The Dallas Cowboys made a couple of roster moves on Monday as they began their first game week of the preseason.
First, the team waived kicker Tristan Vizcaino. That left Plano Senior High alum, ex-MLS defender, and former USFL kicker Brandon Aubrey as the only player remaining at the position.
“Tristan, obviously, was with us at the end of last year, so during the evaluation process, we felt that it was an opportunity to give Brandon most of the reps,” head coach Mike McCarthy explained as he met with the media before Monday’s practice. “As far as another kicker competition, we’re always open to that, [but] I’m excited about our young guy, so I’m going to make sure he gets the reps.”
The Cowboys were Vizcaino’s third team of the season last year, but he never played in a game for the team and has just 12 career field goal attempts. Meanwhile, Aubrey has been among the best-performing kickers in the USFL for the past two seasons.
McCarthy’s words convey a belief that Aubrey can be the guy, but it is far from a ringing endorsement. Still, he has won the competition for now, and the head coach would not commit to bringing in a veteran.
“Those conversations have been going on since the spring,” he said. “We’re always open for business…Making this decision early really speaks to the opportunity we have down the stretch here. If we do go with a veteran, there’s a level of experience. Our operation is very young right now, and that’s something we just want to make sure we’re getting the reps and the opportunity to make those guys successful.”
Dallas used Brett Maher, now with the Denver Broncos as its kicker last season, but late-season struggles caused the team to bring in reinforcements and re-evaluate the position in the offseason.
Dallas also activated tight end Luke Schoonmaker, a rookie second-round draft pick out of Michigan, off the non-football injury (NFI) list, allowing him to participate in his first practice on Monday.
“Like any of these situations, ramp up is part of the beginning of camp for a reason,” McCarthy said when asked about his plan for the rookie. “Any time a player comes off of NFI or PUP, we will put him through the workload capacity of a ramp up…He’ll have a detailed worksheet each and every day to get back.”
Schoonmaker is one of the players vying for the starting tight end duties after the offseason departure of Dalton Schultz. Schultz had over 2,100 receiving yards during his tenure with the Cowboys and caught 17 touchdowns over the last three seasons, becoming an essential player for the Dallas offense, as many tight ends across the league have become for their teams.
“Just look at the history of the passing game and going back to the early days of the West Coast offense, the tight end throws start right here,” McCarthy commented. “The completion percentage and the connections that every quarterback has with his tight end …They’re tighter windows, but they’re also shorter throws [and] bigger targets. We really like our group and think they all have something to offer.”
While Schoonmaker has yet to hit the field, McCarthy has been impressed with his preparation off the field and looks forward to seeing him participate.
“Every guy’s injury is different, but he’s been in the classroom the whole time [and] seems to have a relatively high understanding of what’s being asked of him,” McCarthy said. “But the key is if he can apply it and get up to the speed of the game.”
Dallas’ tight end group is relatively young and inexperienced. All six players on the current roster are 25 or younger and have not played the featured tight end role in an NFL offense.
“Just looking at the youth of our room, I think it’s clear what our approach will be, and this will be important for the offense and the defense going forward,” McCarthy remarked. “We’ve got some young rooms that guys need to play a lot during the preseason, and the tight end room is one I’m excited to see play.”
The youth of the Cowboys roster will be on full display as the Cowboys open the preseason by hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday.
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EXTRA POINTS
— Running back Ronald Jones, who is suspended for the first two games of the regular season, will miss part of training camp with a groin injury.
— Reports continue to link Dallas to a reunion with running back Ezekiel Elliott, who was released in the offseason.
— The Carolina Panthers and the Houston Texans have tapped rookie quarterbacks Bryce Young and  CJ Stroud to start their preseason openers. Houston also expects offensive tackle Tytus Howard to miss time with a hand injury.
— Free agent running back Kareem Hunt is visiting the New Orleans Saints
— The Los Angeles Rams have signed safety John Johnson III, and the Carolina Panthers have signed edge rusher Justin Houston.
