Instead of making a big splash in free agency, the Miami Dolphins have used their available cap space on several lower-level moves. That trend continued on Sunday, this time on special teams.
According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network , "Former Titans Punter Ryan Stonehouse is signing with the Miami Dolphins. 2022 NFL punting yards leader & record-breaker quickly finds a new home after the Titans made the peculiar decision to move on."
As mentioned by Melo, Stonehouse led the NFL in putting yards in 2022 and was named Second-Team All-Pro. He averaged 53.1 yards per punt during his first two NFL seasons, but that number dropped to 50.6 last season.
Stonehouse might have lost a few yards off his average, but he's still a potential upgrade in Miami. Even in a down year, Stonehouse's 50.6 yards per punt would be a career-high for current Dolphins punter Jake Bailey.
In six NFL seasons in New England and Miami, Bailey has never topped 48.7 yards per punt. He's averaged 46.1 yards per punt in his career, including 47.1 yards last season in Miami.
As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes, "Bailey's $1.95 million salary isn't guaranteed, and his cap hit shrinks from $2.5 million to $550,000 if he's cut."
After spending time together in Tennessee, Stonehouse follows new Dolphins Special Teams Coordinator Craig Aukerman to Miami.
It's unknown if Miami plans to cut Bailey or if there is full-fledged competition for the starting punter. However, it's never a good sign for the incumbent when a new coach brings in one of his guys.
