With Dan Bailey establishing himself as one of the more reliable kickers the Cowboys have had in recent memory, and David Buehler struggling to get healthy after suffering a nagging groin injury, on Thursday the team opted to send Buehler to the injured reserve, a move that will end the USC product’s 2011 season.
The team also re-signed offensive guard Daniel Loper, who was cut last week when punter Chris Jones was signed, the latest chapter in the great kicker/punter shuffle of 2011.
"We feel like the punter and the kicker are really important positions," head coach Jason Garrett explained on Wednesday, per the Dallas Morning News. "A lot of people might want to say, 'Oh, it's not worth it to deal with this kicker or punter situation like we have.' We feel like those are valuable positions on our football team and they certainly can make the difference-making plays in a game. We have to manage through the injuries that these guys have had and do the best that we can."
According to Garrett, this isn’t a sign that Buehler is done as a member of the Cowboys.
"David has a naturally stronger leg. He's shown in the past that he can kick the ball through the end zone for touchbacks," Garrett said. "He's been banged up a little bit. He's been dealing with an injury for most of the year. We feel like it's important for us to give him a chance to come back and be that guy, particularly with the new rule. The three touchbacks the other day in the [Seattle] game were positive and he limited Leon Washington’s opportunities on the other chances as well. When you're carrying an extra guy like that it certainly impacts your roster, but right now we feel like it's worth it."
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