Dallas Cowboys punter Chris Jones up for embracing opportunity – NFL News
After the departure of punter Mat McBriar, who has now joined Philadelphia Eagles, it is assumed that the Dallas Cowboys might turn towards second-year punter Chris Jones and give him more responsibilities during the 2012 National Football League (NFL) season.
Although Jones is not a very experienced player, he was utilised last year during McBriar’s absence and the youngster also had a good offseason this year. This makes him a favourable candidate to replace McBriar in the upcoming season, though any official
word is yet to come.
According to the details present on the team’s website, Jones is up for taking up the responsibilities and delivering his best. He said
“I know that the Cowboys’ special teams are always held to a high standard, but that’s not something that flashes in front of my mind. I know what I need to do and I know what I can do. So I just have the mentality of coming out and playing to the best of
my ability.”
Jones only played two games last year in which he got a total of 10 punts and gained 426 yards. When McBriar was absent, the Cowboys called Jones and the faith the team had shown in the rookie boosted his morale.
He said of the last season:
“It makes me feel good. I was glad that I got the call back last year when Matt got injured and I stuck. And I had those two opportunities and I think I stepped in and did what was needed to be done.”
Even though Jones is ready for the challenge he is feeling pressure of replacing McBriar. During the team’s practice session on Monday, he reportedly performed below par. His performance even bothered head coach Jason Garrett a bit.
Later, Jones also acknowledged that it was a ‘rough day’ for him, but maintained that he would gain confidence and perform well during the next training sessions.
Jones, 23, was signed by Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He was actually signed for Cowboys practice squad before the start of the 2011 season and was later released. However, he was later re-signed to the squad and made it to the active roster
when McBriar got injured.
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