How safe is Jason Sanders?

[The Ghost]

Jason Sanders kicked very well last season. Anyone suggesting that he is not safe is just promoting controversy.

Again, 17 kickers were better than he was last year. And that was his best year since 2020, the last season in which he could be called good. 2021 he was horrible and 2022 he was well below average.

I am promoting good decision making, not emotional attachment.

 

[The Goat]

Arguing against basic math is pretty foolish. Making the case for a guy who's below average seems silly to me. Emotional attachment to a kicker seems even sillier. His results make it clear who he is, can't comprehend ignoring that because I am hoping he gets back to that level of play that lasted all of one season, 4 years ago.

We wouldn't pay that money to a FA kicker, if we needed one, so keeping him makes just as little sense, assuming we can draft a replacement. Which is why I'd wait until the draft to make that decision.

Now if nobody is available to us, its a different story. This team needs cap space, not a below average kicker.

I just don’t agree that the math bears out what you say it does. He should have made the Pro Bowl in 2020 over Justin Tucker; his first-team All-Pro selection seems to bear that out.

From 40 yards and in, he’s missed once in the past two years. He’s missed four times in the past six.

His issues have come from longer distance when he hasn’t been comfortable with his holder.

When he’s comfortable with his holder, he seems to be an above average kicker from distance as well. Keep in mind that two of his four misses from long distance last year were blocks, and one would have to be blind to think the one against the Pats had anything to do with him.

 

[The Ghost]

I just don’t agree that the math bears out what you say it does. He should have made the Pro Bowl in 2020 over Justin Tucker; his first-team All-Pro selection seems to bear that out.

From 40 yards and in, he’s missed once in the past two years. He’s missed four times in the past six.

His issues have come from longer distance when he hasn’t been comfortable with his holder.

When he’s comfortable with his holder, he seems to be an above average kicker from distance as well. Keep in mind that two of his four misses from long distance last year were blocks, and one would have to be blind to think the one against the Pats had anything to do with him.

Excellent points. The fact remains that we are very tight against the cap in the coming years and saving money where you can has to be strongly considered. I think the kicker from Stanford could become an elite kicker soon enough so getting him on the cheap for three years is a worthwhile consideration.

Assessing his career as a whole, he shouldn't suddenly be considered something better than he's been.

 

[The Goat]

Excellent points. The fact remains that we are very tight against the cap in the coming years and saving money where you can has to be strongly considered. I think the kicker from Stanford could become an elite kicker soon enough so getting him on the cheap for three years is a worthwhile consideration.

Assessing his career as a whole, he shouldn't suddenly be considered something better than he's been.

Regarding the Stanford kid…maybe.

Im not saying you’re wrong, but kickers are just weird. Remember Roberto Aguayo, who Tampa Bay drafted in the second round? He was supposed to be a huge weapon out of FSU, then he got to the NFL, and he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.

I really don’t think the Sanders contract is awful. He’s actually the 12th-highest paid kicker in the league in 2024, so that’s not too far from average.

 

[GCD960]

him and McD are boys… i think he’d have to be terrible to be cut

 

[tay0365]

Sanders issue is not talent. but concentration issues. When he is confident, and within himself not allowing anything to effect him, having him kick a 55+ yarder is nothing to worry about.

When he is too busy over-thinking it, and allowing the opponent fans to get in his head, kicking a FG in the 30 yard range is still reason to be nervous.

A good Special Teams Coordinator or special kicking coach can do wonders for him, and getting his confidence up can get him to where he was when he had his best season...Yes, I know our ST Coordinator is suspect at best, and worthless at worse.

 

[Highzenga]

He’s back in my good graces since the Dallas game. But he makes a lot for a kicker.

 

[Ray R]

As crazy as it sounds, Sanders has the 11th highest cap number on the roster if you exclude X who will be a post June 1 cut.

Cutting him before June 1 saves us $2.3M with $2.1M in dead money.

Cutting him post June 1 saves us $3.7M with $730K in dead money.

He is signed through 2027. His cap numbers in 24 25 and 26 are all in the $4.5M to $4.7M range. He actually becomes an incredible bargain in 27 when his cap number will only be $331K.

I'm not really sure what to do with him. He might be slightly overpaid but would it be worth it to release him and sign another K who will be an unknown and how much of a cap savings will it really be after paying a new K?

He was pretty good last year and supposedly one of the reasons why we re-signed Bailey was because of his ability to place the ball the way Sanders likes it for him to be successful.

I guess I would give him another year. If he regresses then we can cut him post June 1 next year giving us $4M in cap savings with only $730K in dead money.

Based on this post, it sure looks like the FO knows what it is doing. - LOL

 

[VAFinsfan72]

Still, Sanders is a bottom 3rd kicker.

Can you believe that Mike White and Jason Sanders have the 9th and 11th highest cap numbrs on the Dolphins roster?

Maybe we should draft Cam Little in the 7th if we dont have any better options and make Sanders a post June 1 release saving us almost $4M in cap space which will allow us to be more active in Free Agency at that time and might allow us to sign Tre'Davious White.