It’s Day 3 of the NFL Free Agency and the Dallas Cowboys have officially parted ways with a punter Chris Jones. It was a move that was foreseen since last season, despite having one year left on his 2017 contract extension.
Cowboys Cap Space Creation
Cutting Jones will create more cap space for the Cowboys. According to reports, the Cowboys releasing Jones gave the franchise more than $2 million in cap space.
Jones’ Time With the Cowboys
Punter Chris Jones first signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2011 as an undrafted free agent. Jones became the starting punter in 2013 and has a 44.5-yard career average.
One of Chris Jones’ most memorable moment with the Dallas Cowboys was in 2017 against the Lions. “The Puntisher” knocked WR Andre Roberts to the sideline after a kick return.
“Hunter the Punter” Returns
This move doesn’t put Dallas in a bad position with the punting position. In fact, it could save Jerry Jones money in the meantime, which we know he likes to see.
The Cowboys signed punter Hunter Niswander in October of 2020, after punter Chris Jones underwent muscle surgery and was placed on IR.
Niswander was pulled from the practice squad shortly after. He averaged 47.2 yards on 26 punts during the eight games he played during the 2020 NFL season.
Keep in mind, Niswander’s contract is good into the 2021 season. It’s important to note that Niswander would be an exclusive rights free agent in 2022. By this time, he would have played with the Cowboys for a little less than two years, meaning he would not be able to negotiate with other teams.
Since Niswander is now the only punter on the Cowboys roster. We will likely see another punter come in before training camp starts.
