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The Miami Dolphins announced today that they have cut veteran kicker Dan Carpenter, which means that the job will now go to sixth-round draft pick Caleb Sturgis, who played his college ball at the University of Florida.
It was known going into camp that Carpenter and Sturgis would be in a battle for the kicking job for this season, and it appears they felt Sturgis was the better option.
It almost certainly made it easier to choose Sturgis given the high amount of money that Carpenter was going to receive, had the Dolphins decided to keep him. Carpenter was due to make $2.675 million this season, a very high price for a kicker. Carpenter’s only chance of being on the Dolphins was if he was head and shoulders above Sturgis, because Sturgis won’t make nearly that much as a sixth-round pick.
This move also will free up some much needed cap space for the Dolphins, who desperately need it. According to ESPN’s John Clayton, this will now free up $16 million in cap space for the Dolphins, who have a number of positions this money could go towards.
Carpenter had played five seasons in the NFL, all with the Dolphins. He was Pro-Bowl selection in 2009. Sturgis was a first team All-American selection in 2012 for the Gators. He made 70 of 88 field goal attempts in his career and was 130 of 136 on PATs.
With a strong leg and being a local kid, Sturgis will take over the job and look to add to the already solid special teams of the Dolphins.
Erik Sargent is a football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Erik_Sargent, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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