The Miami Dolphins received some bad news on Monday when they lost kicker Caleb Sturgis for the rest of the off-season due to a leg injury.

When Sturgis was noticeably absent from organized team activities, word spread that he had suffered an injury. At the time the extent was unknown, but head coach Joe Philbin would go on to reveal the long absence.

Last season, Sturgis was far from the most dependable or accurate kicker in the league. This led to some speculation that Miami could seek outside help for the kicking game. With Sturgis now unavailable due to the injury, the need for a new placekicker only increases.

Sturgis was drafted back in 2013 by Miami in the fifth round out of the University of Florida. In his two seasons with the Dolphins, Sturgis has made 55 of his 71 field goal attempts. His success rate went slightly up in 2014, but he still missed eight of his tries. Four of those misses came in the 40-49 yard range.

The Dolphins could either look in the free-agent market or the trade block for a new kicker. Missing the entire off-season will likely diminish the chances that Sturgis is ready to go at the start of the year. 

This off-season, Miami has revamped a roster that was a disappointment in 2014. Among the new names to join the team were Ndamukong Suh, Jordan Cameron, and Kenny Stills. Expectations are high and excitement is building, the loss of Sturgis should not impact that.

Miami's pre-season schedule is still over two months from getting underway. Replacing Sturgis figures to only be one of the moves made by the Dolphins before then.