Tag: Thomas Morstead

P Thomas Morstead says he actually reached out to Miami, not the other way around

That’s not something you hear every day.

In 2021, the Miami Dolphins’ punting situation wasn’t great, as they went through the season with Michael Palardy holding down the role, who had been with the Carolina Panthers for four seasons prior.

Palardy had an up-and-down year. On the plus the side, he was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 13. However, on the season, he ranked 24th in punt average (44.7 yards per attempt).

With Palardy hitting free agency, it wasn’t surprising that the Dolphins were looking to move in a different direction. They eventually signed veteran punter Thomas Morstead, who spent 2021 split between the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons.

The deal came together pretty quickly, as the two sides signed a deal just two days after the punter visited the facility.

On Tuesday, Morstead actually said that he was the one that had an interest in joining the Dolphins, not the other way around.

“I won’t get too specific about it because it’s team business but I actually reached out to them,” Morstead said. “There was no punter on the roster and I thought Miami seems like a nice place to play. Financially, I was willing to take a veteran salary benefit deal and I don’t think they knew that, so I just made it clear. They said, ‘Well get on a plane and come out here and see if you like it.’”

Typically, the teams are the ones that are making contact with players that they’re interested in. There’s a real chance that if Morstead didn’t reach out, the Dolphins would’ve been selecting a punter in the draft, which was a topic that was discussed at length by the media and fanbase.

Morstead has fond memories of playing in Miami, and he’s glad to do it again.

“Yeah, I haven’t been back here in 13 years,” he said. “Last time I stepped off this field, we won the Super Bowl and I had glitter all over my shoes. It was a great experience. Eight years later, we played the Dolphins away in London so I haven’t been back. I’m really looking forward to getting back in the stadium. Although it was a long, long time ago, in certain ways it was just like yesterday. I’m excited to be back in there.”

Both he and the team are hoping that this season can end the same way that season did for him – with his team winning a Lombardi Trophy.

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Look: Thomas Morstead shows off his new Dolphins jersey number

Look: Former Saints punter Thomas Morstead shows off his new Dolphins jersey number

It’s great to see Thomas Morstead doing well. The longtime New Orleans Saints punter made sure to prepare Blake Gillikin to replace him before moving on in his own NFL career, impressing with the New York Jets before an unfortunate turn with the Atlanta Falcons. But Morstead is now onto his next team, and he’s wearing a new jersey number with the Miami Dolphins.

And it sure looks better than that red and black outfit he had to wear with Atlanta. Morstead has chosen No. 4 (which he also used in a few games with the Jets), and it’s a fine choice in Dolphins orange and aqua. Certainly better than the No. 19 the Falcons had him wearing. Maybe Miami brings in a rookie punter, but right now the job is Morstead’s to lose — he’s the only punter on their roster.

Morstead rocked No. 6 for a decade in New Orleans, and it’s a safe bet that he’ll return to retire in black and gold when it’s all said and done (he’s still involved in the community, and recently represented Team Gleason in running the Crescent City Classic 10K with his wife). He’s one of several Saints standouts now playing for Miami, joining good company with Terron Armstead (still in No. 72), Teddy Bridgewater (No. 5), and 2013 Saints draft pick John Jenkins (No. 77).

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Breaking down new Dolphins P Thomas Morstead’s contract

Here’s what the contract looks like.

The Miami Dolphins made a number of moves this offseason, but the most recent was signing longtime New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead.

General manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel opted to bring in Morstead with Miami’s punter from 2021, Michael Palardy, still on the free agent market. That’s a decision that’s understandable, considering Palardy’s inconsistency in his lone season with the Dolphins.

Morstead, on the other hand, is the definition of consistency at the position. Despite moving on from New Orleans after 12 years, and splitting time with two of the worst teams in 2021 (the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons), he was still successful. He ranked seventh in the league in net average (42 yards per attempt).

The Dolphins gave Morstead a one-year deal worth roughly $1.27 million with $550,000 guaranteed. Those guarantees come from a $50,000 signing bonus and $500,000 of his $1.12 million base salary. Morstead also received $102,500 in per-game roster bonuses.

If Miami were to cut him before the season, they’d save just $497,500 while incurring $550,000 of dead cap space. So, it would likely only happen if he were truly beat out in a cap competition, which could still happen. However, it seems like they’ll ride into the season with the 36-year-old handling the same duties he’s handled since entering the league in 2009.

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Chris Grier has more decisions to make this offseason

Extensions, signings and draft picks are on the horizon.

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Chris Grier and the Miami Dolphins front office continue to grind it out and fill the 2022 roster for Mike McDaniel and staff. Veteran punter, Thomas Morstead was signed on Friday to a one-year deal that closes the book on two things – the Michael Palardy era and the fanbase’s hope of Miami drafting collegiate “Punt God,” Matt Araiza.

In addition to Morstead, the Dolphins may be addressing the linebacker need by working out Reuben Foster. While it’s unclear whether or not the Dolphins will sign the former Alabama star, this could be a no-risk, high-reward move.

At this point, after the DeVante Parker trade to the New England Patriots and the Xavien Howard contract restructure, Miami has roughly $20 million in space. This leaves a multitude of options for Grier and could help in all facets of the rest of the offseason.

Veterans can still be signed, and with a light draft class following the Tyreek Hill trade, the cap is set up nicely for future business within the roster.

What does that business look like?

Defensive linemen Christian Wilkins could not only have his rookie contract picked up for the fifth year but he could be signed long-term as well. Andrew Van Ginkel is in a contract year, and while the restricted free agent tender was placed on cornerback Nik Needham last month, his future in Miami is a multi-year deal away, which could very well be in the cards with the pot of chips Grier still has at his disposal.

Being a few weeks from the NFL Draft, it’s hard to believe Grier is finished on the transaction side of things. With the punter gap now filled by Morstead, there truly are a limited number of holes on this team.

Depth is always something any football team needs, and with the Dolphins having a bit of a wait until they’re scheduled to make a pick in the upcoming draft, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Grier dip into the stack of checks. He very well could move up should he see a blue-chip player he covets, while, in typical Grier fashion, not breaking the bank in the process.

At this point, he’s earned the trust.

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Dolphins to sign former Saints P Thomas Morstead

This may spell the end of Michael Palardy’s tenure in Miami.

The Miami Dolphins clearly went into this offseason with a hole at the punter position, as Michael Palardy was becoming a free agent.

After a visit earlier in the week, the Dolphins have signed longtime New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead to a one-year deal, according to NFL Insider Adam Caplan.

Morstead, 36, joins the Dolphins after splitting last season between the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons. He finished the year averaging 47.2 yards per attempt, his highest mark since 2016. His net average of 42 yards was also the seventh-highest for any punter in 2021.

With this deal being a one-year deal, there’s no guarantee that Morstead wins the job, but, for right now, he has no competition.

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Report: Former Saints punter Thomas Morstead signing with Dolphins

Report: Thomas Morstead signs one-year deal with Miami Dolphins, reunites with several former Saints teammates, via @RossJacksonNOLA

The Miami Dolphins welcome another former New Orleans Saint this week. After signing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and tackle Terron Armstead this offseason, the Dolphins are signing former Saints punter Thomas Morstead to a one-year deal, per Adam Caplan of FOX Sports Radio. It’s good to see Morstead’s career continue, and even better to note he won’t have to play for the Atlanta Falcons anymore.

The Dolphins now have quite the contingent of players with Louisiana ties on their roster. Former Saints nose tackle John Jenkins, LSU’s Blake Ferguson and Duke Riley as well as UL’s Robert Hunt. With Morstead as the newest addition, many Saints fans will be excited to see his career continue. The team’s all-time leading punter, and local legend, lands with his fourth team after spending time in 2021 with both the Falcons and New York Jets. Regardless of jersey color, he always represents where it all started.

Based on 2021’s season, Morstead could be up for a busy workload. The Dolphins totaled the fifth most punts and punt yards while their offense compiled the fifth fewest first downs. But with the key additions the team has made over the offseason such as head coach Mike McDaniel, Armstead, and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, the hope will be that they see more games with Morstead napping than taking the field on fourth down.

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Exploring Saints’ draft history with their new picks for 2022

The Saints have never made a selection from No. 16 in the NFL draft, but the last time they were at No. 19 they found one of their best-ever pass rushers: Wayne Martin

We know that the New Orleans Saints are now scheduled to make two picks in the 2022 NFL draft’s first round after trading with the Philadelphia Eagles, but what sort of history do they have with those specific draft slots (Nos. 16 and 19)? The last time that New Orleans was on the clock in their old spot at No. 18, they picked an iconic defender in the late Will Smith. Does their track record with these two other spots hold up?

The Saints have never picked at No. 16 overall — it’s one of the few slots that New Orleans has never fallen into during the first round, along with Nos. 4, 9, and 22. But the Saints have picked at No. 19 once before, and they came away with one of the greatest pass rushers in team history: defensive end Wayne Martin.

Martin finished his Saints career with 82.5 sacks, which trailed only Pro Football Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson (who had 115 official sacks as a Saint) in the team record books. He’s since been bumped down to third by ironman defensive end Cameron Jordan, who is rapidly gaining on Jackson’s all-time lead (with 107 sacks of his own).

And Martin also appeared in 171 games for New Orleans, which was the sixth-highest total for anyone in a Saints uniform at the time of his retirement. Jordan eventually outpaced him (he’s up to 176 games and counting), as did Thomas Morstead (190) and Drew Brees (228). Even if Martin only got one Pro Bowl nod during his long career, that’s a really impressive career, and the Saints would have to be ecstatic if whichever player they eventually pick at No. 19 comes close to matching him.

But how is the long-term outlook at these two draft slots? Of the last 20 players picked at No. 16 overall, nine got into at least one Pro Bowl. Four of them received first team All-Pro recognition. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected future Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu at this spot in 2003.

There is quite a drop off when we look through the history books at No. 19, with just four of the last 20 players drafted there getting a Pro Bowl nod. Only one of them, former Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie, was named a first team All-Pro. There are plenty of good but not great players who have been picked here. So while it isn’t a good slot historically, the Saints in particular did well when they selected Martin.

As for the other spots New Orleans is scheduled to pick from this year:

  • Round 2, Pick 49: No prior picks
  • Round 3, Pick 98: Drafted offensive tackle Don Morrison in 1971 (played 123 games), linebacker DeMond Winston in 1990 (50 games), and nose tackle Gary Lewis in 1983 (6 games)
  • Round 4, Pick 120: Drafted defensive tackle David Onyemata in 106 (89 games) and running back Harlan Huckleby in 1985 (84 games)
  • Round 5, Pick 161: Drafted linebacker Chris Bordano in 2000 (33 games)
  • Round 6, Pick 194: Drafted defensive back Jimmy Elder in 1971 (0 games)

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Former Saints punter Thomas Morstead visiting Miami Dolphins

Still a Saint at heart, Thomas Morstead is set to visit the Dolphins setting up a potential reunion with Teddy Bridgewater and Terron Armstead, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

How many punters do you know get a press conference when their time with a team comes to an end? One: Thomas Morstead. The longtime New Orleans Saints punter will visit the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday, per FOX Sports 640’s Andy Slater. Morstead spent 12 seasons with the Saints after being selecting in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft. He punted 737 times totaling 32,190 yards, an average of 46.5 yards per attempt. He was nominated to one Pro Bowl and was named to the All-Pro second team in 2012. All while also handling kickoff and holder responsibilities.

Morstead spent last season with the New York Jets and then joined the NFC South-rival Atlanta Falcons, prompting the Saints to send him a nice gift before one of their division matchups. Even while taking snaps in red and black, the Saints’ all-time leader in punt yardage continued to show his love to New Orleans. It says a lot that he did everything possible to prepare Blake Gillikin to replace him before the Saints cut him before the 2021 season.

Now, Morstead heads to South Beach for a free agency visit with the Dolphins. If Morstead were to sign a contract there, which would be wise of Miami considering he just notched the third-highest yards per punt average of his career, he’d be reunited with a couple fellow ex-Saints. Both quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and offensive tackle Terron Armstead signed with the Dolphins this offseason. Morstead could be the next former Saint to join Mike McDaniel’s squad.

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Report: P Thomas Morstead visiting the Dolphins

Miami does have an opening at the position.

The Miami Dolphins have a clear need at the punter position with Michael Palardy still unsigned to this point.

According to Fox Sports’ Andy Slater, the Dolphins are bringing in longtime New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead for a visit on Wednesday.

Morstead spent the first 12 seasons of his NFL career with the Saints, making one Pro Bowl, before splitting time between the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons in 2021. During last season, he averaged 47.2 yards per attempt, his highest mark since 2016 and higher than any season in Palardy’s career.

The 36-year-old also finished with the seventh-highest net average (42 yards) of any punter in 2021.

While many are expecting the Dolphins to be in on draft prospect Matt Araiza, they still may want to count on a veteran at the position instead.

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Saints sent Thomas Morstead a king cake before Falcons game

The Saints sent Thomas Morstead a king cake before facing him in Week 18’s Falcons game:

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Now that’s sweet. The New Orleans Saints embraced Carnival season by gifting their former punter Thomas Morstead a king cake — from Manny Randazzo’s, no less — just before their Week 18 game with Morstead’s unfortunate Atlanta Falcons. The longtime Saints standout has caught some flak from fans in New Orleans after going turncoat and signing with their most hated rival, but the team wants it known that there’s no hard feelings.

Morstead shared the delivery of his king cake from the Falcons training facility, along with a note calling him an “Old Friend” with hopes that he’ll set a new personal best for the most punts in a single game on Sunday (for the curious, his career-high has been 10 punts in a 2015 Saints win over the Indianapolis Colts, 27-21). The Saints are visiting Atlanta and badly need a win to remain in playoff contention. Frustrating the Falcons offense and getting Morstead on the field early and often to punt the ball away would do a lot to help.

But they had better be careful about what they’re asking for. Morstead just won recognition as the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for his efforts, regularly pinning opponents deep inside their own territory. New Orleans doesn’t exactly have the firepower to cross the field too often. Maybe Morstead can take it easy on them?

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