The Bills released punter Brian Moorman on Tuesday. He holds nearly every Bills punting record, including highest career average (43.9 yards)and punts inside the opposing 20 (245). (Getty Images)

The Bills made it official late Tuesday afternoon by releasing punter Brian Moorman and replacing him with rookie Shawn Powell.

General manager Buddy Nix said it wasn’t an easy decision to release the fan favorite, who holds nearly every Bills punting record.

“It is always a tough decision,” Nix said. “Especially a guy like Brian who has been here for 12 years, had a great career with the Bills and has been kind of a staple for this organization. A lot of community service ... that makes it tougher, but it was a decision we felt like we needed to make.

“I have told you this a hundred times, we try to look, all the time, at every possible way to upgrade. We try to look at more than just this week in trying to upgrade and get a little better at each position. I have said this before that no position is exempt.”

Moorman is undoubtedly the best punter in team history. He holds nearly every Bills punting record, including highest career average (43.9 yards per punt) and punts inside the opposing 20 (245). But he got off to a rough start in 2012 and had a net average of just 32.7 yards per punt through three games, the lowest of his career.

Nix said he had a good talk with Moorman after telling him the news.

“Brian did most of the talking -- very congenial with having been here and thankful for the chance and for the years he spent with the Bills," Nix said. "He handled it really well and that’s never easy.”

Powell rejoins the Bills as Moorman’s replacement. An undrafted rookie out of Florida State, Powell spent the offseason with the Bills but lost out to Moorman at training camp. He led the FBS in punting as a senior with the Seminoles (47 yards per punt).

“The upside is really good on this guy,” Nix said. “He is a big man, which I think helps punters. He’s got good height and he is a 240-pounder. He’s got a very strong leg and tremendous hang time. The guy is Florida State’s all-time leading punter. We really liked him. In fact, we even considered drafting him late last year.”


For more updates on the Bills, follow correspondent Mark Ludwiczak on Twitter @CBSBills and @MarkLud12.