The Miami Dolphins are bringing their rookies back to the Baptist Health Training Complex this Tuesday, with the vets hitting the field next Tuesday, July 28. While most of their squad is rocking familiar faces from 2025, their specialist room? Dude, it is *completely* different. Kicker, punter, and long snapper all dipped out in free agency, which means it’s a whole new ballgame for the Fins’ special teams. This isn’t just a few new guys, it’s almost an entire unit getting a fresh start.
The Kicking Competition Is Officially ON
Alright, let’s talk kickers first, because that’s where the real drama is at. Riley Patterson, who played at Memphis from 2017 to 2020 before going undrafted in 2021, is the lone holdover in this new room. The man’s bounced around, stopping with eight different teams, and he’s got a career field goal percentage of 87.4% (90-of-103) and 96.6% on extra points (143-of-148). But get this: in 17 games filling in for Jason Sanders in 2025, Patterson was MONEY, hitting 93.1% of his field goals (27-of-29) and 97.1% of his extra points (34-of-35). So yeah, he might have a small leg up.
But then there’s Zane Gonzalez. This guy was a beast in college at Arizona State from 2013 to 2016, earning All-Pac-12 honors three times and even an All-American nod once, not to mention winning the Lou Groza Award in his final year. The Browns snagged him in the seventh round of the 2017 draft. He’s been with five teams, including the Cardinals, Panthers, Commanders, and Falcons. Over seven seasons, the 31-year-old has made 81% of his field goals (115-of-142) and 95.3% of his extra points (163-of-171). The kicker? He’s worked with special teams coordinator Chris Tabor before, back in Carolina and Cleveland. That connection could be huge, right? This competition is gonna be intense.
New Faces Everywhere Else You Look
Moving on, Bradley Pinion is taking over at punter, and he’s no slouch. He played at Clemson from 2012 to 2014 and was a fifth-round pick by the 49ers in 2015. After four years with San Fran, three with the Bucs, and the last four with the Falcons, he’s got some serious mileage. The dude’s an 11-year veteran and a one-time Super Bowl champion. Pinion’s averaged 44.5 yards per punt and 40.0 net yards per punt in his career, with a solid 36.1% of his boots downed inside the 20-yard line. With no competition in sight, it looks like that job is his to lose.
Then there’s the long snapper, Tucker Addington. His story is wild. Played at Sam Houston State, went undrafted in 2020, and was out of football for two seasons! He played in the USFL for the Houston Gamblers, worked his way back to the NFL, and since 2022, he’s been on seven different teams, even doing a three-week stint with the Dolphins in 2024. Miami let Joe Cardona sign with the Rams this offseason, and while they brought in Taybor Pepper to compete, Pepper got released in May. So, Addington is currently the *only* long snapper on the roster. Talk about an opportunity!
It’s gonna be fascinating to see how this almost entirely new group gels. Special teams can make or break a team, and with so much turnover, every kick, punt, and snap is gonna be under the microscope when camp kicks off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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