Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Dolphins put an end to kicker competition

BY SEAN DONOVAN

The Miami Dolphins' competition for the starting kicker job is officially over.

On Wednesday, team announced it was releasing veteran kicker Dan Carpenter, giving the job to fifth round draft pick Caleb Sturgis.

Since using a relatively high draft choice (for a kicker, anyway) to take Sturgis, the team's competition at the position was essentially a formality. The only way the Dolphins would have chosen Carpenter was if the rookie had a disastrous performance in training camp and the preseason.

Sturgis' 2-for-2 field goal performance during Friday's preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars -- including a booming 58-yarder -- was evidently all the team needed to see.

Certainly helping the rookie's cause was the fact that Carpenter's $2.5 million salary in 2013 was more than the entire value of Sturgis' four-year contract, via OverTheCap.com.

Carpenter appeared in one Pro Bowl during his five seasons in Miami. He leaves the team with the second-highest field goal percentage in team history at 81.9%.

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