Dallas Cowboys: Final 53-man roster prediction for 2021
By Randy Gurzi
Dallas Cowboys Specialists (3)
Greg Zuerlein, Bryan Anger, Jake McQuaide
It was iffy for a few weeks there whether or not Greg Zuerlein was going to be on the field in Week 1 for the Dallas Cowboys. The veteran kicker, who followed his special team’s coach John Fassel from Los Angeles to Dallas, had back surgery in the offseason and was recently removed from the PUP.
While Zuerlein was out, Dallas went with Lirim Hajrullahu in Week 2 for Dallas and the CFL player made 2-of-2 extra points while trying no field goals. Hunter Niswander, a punter by trade, handled the job in Week 1 and the Hall of Fame Game. He was 1-of-3 in the opener on field goals but then hit all three attempts in their second game as well as his only extra-point try.
Niswander is no longer there which means Bryan Anger officially won the punting job. He’s been around the league since 2012 and should help solidify that spot, which was shaky over the past couple of seasons.
Lastly, there’s Jake McQuaide who will be the long snapper. Like Zuerlein, McQuaide has ties to Fassel as he spent his entire pro career with the Rams. He was there from 2011 when they were still the St. Louis Rams up until this year when he was reunited with his old coach.
Next. 2021 NFL Power Rankings for Week 1. dark
Long snapping might be the most thankless job in the NFL but the Cowboys landed a good one as they replaced L.P. Ladouceur who was perfect for Dallas from 2005 through 2020.