New Dolphins ST coordinator explains why team targeted long snapper Joe Cardona
New Dolphins ST coordinator explains why team targeted long snapper Joe Cardona
The Miami Dolphins have rotated through a few beloved long snappers in their history dating back to Ed Perry, John Denney, Taybor Pepper, and most recently, Blake Ferguson. But after the Dolphins parted ways with Ferguson, veteran Joe Cardona is set to take over the job.
Cardona, a fifth-round pick for the New England Patriots in the 2015 NFL draft, played 10 seasons for the Dolphins' AFC East rivals. But when he was released by the Patriots at the end of April, new Dolphins special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman jumped at the chance to add the veteran.
"An opportunity to get Joe [Cardona] – when that happened, I think I sprinted down to Chris [Grier]'s office and said, 'Hey, this guy has done it for 10 years in the National Football League at a very high level,'" Aukerman told reporters this week.
'I was excited for the opportunity to have that chance to get him and then when he signed, it was really big for us as an organization to bring a guy in there with that type of experience – a guy who's won multiple Super Bowls, who's done it a very long time – so really excited to have him here.'
Long snapping is an unheralded job that requires consistent precision without any room for mistakes on game days.
'It's tough. And that's why these guys – I've been very excited about their process that they go through every single day," Aukerman said. "They are pros and it's fun to watch them understand and talk about different things and communicate, and when you have three or four different long snappers, it's tough because maybe one of the times he's a left-hander and now it's going to be a different type of spin that's going to be on the ball."
That was a challenge that Dolphins punter Jake Bailey and kicker Jason Sanders had to navigate in 2024. With Ferguson sidelined for most of the year, the team cycled through Tucker Addington, Jake McQuaide, Matt Overton, and Zach Triner for three games each.
"That's why I give those guys so much credit, being able to deal with the adversity that was happening with having a bunch of different snappers and then them competing at such a high level was big,' Aukerman said.
With Cardona in the role in 2025, the Dolphins should have the consistency they lacked in 2024.
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