Cowboys Sign Punter Brian Moorman

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys Sign Punter Brian Moorman
by Tom Ryle

In an unexpected move, the Dallas Cowboys have reportedly signed punter Brian Moorman. Moorman is a long time veteran punter who was just released by the Buffalo Bills.

(Buffalo head coach Chan) Gailey said the decision to release Moorman came down strictly to dropping production. The most tenured player on the team was let go based primarily on the fact that he ranked 30th in the league in net punting average, though after just three games, it seemed like a rather hasty move to make.

Moorman, who also was the holder for place kicks, is a 12-year veteran. The move was apparently spurred by an injury to Dallas punter Chris Jones. He was not practicing today because of the hit on him that resulted in a roughing the punter penalty against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter of the Cowboys' win that was just revealed on Wednesday.

RT @richiewhitt: Jason Garrett on punter Chris Jones' injury: "We don't think it's going to require surgery but it may take a while." — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 26, 2012

There is no word at the time this is written on Jones' status, or what roster moves might be made to open a spot for Moorman. We will have any further news on this as it develops.

 

[Midswat]

Jones has been doing a decent job. Sucks that he's injured. Hopefully this guy isn't washed up, which sounds like might be the case.

 

[peplaw06]

I thought McBriar was still available?

 

[63echo]

I thought McBriar was still available?

The Eagles just hooked him up for two years yesterday.

This sucks. We've been really spoiled at P for a long time.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

The Eagles just hooked him up for two years yesterday.

This sucks. We've been really spoiled at P for a long time.

They cut him a week before the start of the season.

 

[dbair1967]

Hopefully Jones will be back for Baltimore, but Moorman has had a pretty decent career

 

[Irving Cowboy]

They cut him a week before the start of the season.

They re-signed him for two years yesterday.

 

[ZeroClub]

It stinks when a player gets hurt as a result of a personal foul.

 

[cmd34]

It stinks when a player gets hurt as a result of a personal foul that wasn't called.

Fixed.

 

[Midswat]

Fixed.

It was called. Orie Lemon recovered the fumble, and they tacked on 15 yards from where he recovered it.

 

[cmd34]

It was called. Orie Lemon recovered the fumble, and they tacked on 15 yards from where he recovered it.

Oh yeah, I remember now. I think I commented during the game thread that it took them forever to call that.

Didn't they originally say we declined the penalty and then fixed it ???

 

[Midswat]

Yeah. They said we declined it because I don't think they knew we could accept it and advance the spot of the fumble recovery.

 

[Hoofbite]

Moorman was cut because he was kicking like shit.

172 return yards and a TD against his kicking.

Hopefully it's only temporary.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

This may be DeCamillis's last year. Remember as to how McBriar got hurt in the Cardinals' game, and we lost him for the year, because Bruce Reed did a stupid formation that got him hurt?

 

[Midswat]

Someone somewhere mentioned that DeCamillis might coach her forever on account of Jerruh feeling guilty over that whole bubble collapsing thing.

Scary thought.

It's been a very long time since we've had a competent special teams unit.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

It's been a very long time since we've had a competent special teams unit.

So long that the last decent ST coach the Cowboys had is dead now.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys punter Chris Jones hopes to return from sprained left knee after the team’s bye week
By Brandon George / Reporter
5:43 pm on September 27, 2012

IRVING — The Cowboys cut reserve safety Mana Silva on Thursday to make room on the 53-man roster for the addition of punter Brian Moorman, who agreed to terms Wednesday.

Moorman, who was in his 12th season with Buffalo before the Bills cut him Monday, worked out Tuesday at Cowboys Stadium and beat out punter Ryan Donahue, who was one of the Detroit Lions’ last training camp cuts.

The Cowboys were forced to sign Moorman when punter Chris Jones was injured Sunday in the win over Tampa Bay. Jones has a sprained left knee (his kicking leg). He said he hopes to return after the bye week to punt in the Cowboys’ game at Baltimore on Oct. 14.

“I’m hoping after the bye I’m good, but there is no way to tell for sure,” Jones said. “I’ve been doing some exercises, but they’ve been very minimal at this point, but I think [Friday] we’re going to start pushing a little [harder].”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

New punter Brian Moorman was the best of the rest
September, 27, 2012
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys worked out two punters Wednesday afternoon, and a former two-time Pro Bowler emerged as the winner in Brian Moorman.

Punter Chris Jones has a sprained knee and will miss the next two weeks, so that forced the Cowboys to act quickly. Moorman had struggled in Buffalo, where he had a net average of 32.7 yards. His punts have been returned for a league-high 172 yards.

There are many factors involved in return yardages -- coverage, weather, direction of the kick and the returner -- but it's pretty stunning that the Cowboys lost Jones, who had allowed just 22 return yards, among the lowest in the league.

Coach Jason Garrett said Moorman's struggles didn't scare the team because he's had a strong career prior to this season.

"You look at the body of work, and he's punted for a long time in this league at a real high level," Garrett said. "And he punted well in the workout."

With Jones out, Moorman also becomes the Cowboys' holder, which he did with the Bills.

Kicker Dan Bailey most likely will work with Moorman in practice Thursday. And with the game being on Monday night against Chicago, the extra day of work should help from a comfort level.

This is a difficult move for the Cowboys to make, given the Bears' Devin Hester, who Garrett called one of the best in the league, averages 11.7 yards a return, which ranks ninth in the league this season.

If Moorman struggles Monday night, the saving grace is the Cowboys have a bye next week. So they could release him if Jones is healthy enough to return.

"It's a day-to-day type thing," Garrett said of Jones' knee. "We don't think its surgical right now, but we're hopeful that he'll be back sooner rather than later. We didn't think he was going to be able to punt this week. He did a really good job in the game punting it after getting knocked around. That was important for us. We'll take it day-by-day, week-by-week."