This offseason has been defined by moves in all three phases of football for the Dallas Cowboys. Headlined by the signing of quarterback Dak Prescott to a multi-year deal along with adding safeties Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee to the defense, the special teams unit has seen both expected and unexpected turnover of its own. The latter came by way of the decision to move on from legendary long snapper L.P. Ladouceur, with the former being tied to the divorce from longtime punter Chris Jones.
And with the dismissal of Jones arrived an opportunity for a competition at punter, with the Cowboys now agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with Bryan Anger to help achieve that goal, a source confirmed to CBS Sports.
Anger will compete directly with Hunter Niswander, who performed well in replacing Jones in 2020, but is entering the final year of his short-term deal. With special teams coordinator John "Bones" Fassel continuing to put his stamp on the unit in Year 2, it stands to reason he'd want to make sure his next punter is his best punter, and Anger has some ability that could give Niswander a run for his money in training camp. A former third-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012, Anger finished his rookie contract in North Florida before taking his talents to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, having been named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2012, garnering honors as the NFL punting yards leader in 2013; and even receiving a vote for the All-Pro team in 2012.
The former Cal standout entered the NFL as both a USA Today High School All-American and a three-time First-Team All-Pac 10/12 talent, continuing his success at the pro level. His most recent stint was with the Houston Texans, and while the Cowboys will mark his fourth NFL team, he's never stayed at a location fewer than two seasons. That said, although he's only agreeing to a one-year deal in Dallas, he has the chops to potentially win the starting role and parlay it into a contractual reup in 2022.
The 32-year-old will certainly make things interesting for Niswander, who himself proved to be no slouch when called upon last season.
