With Miami Dolphins 2023 Training Camp approaching, it's time for the final installment of the annual position preview series on MiamiDolphins.com.
Here's a look at the Dolphins specialists:
(in numerical order)
5-11 | 190 | New Mexico '18
Sanders has played in 82 career games since the Dolphins selected him in the seventh round (229th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. His 82.9 career field goal percentage (126-of-152) is the best in franchise history (min. 50 att.), and he's one of only six Dolphins players to kick 100+ career field goals. Last season, Sanders nailed a game-winning 50-yard field goal in Week 18 to beat the New York Jets and send the Dolphins to the playoffs. He earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2020. Sanders played collegiately at New Mexico.
#16 Jake Bailey
6-2 | 205 | Stanford '19
Bailey joined the Dolphins on March 17, 2023, after spending the previous four seasons in New England. He played in 58 career games with the Patriots and totaled 10,189 yards on 222 punts. Bailey has placed 102 punts inside the 20-yard line and has a career net average of 40.9. He earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2020 after posting a league-best 45.6 net average. Bailey entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick (163rd overall) with New England after a collegiate career at Stanford.
#44 Blake Ferguson
6-3 | 240 | LSU '20
Ferguson was a sixth-round pick (185th overall) by Miami in the 2020 NFL Draft and has played in all 50 games since then. He appeared in 53 consecutive games as LSU's primary long snapper from 2016-19 and helped the Tigers win the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship. He also became the first player in LSU history whose primary position was long snapper to be named a permanent team captain.
#49 Michael Turk
6-1 | 227 | Oklahoma '23
Turk signed with Miami as an undrafted college free agent on May 12, 2023. He finished his collegiate career at Oklahoma, where he logged the third-best yards per punt average (46.79) in the nation in 2022. Turk was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2021 and 2022 and a first-team All-Pac-12 selection at Arizona State in 2019 and 2020. He also played one season at Lafayette in 2017 and set a school single-season record for punting average (42.7 yards per attempt). Turk is the nephew of former Dolphins punter Matt Turk.
The team will hold 10 practices open to fans at the Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens, beginning July 30. Attendance is free for all practices, but guests must show a mobile ticket for entry. Get tickets here.
