The Dallas Cowboys special teams has undergone some major changes during the offseason. It began when special teams coach Rich Bisaccia departed to join John Gruden in Oakland. Bisaccia then proceeded to poach some key special teams contributors from the Cowboys such as Kyle Wilbur, Kieth Smith and Ryan Switzer. The final blow came with the shock release of trusted kicker Dan Bailey in favor of an unproven kicker Brett Maher who has never kicked a field goal in a meaningful NFL game.
Bisaccia’s departure could have a significant impact on the Dallas Cowboys. He was a proven commodity and did a phenomenal job during his tenure with the Cowboys. Kieth O’Quinn will have some pretty big shoes to fill and hopefully he is up for the task. Meanwhile, losing guys like Wilbur, Smith and James Hanna is never a good thing but surely other players will deliver when given the opportunity.
The return game has a chance to be spectacular when you add an explosive talent like Tavon Austin. Having Austin returning kicks is not without risk though. The trouble with Austin is that he has a history of turning the ball over on returns. Those are the type of mistakes that can cost the team ballgames. If Austin does struggle to hold on to the football then Cole Beasley and Deonte Thompson are options in the return game as well.
Speaking of costing the team games, the decision to cut Dan Bailey could lead to exactly that. It is true Bailey struggled down the stretch last season but he has made so many clutch kicks for the Cowboys in his career it is hard not to trust him. The Cowboys took a major chance by choosing to go with Brett Maher over Bailey. Maher may have more pressure on him than any other player on the team because if he does struggle, the controversial decision will loom large for the Cowboys front office.
With all of the turnover on special teams, at least there is some familiar faces still on the team. Namely long snapper L.P Ladouceur who opted to return for a 14th season and stud punter Chris Jones. Chris Jones was the Dallas Cowboys biggest Pro-Bowl snub last season in my opinion and I believe he is the best punter in the league. Jones is a master at pinning teams deep into their own zone and the former QB is an athletic guy who gives the Cowboys an option to fake punts and can deliver a big hit from time to time as well.
The Dallas Cowboys special teams has a lot to prove in 2018. They don’t have to light the world on fire or score a bunch of touchdowns to show their worth. If they can handle their business and not cost the Cowboys any games this season than it will be a successful year for the special teams unit.
*Photo by Kieth Allison https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode