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Until NFL free agency opens on March 14, we at The Phinsider will be reviewing the impending free agents on the Miami Dolphins and evaluating whether or not the team should retain them, tag them, or let them walk. When front offices choose how to handle their upcoming free agents, they take a variety of factors into account, including age, production, and value, so we’ll be doing the same. Today, we continue with kicker Cody Parkey.
The Dolphins signed Parkey last offseason to compete with former starter Andrew Franks. Parkey won the roster spot, and his performance over the course of the 2017 season makes it easy to see why. Over 16 games, the 26-year old special teamer knocked through 21 of 23 field goal attempts, good for a career high 91.3% conversion rate. On short range field goal attempts, Parkey was perfect. He made 6 of 6 field goals in the 20-29 yard range and 8 of 8 field goals in the 30-39 yard range.
Parkey’s extra point attempts were slightly less stellar, as the first-year Dolphin converted 26 of 29 kicks. However, given that he missed only one PAT in three previous seasons, it’s fair to say that the three gaffes were an anomaly.
What makes Parkey such a reliable weapon is his range. The former Eagle and Brown is 6 for 7 in career field goal attempts beyond 50 yards, with a career long of 54 yards. Simply having Parkey on the field allows Adam Gase to feel more comfortable going for long field goals, as the head coach knows his kicker has the range to go the distance.
The Dolphins paid Parkey $690,000 this season, but keeping him in Miami may require a slight bump in pay. San Francisco 49ers veteran Robbie Gould is currently the tenth highest paid kicker by average salary at around $2,000,000 per year. The drop off beyond there is steep, as Cincinnati Bengals kicker Randy Bullock holds the eleventh spot at $782,500 per season. Depending on the length of Parkey’s next contract, it would be safe to assume the reliable leg will receive somewhere slightly above Bullock’s average.