Cowboys 'Comfortable' with New Kicker Brandon Aubrey; Jerry Jones Talks 'Yips'
The Dallas Cowboys kicker competition took another twist on Monday as Tristan Vizcaino was released, and it leaves former USFL standout Brandon Aubrey as the sole kicker on the roster ... for now - with team owner Jerry Jones expressing confidence in the newcomer.
"We're comfortable," Jones said. "We're excited about what we've seen. We're excited about how he got here, and he's having a real solid camp. So, we're very comfortable going into the season with him."
Jerry even when so far as to say that there is a negative to the idea of a veteran kicker vs. a kid, saying, "Have you heard of the yips? Usually that goes with age. (Aubrey's) age is actually a positive; not that a veteran player can't be a positive, too."
Jones' infamous Word Salad, translated? He's trying to justify the idea of sticking with the affordable Aubrey (who is 28) over paying an established vet by suggesting that the "kid'' is too young to experience the "yips.'' ...
Which is of course nonsense. Nevertheless ... With Vizcaino moved on, Aubrey got in some extra reps at practice, and he used them to his advantage.
“Trying to make it more game-like,” Aubrey said. “Come off the field, go through my full routine, and I got a little more time in the [practice] period to just get more of a game feel in the reps.
“Every rep is awesome for me, being a rookie. It's good to get these game-like reps under my belt, just so I’m more prepared for when the game does eventually come.”
Meanwhile, veterans like Gould, Ryan Succup and Mason Crosby are still waiting for a phone call.
As Aubrey looks to get himself ready for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday at AT&T Stadium, is he altering his approach at all?
“Absolutely not, it’s the same thing, just gotta go out there and perform, "Aubrey said.
The kicker position has been up in the air since the end of last season, as Brett Maher's collapse in the postseason has led to him being replaced.
With Aubrey now the stand-alone kicker after Vizcaino's release, there is an opportunity for the former MLS star (and McKinney native, who really just picked up football two years ago) to show that he is the guy moving forward and to make the position his own ... which Jones is suggesting - or pretending? - he might have already done.
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