Have Cowboys picked a kicker? Will starters play in preseason finale?

By David Helman
FOX Sports Dallas Cowboys Writer

FRISCO, Texas — Mike McCarthy isn't going to come right out and say it, but the hints are there if you look for them. 

The Cowboys' head coach is hoping to get two heavy workloads in for his starters this week at The Star, as the team transitions training camp to its lavish indoor facility. If all goes well, it sounds like a good bet they won't do much more in Friday's preseason finale against Seattle.

"If we can get the ones [starters] enough work the way I anticipate, then we will play the third game like we did the first two," McCarthy said on Tuesday evening.

The first two games were the peak of preseason, if you need a refresher. A handful of starters got into the action early on. But by and large, the 17-7 loss to Denver and the 32-18 win over the L.A. Chargers were about showcasing rookies and other, younger players. 

To put it in perspective: Of the Cowboys' 10 Pro Bowlers on the roster, only one has played in a preseason game. That one player is Bryan Anger, who is the only punter on the team. 

Following McCarthy's logic, if this week of practice goes well, you can expect to see more of the same Friday night at AT&T Stadium.

That's bound to prompt debate about whether this strategy is the right one. Across the NFL, clubs are playing the preseason in different ways. Super Bowl contenders like the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs have given their starters playing time, while other playoff teams like the Green Bay Packers and L.A. Rams have opted to sit their stars.

Either option can be scrutinized. Do you risk losing your starters to unnecessary injury, or do you head into the regular season with a potentially rusty team?

McCarthy is aware of the narrative. But he stressed the value of three days of work against the Broncos and Chargers as plenty of preparation.

"Look at the amount of work that our first group has been able to achieve working the one practice at Denver, the two practices in Irvine against the Chargers … the volume of that quality of work, the competitiveness, where you truly have ones vs. ones, which is not always the case in these preseason games," McCarthy said. 

"I feel very good about our plan and the execution of our plan."

It'll be interesting to see how the plan pays off. The Cowboys have managed to work through the preseason without suffering much in the way of major injuries. But it's also a 16-day wait from the final preseason game until the regular-season opener against Tampa Bay.

In the meantime, that leaves us plenty of opportunity to do what we do best: second-guess and speculate.

The Cowboys held an evening practice on Tuesday from the indoor field at their team facility, with fans in attendance to watch from the stands. Here are some additional notes from the day.

Wrapped Up?

It feels anti-climactic, but the kicker competition might have ended on Tuesday. The Cowboys needed to make five cuts, per NFL rules, to reach the 80-man roster limit. Among those five cuts was Lirim Hajrullahu — who, up until that time, had been in a camp-long battle to be the team's kicker. The other four cuts were linebacker Christian Sam, tight end Jeremy Sprinkle, wide receiver Jaquarii Roberson and cornerback Quandre Mosely.

Sprinkle's name is noteworthy, but the decision to release Hajrullahu is the definite headliner. With him out the door, the job seems to belong to Brett Maher, who just joined the roster two weeks ago after struggling rookie Jonathan Garibay was released.

"Brett, we just really trusted his numbers," McCarthy said. "This 80 cut is difficult. Factor in playing in this last game, the other factors, we just felt Brett was in front and give him this opportunity to be the kicker, be the guy in preseason [game] three."

Cowboys fans everywhere grimaced when Maher re-signed earlier this month. The 32-year-old spent 31 games with the Cowboys between 2018-19, but his inconsistency led to an unceremonious release. He rebounded last year with a solid season for the New Orleans Saints, and now he's poised for another opportunity in Dallas.

That will depend on continued success, though. It was suggested to McCarthy that the Cowboys could eye another kicker when NFL clubs make their final cuts next week. McCarthy responded to that by saying, "It's up to the players."

It's a big opportunity for Maher. Hopefully he can make the most of it, starting as soon as Friday against the Seahawks.

Bounce Back

The preseason hasn't been kind to Jalen Tolbert. Despite a strong showing in practices, the rookie receiver, a third-round pick out of South Alabama, has not been able to translate that to game performances. Across two preseason games, Tolbert has caught just four of nine targets for 35 yards. That stat line goes along with two drops and a missed opportunity at a touchdown when he couldn't get both feet inbounds against the Chargers.

Still, it was nice to see Tolbert rebound on Tuesday with one of his most productive practices of the summer. Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush both looked for the rookie often, and he delivered on all those chances. In three different practice periods, Tolbert racked up at least six catches from a variety of different routes. Several of those were well-covered, too, forcing him to make contested catches to move the chains.

Tolbert clearly has talent, not to mention a rapport with Prescott. Taking that ability from the practice field to the game field is the last box left to check.

Injury Roundup

It looks like the Cowboys are rounding into good shape as the preseason winds to a close. CeeDee Lamb returned to practice in full, even going as far as to participate in team reps. Jayron Kearse, Noah Brown and even Matt Waletzko — who has been missing since the first week of camp with a shoulder injury — all participated in practice in varying degrees.

First-round pick Tyler Smith did not participate in practice. McCarthy said afterward that the rookie left guard is dealing with a minor ankle issue.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports, providing insight and analysis on the NFL’s most visible franchise. Prior to joining FOX, David spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website, DallasCowboys.com. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State.