Dolphins part ways with Darr after two seasons; Haack in line to be Miami’s punter

Matt Haack is younger and cheaper than Matt Darr.

And when he out-performed his teammate in training camp and the preseason, the Dolphins made their decision:

They will have a different punter for the third time in four years.

The Dolphins cut Darr Friday; his agent, Brett Tessler, announced the move on Twitter.

“Miami Dolphins are releasing punter Matt Darr,” Tessler wrote. “Did a great job past 2 seasons but Dolphins save $ and Darr will be elsewhere very soon.”

The final preseason stats told the story.

Haack, a rookie out of Arizona State, averaged 46.9 yards per punt with a net of 44.3.

Darr, who was entering his third season, averaged 44.3 yards per punt, but with a much lower net (35.3).

Neither punter had a touchback.

Darr, who beat out Brandon Fields in 2015, is viewed favorably around the league; his career punts have averaged 46 yards.

Dolphins coaches have been impressed with Haack since the day he signed and knew it would be a close battle. Dolphins special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi expected him to be drafted, and the organization pounced when he was not.

The move saves the Dolphins $150,000 against the 2017 cap, but will save them far more in the years to come. Darr would have soon entered free agency and gotten a sizable raise, while Haack will be cheap for at least the next three years.

This story was originally published September 1, 2017 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Dolphins part ways with Darr after two seasons; Haack in line to be Miami’s punter."