Dolphins’ Feely should bring the right touch

By Danny Dabiri  |   Wednesday, July 11, 2007  |  Comments( 9 )

Miami Dolphins
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For the first time in a decade, the Miami Dolphins will open the season with a new placekicker. The team signed unrestricted free-agent kicker Jay Feely, formerly of the New York Giants, to a three-year contract worth $6 million during the offseason. The addition of Feely subsequently ended longtime starting kicker Olindo Mare's tenure in Miami. In April, the 33-year-old Mare was traded to New Orleans for a sixth-round draft pick.

There's no denying the positive contributions made by Mare over his 10-year career with the Dolphins. Mare, a South Florida native, is the Dolphins' all-time leader in field goals made with 245. Unfortunately, the 2006 season witnessed a dramatic decline in Mare's quality of play. The former Syracuse standout experienced his worst year as a professional, connecting on 26-of-36 field goal opportunities for a subpar 72.2 percent success rate. Against division rivals, Mare made only five field goals in nine attempts.

In contrast, Feely enjoyed his most accurate season last year, connecting on 85.2 percent of his field goal chances (23 of 27). Feely played particularly well in division games for the Giants, converting made 16 out of 17 kicks against NFC East rivals.

The expectation is that the 31-year-old University of Michigan product will build upon his recent success and provide the Dolphins with a more consistent, younger kicker. While Mare probably has the stronger leg, there is no doubt that at this point in their respective careers, Feely is more reliable.

Feely credits new head coach Cam Cameron with persuading him to sign with Miami.

"He has a way of infusing his excitement with what he wants to do with this organization," Feely said of Cameron.

Although Mare was a solid contributor for quite some time, the addition of Feely will stabilize Miami's kicking situation for at least the present.

Original Miami Dolphins insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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