The Miami Dolphins still have a few needs as they begin their offseason workout and training programs. But, one area that recently became a need was the long snapper position. It didn’t take long for the Dolphins to fill that need.
According to the Dolphins in a post on Twitter/X, the Dolphins have signed former New England Patriots long snapper and veteran special teamer Joe Cardona.
Cardona had previously spent the past 10 years playing for the Patriots, and was around for two of the Patriots Super Bowl victories during their dynasty. With the Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel, a lot of turnover has happened on the roster and coaching staff.
The Patriots also drafted a long snapper, a rarity in the NFL Draft, paving the way for Cardona to be released. Cardona didn’t have to wait long to find a new home, as the Dolphins scooped him up, signing him to a likely one-year deal worth close to the veterans minimum.
Cardona joins the Dolphins roster without any competition for the starting long snapper job. The Dolphins just over a day prior had cut long snapper Blake Ferguson.
In 2024, the Dolphins had two long snappers that started for them. Ferguson finished the year with five games played, with a Pro Football Focus special teams grade of 29.3, the lowest among all long snappers in 2024.
The Dolphins other long snapper from the 2024 season was Zach Triner. While he played just nine games for the Dolphins, he had a Pro Football Focus grade of 52.7, around middle of the pack among all long snappers.
Their new long snapper, Cardona, played the whole year and finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 71.8, the seventh highest grade among all long snappers in 2024.
While a seemingly inconsequential move, having a good long snapper is important for a strong special teams unit. From getting snaps off on punts to allow for better field position, to good snaps on field goals to give the holder a good chance to line up the ball for the kicker.
Long snappers aren’t inherently the most valuable players on the field each week. But, the Dolphins addition of Cardona is a great move for the Dolphins to improve their special teams unit that was graded as the second worst unit of 2024 according to Pro Football Focus.
