With 53 man rosters set to become final tomorrow, this week has brought some new and additional support for the long snapping position.  Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick has always been a big proponent of snappers, as noted in this prior post.  This week, during his press conference in which the addition of James Dearth was announced, Belichick discussed how former Cowboys and Giants snapper Steve DeOssie revolutionized the position.

Belichick believes that DeOssie’s ability to snap and block led to the spread punt formation where the snapper blocks a defender.  The entire press conference transcript is worth reviewing for those looking for insight into how the role of the snapper evolved in the mid-80’s to the specialized role it enjoys now.

In addition, EA Sports released the video game Madden NFL 12 this week and the game now includes all NFL long snappers.  In the past, some snappers were included in the game, while others were not.  EA Sports has now included all snappers and they handle the punt and placement snaps in the game.