With The First Pick
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3 McCarthy linked free agents that could alter Cowboys 2020 NFL Draft plans

By Randy Gurzi

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 18: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix #21 of the Green Bay Packers carries the football after intercepting for the second time against the Chicago Bears in the third quarter at Soldier Field on December 18, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 18: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix #21 of the Green Bay Packers carries the football after intercepting for the second time against the Chicago Bears in the third quarter at Soldier Field on December 18, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 29: Mason Crosby #2 of the Green Bay Packers walks off the field and face times after the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 29, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Green Bay defeated Detroit 23-30. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 29: Mason Crosby #2 of the Green Bay Packers walks off the field and face times after the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 29, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Green Bay defeated Detroit 23-30. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

3. Mason Crosby, K

This one may, or may not truly affect draft plans. Dallas has typically gone the free agency route when it comes to kickers, and they have found some good ones this way. They landed Billy Cundiff, Nick Folk, and Dan Bailey this way. They even had Kai Forbath with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2011 with Bailey, but he lost that competition. Forbath, of course, returned this past season to Dallas and replaced another undrafted free agent, Brett Maher.

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In the midst of all these kickers, there was only one who the Cowboys did draft — David Buehler. This was back in 2009 while Nick Folk was already in Dallas, and they decided to use a fifth-round pick on a guy who would be a kickoff specialist. Unsurprisingly, that one never worked out.

As for Mike McCarthy and his stance on kickers, it’s hard to really tell. That would be because he only had two primary kickers in his career. The first was Dave Rayner, who they had in 2006, which was McCarthy’s first season as coach. In 2007, he used a sixth-round pick on Mason Crosby out of Colorado.

Since then, Crosby hit 329 field goals for Green Bay while connecting on 81 percent of his attempts. As fate would have it, he’s now available in free agency and Dallas is coming off a season where Brett Maher put fans through the wringer with his erratic kicking.

Forbath ended up coming in and drilling all 10 of his field goals and all 10 of his extra points, but maybe McCarthy wants to bring in competition. It could also prevent him from looking for his next Crosby in the 2020 draft.

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