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The Dallas Cowboys have signed La’El Collins, Jaylon Smith, Ezekiel Elliot, and possibly Dad Prescott to lucrative deals. Well, the Cowboys did the same thing to the their new kicker. Veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein signs a three-year deal, $7.5 million deal with the Dallas Cowboys Thursday.
The sixth round pick, known as Greg The Leg, spent his first eight seasons with the St Louis now Los Angeles Rams.
He will reunite with his former special teams coach John Fassel, who joined the Cowboys coaching staff this season.
Zuerlein has made 82 percent of his 245 field-goal attempts. The booming kicker has made at least one 54 yard field-goal attempt each season, with two 60-plus yarders.
The kicker has shown great leg, but is coming off a career low in his 2019 campaign only connecting on 72 percent of his kicks, 22 of 33, but made all 42 extra point attempts.
Kicking with Range
Zuerlein has made multiple deep kicks for the Rams in his tenure. The most memorable one came in the 2019 NFC Championship Game, kicking a 57-yard game-winner to send the Rams to the Super Bowl.
The LA Rams are heading to the Super Bowl!
Ridiculously clutch kick from Greg Zuerlein. pic.twitter.com/5Ft480ZB1O
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 20, 2019
He is eight for 10 on field goals in the playoffs.
Cowboys history with kickers
Brett Maher was the primary kicker for the Cowboys in 2019. He made all his extra point tries but went 20-for-30 in field goals, which was the most missed kicks in the league in 2019.
ESPN NFL Nation reporter Todd Archer, who covers the Dallas Cowboys, said the Cowboys are hoping to being stability to the position.
Mike Vanderjagt, who Archer mentioned, signed a three-year, $4.5 million deal in 2006 and only made it through 11 before getting replaced by Martin Grammatica.
Vanderjagt made 13-of-18 attempts and was only two of five on attempts 35-plus yards and never got another contract in the NFL.
Competition Battle
Zuerlein joins Kai Forbath to bring one thing, consistency.
Forbath helped the Cowboys’ down the stretch kicking a perfect 10-for-10 on field goals and 20-for-20 extra points.
Zuerlein’s contract and his relationship with Fassel looks to give him the edge in the completion.
