Here's a shocker.



http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51703252/ ... ayer_news/

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Yea for real Dave lol. As if anyone thought that Sturgis would spend a year learning from Dan on the sideline. Whenever there is two or more kickers on a roster it usually means there is a camp battle unless one of them is injured; I don't know of any team that keeps two healthy kickers on the final 53 lol.

It's Sturgis' job to lose. He would have to miss some chip shots for Carpenter to stick around. Cannot imagine he would be out of a job for long.

Ireland should do the right thing and decide before week preseason week 3.

Carpenter's scheduled to make $2.7 million in 2013, which would be the third highest base salary among kickers in the NFL.

Carpenter missed 3 game winning field goals last year.........2 against the Jets in Week 3 and 1 against the Cardinals the following week. He did respond strongly going 17 for 19 the rest of the season. Historically, he's been an accurate kicker, averaging 81.9% FGM, but his touch-back percentage is only average.

If he stays he has to clearly beat out Sturgis and likely restructure his contract.

I'm not willing to put the Cardinals game on Carpenter. To me, the questionable play-calling at the end of that game cost us the win more than Carpenter missing the field goal

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I'm not putting the loss on him either.........we should have stopped the Cardinals in the final few seconds on 4th & 12. Instead they score a TD and force overtime. However, it's true Carpenter missed a game winning FG, a week after missing 2 game winning FGs.

Except for the first part of last season, Carpenter's generally been money. Sturgis will have his work cut out.

Carpenter also suffered a season ending injury and the Dolphins had to get Nate Keading. I wonder how much that factored into the decision.

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Unless Sturgis stinks, he's got the job. I can't imagine it'll be a 100% objective competition after spending a 5th on him.

They shouldn't have been in that position in the first place. Someone correct me if I'm not remembering correctly, but if it weren't for a fumble late in the game on a trick play, they wouldn't have been.

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Kickers aren't perfect, BUT they are paid to make game winning kicks, he missed a few last season that he was capable of making. Some guys have the knack to deliver at a high ratio of game winning kicks and some don't. Carpenter is solid, but also not a great kicker either. I think it is a good thing bringing Sturgis in to compete and may the best guy win the job.

The nice thing about kickers is it probably isn't difficult to see which guy is better. You let them go back to back for a month or two and I'm sure the better guy will emerge. Whoever makes the most kicks (especially beyond 40 yards) on a consistent basis wins the job.

Carpenter has been a good kicker for us the past several years. But I think his numbers were inflated because we had very poor redzone numbers and Sparano was always willing to settle for easy fieldgoals. Carpenter was automatic from inside of 40 yards and that is why his accuracy is so high. But from outside of 40 yards, he was very mediocre.

We need a guy who can bury the kickoff through the uprights after a score so that the opponent doesn't get a chance to return the kick. We need the guy who can pad the lead by hitting a 52 yard kick before halftime. We need the guy who can nail the 48 yarder with time expiring to win the game. In other words, we need a difference maker who can make the big time kicks required to help win football games.

I think Sturgis is gonna beat him out convincingly

Carpenter's been pretty solid from distance..............his career average is 50% for 50+ and 76% on 40+...........he's also kicked a career long 60 yarder. I do agree his TB % is simply average, but that's a knock on Sturgis too.

The pluses do line up with Sturgis..........greater upside, cap savings and the team just invested a 5th rounder.

You don't invest a 5th round draft pick on a Groza Award finalist just to cut him in training camp.

Carpenter is as good as gone. His missed kicks last year cost this team a winning record.

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So what is the financial impact of keeping Carpenter passed June 1?

He's in the last year of his deal, so I don't think it makes a difference either way. All his guaranteed money has been paid. Just his prorated bonus that will stay on the books.