The Miami Dolphins have signed New England Patriots punter Jake Bailey, the workforce introduced Friday afternoon.
The improvement got here after an ESPN report earlier Friday of a Bailey go to with Miami. All the whereas, veteran punter Thomas Morstead, who performed for the Dolphins in 2022, announced on Twitter he’s becoming a member of the New York Jets in free company.
Bailey had an All-Pro and Pro Bowl season in 2020 and is taken into account among the many league’s finest. He has a forty five.9 yards-per-punt common in his profession with 45.9 % of his punts touchdown contained in the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Bailey signed a four-year contract for $13.5 million with the Patriots final offseason, however whereas on injured reserve, he was positioned on the suspended checklist late final season, voiding his ensures. Bailey’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, filed a grievance contesting the suspension.
“While Jake Bailey was on IR, he never missed a single treatment, meeting or practice,” Hendrickson stated in a statement launched on the time. “He was hoping to come off IR to play last weekend, but Jake was informed he was being suspended these last two games. This comes as a surprise given his full participation during injury reserve. We have filed a grievance to fight this unknown suspension.”
Before the suspension, Bailey was positioned on injured reserve on Nov. 19 with a again ailment. He had 35.1 internet yards per punt in his 9 video games final season, down from a 42.0-yard common in 2021. He averaged a whopping 45.6 internet yards in his All-Pro season of 2020.
Morstead, in an in any other case disappointing particular groups unit for the Dolphins in 2022 that returns coordi,nator Danny Crossman, stood out with 28 punts touchdown contained in the 20-yard line in 2022, the second-highest whole of his profession. The longtime New Orleans Saint turned 37 on March 8 and now returns to the Jets, the place he performed seven video games in 2021 in a season the place he cut up time with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Patriots landed former Dolphins tight finish Mike Gesicki in free company earlier Friday. But within the fixed intra-division motion of the AFC East, the Dolphins, together with Bailey, have introduced in three former Jets as free brokers — quarterback Mike White, huge receiver Braxton Berrios and offensive lineman Dan Feeney.
Not carried out at LB?
With former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush Jr. headed to the Seattle Seahawks, a league supply advised the South Florida Sun Sentinel the Dolphins have been in communication with Bush and provided him lower than Seattle.
It’s a sign Miami continues to be in search of a linebacker after reaching offers with David Long of the Tennessee Titans and Duke Riley, who’s returning to the Dolphins. The supply stated the supply got here after agreements with Long and Riley.
Bobby Wagner, an eight-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro who was teammates with new Dolphins star cornerback Jalen Ramsey final season with the Los Angeles Rams, headlines the checklist of names nonetheless out there at linebacker. Lavonte David remained with the Buccaneers, and Eric Kendricks went from the Vikings to the Chargers.
Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker’s $8.4 million wage for 2023 turns into assured Sunday. If new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio doesn’t see him as part of the protection and the workforce provides one other linebacker, Miami may choose to maneuver on from him earlier than then.
Bush’s cope with Seattle was for one 12 months and $4 million, in keeping with the supply.
Kohou earns payday
Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou received $705,584 in compensation by means of the NFL’s performance-based pay distribution program, the league introduced Friday.
Kohou, after going undrafted final 12 months out of Texas A&M-Commerce, considerably outperformed that standing by beginning 13 video games as a rookie with 72 tackles, an interception, a pressured fumble and 10 go deflections. His share of the NFL’s $336 million pool for this system, which advantages gamers whose enjoying time exceeded their wage ranges, ranked 14th within the league. Philadelphia Eagles security Marcus Epps was the highest beneficiary, making an additional $880,384.
Kohou’s pay is added on to the $715,000 he earned in 2022 with the workforce.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com