FRISCO, Texas -- The Cowboys signed veteran kicker Mike Nugent to substitute for Dan Bailey on Tuesday afternoon.
Two days after their Pro Bowl kicker injured his groin in San Francisco, the Cowboys held workouts for several free agent kickers at their team facility. After some deliberation, they opted for Nugent, who is a 12-year veteran with 236 career made field goals.
To make room on the 53-man roster, the team released defensive end Damontre' Moore.
Nugent has been a well-known name for quite some time in the NFL, as the New York Jets made him the No. 47 overall pick back during the 2005 NFL Draft. In four seasons with the Jets, he connected on 81.5 percent of his kicks.
The longest stint of his career came in Cincinnati, where he signed in 2010. He played seven total seasons for the Bengals, connecting on 157-of-192 efforts. During that stretch, he was 53-of-69 from the all-important 40-49 yard range.
Nugent spent the preseason with the New York Giants, where he competed against second-year kicker Aldrick Rosas. The Giants ultimately decided to go with the younger player heading into the regular season.
The decision to release Moore is a bit surprising. The Cowboys signed the veteran defensive end during free agency, knowing at the time that he'd likely be served an NFL suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Moore was eventually suspended for two games. He returned in Week 3 and tallied five tackles in three games. The Cowboys made him inactive for Sunday's game against San Francisco and ultimately decided to release him just two days later.
