The Jacksonville Jaguars today signed free agent punter Nick Harris and released veteran punter Matt Turk. Harris is in his 11th NFL season and has spent time with Denver, Cincinnati and Detroit. The Jaguars also waived tight end Brett Brackett from the practice squad. Also, linebacker Jacob Cutrera was signed from the Jaguars practice squad to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers active roster.
Harris, who will wear jersey number 2, has played in 159 games since entering the league as a fourth-round draft pick of the Broncos in 2001. He has punted 804 times for 34,138 yards with a 42.5-yard average and 35.3 net with 226 punts downed inside the 20. He missed only one game from 2001-10.
The 33-year old Harris spent the past seven seasons with the Lions where he punted 90 times for a 44.6-yard gross average (35.8 net) in 2010. He had 24 punts downed inside the 20. He holds Lions franchise records in punts (627) and punting yards (27,074) and ranks third in gross punting average (43.2). He played the 2001-02 seasons and the first five games of the 2003 season with the Bengals before signing with the Lions.
In 2006, Harris ranked fifth in the NFL in gross punting (45.0 avg.) and tied for eighth with a 38.2-yard net average. He led the NFL in 2005 with a career-high 34 punts downed inside the 20.
A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Harris was regarded as one of the nation's premier punters during his collegiate career at California where he earned his bachelor's degree in American studies and a master's degree in education. He attended Westview High School in Arizona where he played linebacker, running back and wide receiver.
