ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Dallas Cowboys didn't trust David Buehler enough to let him kick field goals after Nick Folk faltered last season.

They hope Buehler earns their trust during training camp and the preseason.

Buehler didn't work much on placekicking last season, but he's been told to focus on field goals during the offseason. The Cowboys signed Conor Hughes to give Buehler some competition, but the best-case scenario would be for the elite kickoff specialist to expand his role.

"That would be a two-for-one deal for us," coach Wade Phillips said.

Ex-Cowboys kicker Chris Boniol was hired as a consultant to help Buehler improve to the point where the Cowboys would be comfortable relying on him to kick field goals. Phillips is optimistic that Buehler can make the necessary improvement because of the strong-legged kicker's determination.

"He’s obviously got the leg," Phillips said. "He hit some long ones in practice, because we only basically practiced him on the long ones. He hit a fair percentage of those, not where we want to be, but I think he can get there."

Boniol, who was interviewed by special teams coach Joe DeCamillis as well as Phillips and management, will work for the Cowboys on a part-time basis at least through training camp.

"Sometimes it’s the little things that maybe we don’t know or we didn’t teach him," Phillips said. "We’re hoping Boniol can help him in that area, and there’s a mental aspect too that Boniol has been through."