Zach Triner became the third long snapper to sign a contract for next season. Triner, who snapped at Assumption College in Massachusetts, also played Division One lacrosse for Siena College. He joins Reid Ferguson (Bills) and Jeff Overbaugh (Broncos) as snappers who have signed future deals for the 2017 NFL season.
Pro Football Focus tracks every player on every play in the NFL and special teams are not immune. PFF recently published the results from its tracking of every special teams player on every special teams play in an article titled “The Best Special Teamers in the NFL in 2016.”
PFF examined every player on the punt team, punt return team, kickoff team, kick return team and field goals and extra points. Jon Weeks of the Texans was noted as the best long snapper on punts, with just two inaccurate snaps this season. Jon Dorenbos of the Eagles was cited as the best field goal snapper, with no inaccurate snaps.
High school senior Thomas Fletcher won the Chris Rubio Award in Las Vegas last night as the best high school long snapper. Fletcher will attend Alabama next season and beat out two other senior snappers, Kyle Gibbs who will attend Navy and Mitch Hall who will attend Louisville.
Prior winners of the award are Scott Daly (2011), Cole Mazza (2012), Blake Ferguson (2013 and 2014) and Johnny Den Blyker (2015).
Author Ted Kluck has just written a book that is easily one of my favorites. The title, Upside Down Football: An Inside Look at Long Snapping in the NFL may instantly reveal why it is so special. Admittedly, I am credited, at least in part, with encouraging Kluck to write it.
By way of background, in late 2014, I spoke with Kluck at length about my thoughts about long snapping and those that have played the position. I recommended that Kluck contact some of my NFL snapping clients for further insight. I did not think much of the conversation again until recently when I saw a description of the book online that referenced me as “NFL snapping super-agent”.
Kluck’s book, formed around his desire to snap in a professional football game and learning to perfect his own snapping skills to do so, profiles many key figures in the snapping world. Kluck was kind enough to devote Chapter 2 to me, entitled “Kevin Gold: Agent to the Anonymous” and it was fascinating to read my detailed comments to him in print. Clients Rob Davis and Bryan Pittman also have their own chapters, as do other key figures in the snapping world, from Chris Rubio to Gary Zauner.
Kluck’s book does a great job of explaining all aspects of the modern snapping industry, from high school and college to the professional level. The book will be of value and interest to anyone connected to long snapping at any level or that want to learn more about this fascinating position and those who occupy it at the highest levels.
With the NFL regular season complete and playoffs about to start, it is a good time to look at some early long snapper signings for next season and the current NFL snappers that are about to become free agents.
With respect to contracts signed for 2017, or so-called reserve/future deals, that do not take effect until the new league year starts in March, two teams have signed a snapper for 2017. The Broncos added Jeff Overbaugh and the Bills signed Reid Ferguson, who spent a number of weeks on the practice squad in Buffalo. Both were rookies this season.
A total of 11 snappers will have their contracts expire in the off-season. These snappers are free to negotiate with any club once veteran free agency begins in March if not re-signed by their clubs before the start of free agency.
The 11 snappers are:
Thomas Gafford (DEN)
Don Muhlbach (DET)
Brett Goode (GB)
John Denney (MIA)
Justin Drescher (NO)
Zak DeOssie (NYG)
Tanner Purdum (NYJ)
Jon Condo (OAK)
Greg Warren (PIT)
Mike Windt (SD)
Nick Sundberg (WAS)
With Nolan Frese injured and on injured reserve, the Seahawks added Tyler Ott to the roster to snap in the playoffs. Ott was most recently with the Bengals while Clark Harris recovered from an injury.
Ott also spent time on the Giants practice squad this year and snapped last year’s season finale for the Giants as well.
The 2016 NFL regular season is now complete. There were two notable snapping situations in the final week. Nolan Frese of the Seahawks sprained his ankle early in the game against the 49ers. Later, Frese sailed a punt snap over the punter’s head for a safety. With the Seahawks hosting a playoff game Saturday, Frese’s condition will be important to monitor the next few days.
In the Bucs win against the Panthers, Tampa Bay snapper Andrew DePaola suffered a reported torn ACL that will likely jeopardize at least part of next season. Linebacker Adarius Glanton filled in to finish the game.
There is the possibility some unsigned long snappers may soon sign so-called reserve/future deals for next season. One likely candidate is Tyler Ott, who worked out for the Eagles earlier this week.
Zak DeOssie is once again the tackles champion among long snappers, adding two solo tackles in punt coverage Sunday to give him a total of eight on the season. DeOssie has been the tackles champion since 2011, except for last season when Jon Weeks of the Texans took the title.
The Final 2017 NFL Long Snappers Chart is below.
As we celebrate a new year and final week of the NFL regular season, this week also brought sadness, as long-time NFL special teams coach Bruce DeHaven died Tuesday after a brave battle with cancer.
DeHaven, who was 68, coached NFL special teams units over the past three decades with the Bills, 49ers, Cowboys, Seahawks and, most recently, the Panthers. DeHaven transitioned from his special teams coordinator role with this Panthers this past August and moved into a senior advisor role. He will be missed.
Alabama has been one of the most successful college football programs in the country and perhaps their recent tradition of scholarship long snappers may be a key element to their success. Sam Borden of The New York Times suggests as much in his recent story discussing their newest long snapping recruit, Thomas Fletcher.
Fletcher will be a freshman next year and will likely replace senior Cole Mazza, who was the first Alabama snapper to get a full scholarship. Fletcher, who is the top ranked snapper in the country, joins a long list of other top-rated recruits at Alabama for 2017.
Borden’s story does a nice job summarizing the importance of the snapper and their “self-critical” nature as “perfectionists.”
There is one week left in the NFL regular season and the snapping position remains stable. There were a few notable poor snaps, as Morgan Cox had a rare high short snap that prevented a Ravens field goal attempt against the Steelers and Nolan Frese had a high snap on a extra point attempt against the Cardinals.
With Clark Harris healthy, the Bengals waived Tyler Ott last week. The Packers also worked out Taybor Pepper (Michigan State) and Nick Dooley (UTEP), two snappers from the 2016 NFL Draft.
Four snappers has tackles in punt coverage this week as Josh Harris (Falcons), Kevin McDermott (Vikings), Beau Brinkley (Titans) and Kyle Nelson (49ers) each had solo tackles.
The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Sixteen is below.
NFL Long Snappers Chart Week Sixteen
Longsnap.com 