our personnel department is watching all those teams and so forth, but we had a chance to work out Brett last year and Lirim, if you remember. The way he’s striking the ball, I’ve been so impressed since the start of the workout. If you look at his kickoff, that is something that is probably the difference between him and Lirim.”
His comment about what separated the two kickers is also interesting. Maher’s leg can cause more touchbacks and limit explosive kickoff returns.