The Dallas Cowboys made a relatively surprising move when free agency opened: cutting long-snapper L.P. Ladouceur. Ladouceur had been a member of the Cowboys since 2004, spending 16 seasons with America's Team.

Ladouceur became a fan favorite during his career with the Cowboys. Dallas has since replaced him with Pro Bowl long-snapper Jake McQuaide. The John Fassel connection likely played a role in bringing McQuaide to Texas.

Dallas has made another move to shakeup the special teams unit. The Cowboys have cut punter Chris Jones, saving them over $2 million this offseason.

The #Cowboys have released longtime punter Chris Jones.

This move was expected and will save them more than $2 million toward the 2021 salary cap.

— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) March 17, 2021

Jones had been punting for the Cowboys from 2011 through the 2020 season. He was often regarded as one of the better punters in the NFL, but Jones has fallen off over the last few seasons.

The Cowboys will save money by releasing the veteran punter, as noted by Walker. Dallas made other moves recently to create cap space. Tyron Smith, La'el Collins, and Zack Martin all restructured their deals, creating $17 million in room.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Cowboys are creating space to make a deal with a notable free agent, or if these moves were already in the works. Dallas has been linked to two accomplished defensive players in free agency.

John Fassel is regarded as one of the elite special team coaches in the NFL. He and the Dallas Cowboys will be working with different players at long-snapper and punter when the new season arrives.

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