New Cowboys Rumors on Brandon Aubrey Contract Tender, Details on NFL Draft Pick Compensation

The Dallas Cowboys reportedly placed a second-round tender on restricted free-agent kicker Brandon Aubrey on Saturday.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the tender is essentially a one-year, $5.76 million contract if Aubrey plays under it, but it also allows him to sign an offer sheet with another team.

Should Aubrey sign an offer sheet, the Cowboys would have the opportunity to match it. If they were to decline to match it, the team that signed Aubrey to an offer sheet would have to send Dallas their second-round pick as compensation.

Per Schefter, the second-round tender makes Aubrey the third-highest-paid kicker in the league, and it is expected to he will ascend to the top spot if and when he signs a long-term deal with Dallas or another team.

Over his three seasons with the Cowboys, Aubrey has established himself as arguably the top kicker in the NFL.

He is a three-time Pro Bowler, one-time First Team All-Pro and two-time Second Team All-Pro who has shown nearly unlimited range during his 51-game career.

Aubrey has made 88.2 percent of his field goals and 96.9 percent of his extra-point attempts over the past three seasons, and he has connected on a total of 35 field goals from 50 yards or further on 44 tries.

Six of those makes were from 60 yards or longer, which is already an NFL record for a career.

Aubrey did miss a career-high six field goals from 50-plus yards last season, but he made every kick shorter than 50 yards, giving him a field-goal percentage of 85.7 percent.

Given his accuracy and strong leg, the 30-year-old Aubrey has put himself in position to be the highest-paid kicker in the NFL, which is a distinction that currently belongs to Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs, who makes $6.4 million annually.

According to ESPN's Todd Archer, the Cowboys are ready to make that a reality, but Aubrey's agent, Todd France, is asking for a deal that will pay the superstar kicker $10 million per year.

Speaking this week to Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News (h/t Pritish Ganguly of Essentially Sports), Aubrey gave his take on the Cowboys possibly placing a second-round tender on him.

"Obviously, the tender is what the Cowboys have talked about, and it's a good problem to have," Aubrey said. "It's a good amount of money, and it's a big pay raise for me from before, but it's not ideal for any player. So, we'll see what happens. I'm excited to be in this position. It's an opportunity for me just to be in this position, so I'm thankful for that."

While the tender is neither a long-term deal nor one that makes Aubrey the NFL's highest-paid kicker, it opens up numerous options for both sides.

They can continue negotiating until they reach a more substantial deal, or Aubrey could get that type of contract elsewhere, leaving the Cowboys to choose between matching it or letting him leave.

A second-round pick is a high price to pay for a kicker, so it is fair to wonder if any team would be willing to sign Aubrey to an offer sheet, knowing that would be the cost if they get him.

Aubrey has shown his worth over the past three years, though, and it is not outside the realm of possibility that a team in desperate need of a kicker would place that type of value on him.