Kicker David Buehler was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday, presumably in an effort to clear cap space for free agency, which officially begins today.
Buehler’s release was less anticipated than that of Terence Newman, but it certainly makes sense. In his third year in the league out of USC, Buehler struggled with injuries while rookie Dan Bailey emerged as the team’s place kicker; pair that with the new kickoff rules, which bumped kickoffs up from the 25- to the 35-yard line, and many fans began to wonder exactly what Buehler’s role on the team was as early as last fall.
With the move, the Cowboys avoid having to pay $1.6 million against the 2012 salary cap--money that would have gone to, more or less, a backup kicker.
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