Brandon Moore, of 'butt fumble' fame, chooses retirement over Cowboys deal
If you blinked then you probably missed Brandon Moore's Dallas Cowboys career. Moore, who teamed up with Mark Sanchez to produce the infamous "butt fumble" play last season (above), reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys late Tuesday night, only to opt for retirement instead on Wednesday morning.
ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported that bizarre turn of events, then added this explanation: "Brandon Moore could not bring himself to get on plane and leave his family."
Moore's reversal is a tough break for the Cowboys, who continue to search for answers along the interior of their offensive line. The 33-year-old Moore turned in a terrific 2012 with the Jets -- mishap with Sanchez aside -- and was one of the better free agents left on the market.
Signing Moore would have allowed the Cowboys to put to rest the thought of moving rookie Travis Frederick to guard. Dallas drafted Frederick to play center, but inconsistent play at the right guard spot so far has thrown a bit of a wrench into that plan. Frederick opened Sunday's Hall of Fame Game at center, before picking up a few snaps at guard. He looked far more comfortable at the former spot than the latter.
Rumors of a possible Moore retirement popped up earlier this offseason as he drew minimal interest in free agency. Coming off that strong 2012 with the Jets, however, Moore appeared to have plenty left in the tank for at least one more season. Instead, he'll walk away having started every game for New York over the past eight seasons -- a span of 128 contests.
Vince Wilfork
