Miami Dolphins
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The Dolphins signed a special teams player from the UFL
The Miami Dolphins have turned over their roster. New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has torn down what the Dolphins have built the past few seasons, aiming to utilize the draft in order to rebuild the team and build a sustainable winner long-term. However, Miami’s transaction seems to indicate that adifficult 2026 season is in order.
The latest Dolphins move was trading away wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in exchange for three draft picks, which included the 30th overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. For Miami, the offseason has been split in moves that the team made as they no longer wanted a player on the roster or moves they made as it made financial sense for the team long-term. The Waddle trade however is different, as it represents a move the Dolphins made to grain capital more so than financial reasons.
One of the team’s previous moves that was done for financial reasons was not re-signing former Pro Bowl punter Jake Bailey, allowing him to explore free agency, where he signed athree-year, $9 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Now, Miami has taken an interesting approach in finding Bailey’s replacement.
Miami Dolphins Sign Punter
The Miami Dolphins announced they had signed punter Seth Vernon to a two-year, $1.935 million contract. Vernon has never played a regular season snap in the NFL, but has spent time with both the Buccaneers and Vikings.
Last season, Vernon was the punter for the Michigan Panthers of the UFL, before the league decided to leave Michigan. He punted 23 times for the Panthers, averaging 45.4 yards. Previous punter Jake Bailey averaged 46.9 yards in three seasons with the Dolphins.
While the Dolphins appear set to have a competition for the starting kicker role, Vernon is currently the only punter on Miami’s roster.
Miami’s Special Teams
Additionally, the team added long snapper Tucker Addington to the roster. Regarding Addington’s signing, Sports Illustrated’s Jake Mendel said, “Addington has spent time with seven NFL franchises —including a stint with the Dolphins. He signed to Miami’s practice squad on Nov. 5, 2024, and was elevated to the active roster for three games before being released on Nov. 25.” He added, “After his release from Miami, Addington spent time on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad before signing a reserve/futures contract with the Houston Texans on Feb. 17, 2025. He spent training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers last summer but was released in early August.”
Regarding the previously mentioned kicker competition, it will come down to Riley Patterson and Zane Gonzalez. Patterson spent the 2025 season with the Dolphins as he replaced the injured Jason Sanders, he excelled in that role as he hit a franchise record 93.1% of his field goal attempts; however, he lacks strength as his career-high is only a 54-yard field goal. Meanwhile Gonzalez spent the 2025 season with the Falcons, where he hit 86.4% of his attempts, but he did hit seven field goals of over 50 yards.