The Philadelphia Eagles released punter Mat McBriar on Wednesday, according to a tweet from his agent Jack Bectha. The move means that second-year punter Chas Henry has won the special teams position battle. The roster move has not been officially announced by the club, and the release may not become official until Thursday.
Mat McBriar Cut By The Eagles
The Eagles released punter Mat McBriar, yielding the way for Chas Henry to become the starter.
McBriar was averaging 41.3 yards after eight punts this preseason. The Dallas Cowboys did not retain the two-time Pro-Bowler after the 2011 season, which McBriar finished on injured reserve after experiencing a nerve issue in his left foot. He had surgery this offseason to repair the nerve issue, and he appeared to be regaining his form with the Eagles. The native of Australia holds a number of franchise records for the Cowboys, but the Eagles opted to go with the younger Chas Henry. SB Nation's Bleeding Green Nation weighed in on the resolution of the position battle:
That Henry won the job is a mild surprise, but in the end, neither guy stood out as notably good or bad. McBriar punted for a higher net in the preseason, but Henry put more inside the 20. Neither stat means all that much out of context though, as they really depend a lot of field position.
If the battle ended in a tie, it makes sense that the younger guy with more experience as Alex Henery’s holder ends up as the winner.
Philadelphia will now wrap up the preseason against the Jets on Thursday, one night before they have to make all their roster cuts and trim the team to 53.
For more on the Eagles roster moves in the final week of the preseason, visit Bleeding Green Nation and SB Nation Philly.
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