New Snapping Transactions

Posted on July 27, 2016 by longsnap

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With training camps opening this week, there have been two snapping transactions.  Veteran Christian Yount was released by the Patriots and rookie Nathan Theus waived by the Broncos.

Yount was originally signed after there was some concern about Joe Cardona’s ability to play in light of his Navy military commitment.  With that issue resolved, Yount was deemed expendable.  Yount joins Danny Aiken, Thomas Gafford and clients Brett Goode and Clint Gresham as available and experienced veteran long snappers.

With Theus gone in Denver, it appears client Casey Kreiter, who was in camp with the Cowboys the past two training camps, will be the Broncos snapper this season.

 

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NFL to Consider Narrowing Goal Posts

Posted on July 18, 2016 by longsnap

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The NFL continues to tinker with the kicking game and this preseason will be no different.  The NFL will experiment with computer chips in kicking balls this preseason to determine how far inside the uprights successful field goals and extra points are.

The goal is to examine whether reducing the distance between the uprights, which is currently set at 18 feet, 6 inches, is necessary.  If the preseason test goes well, the NFL will implement the chip during the regular season, but only in Thursday night games.

In announcing these changes, Dean Blandino, the NFL’s senior vice president of officiating, noted that the specialization of the kicking game, “from long snapper to holder to kicker” has caused the NFL to look at making the kick more difficult.

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The MMQB Special Series on Kickers

Posted on July 9, 2016 by longsnap

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Any snapper can relate to the desire to be perfect.  The MMQB recently published a three-part series by Dylan Howlett on the quest for NFL kickers to be perfect at something that cannot be perfected.

Howlett profiles a number of kickers, including former Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding, that also includes comments from his former snapper, David Binn.  The author suggests that the kicking position demands “flawlessness” more than any other position in professional sports, and, like the long snapping role, there are “only 32 openings in the world for the privilege, or pressure.”

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Phil Steele’s All-American Long Snapper Selections

Posted on July 1, 2016 by longsnap

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Once again this year, noted football writer Phil Steele has provided rankings of the top long snappers in college.  Phil Steele’s 2016 College Football Preview hit stores this week and, as he has done in the past, Steele includes long snappers on each of his four All-American teams.  Cole Mazza of Alabama is the First Team snapper, followed by Zach Smith (USC), Scott Daly (Notre Dame) and Wes Farnsworth (Nevada).

As an added bonus this year, Steele also ranks the top four snappers in each Division One conference.  Those snappers will be highlighted when Longsnap.com debuts its exclusive compilation of each Division One long snapper this September.

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Gresham Describes the Call You Never Want to Get

Posted on June 29, 2016 by longsnap

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As the Seahawks continue to search for a replacement for client Clint Gresham, Gresham recently wrote a very personal story on his website at clintgresham.com recounting the day he got the call from Seattle he was being released.

The Call You Never Want To Get

Getting a call like this is one of the toughest aspects of the business of professional sports.  However, Clint handled this issue like he does everything else, with both dignity and class.

Although it is always great to publish and read stories about snappers reaching their dreams of getting a chance to play in college or, for a very few, the NFL, the flip side is the inevitable disappointment and rejection that comes when your services are no longer needed.  Any aspiring snapper or football fan will benefit from reading Clint’s story.

 

 

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Seahawks Add Frese

Posted on June 28, 2016 by longsnap

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After releasing client Clint Gresham this off-season, it appears that the efforts to find a replacement snapper are not over in Seattle.  The Seahawks signed undrafted rookie Nolan Frese today from the University of Houston.

Frese was a tryout candidate with the Panthers after the Draft and will compete with Drew Ferris in training camp.  Prior to signing Ferris, Seattle signed and waived Andrew East, who is now in Oakland.

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CFL Snappers for the 2016 Season

Posted on June 24, 2016 by longsnap

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The CFL season opened last night and with veteran Randy Chevrier currently out of the league, there are no CFL snappers with NFL regular season experience. Only Jorgen Hus has recent NFL training camp experience and Pierre Luc-Caron, who is replacing Chevrier, is the only new starter from last season’s opening day starters.

Below are the 2016 CFL snappers.

British Columbia 40 Mike Benson

Calgary 54 Pierre-Luc Caron

Edmonton 53 Ryan King

Hamilton 47 Aaron Crawford

Montreal 37 Martin Bedard

Ottawa 50 Kevin Malcolm

Saskatchewan 46 Jorgen Hus

Toronto 58 Jake Reinhart

 

 

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Long Snapping Update After OTAs

Posted on June 17, 2016 by longsnap

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Every NFL team has now completed its off-season program and, in about five weeks, training camps will open.  There have been a couple of snapping moves the last few weeks.  The Saints waived Chris Highland, although he was brought back for mini-camp this week as a tryout player.  In addition, rookie Jeff Overbaugh, who was a tryout candidate for the Rams after the Draft, has now signed a contract with the team.

As of right now, 12 teams have two snappers under contract.  Those teams are Arizona, Buffalo, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New England, New York Giants, Oakland, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

 

 

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Updated LS Transactions

Posted on May 17, 2016 by longsnap

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Rookie mini-camps are now complete and the long snapping picture has cleared a bit after a flurry of activity during and after the NFL Draft.  It was also revealed this week that Patriots snapper Joe Cardona, who was at risk to miss this season to his commitment to the Navy, will be allowed to play this season.

Below is the latest list of drafted, signed, tryout and waived long snappers since the NFL Draft.

DRAFTED

Jimmy Landes (Baylor)-Lions

SIGNINGS

John DePalma (West Virginia)-Eagles

Reid Ferguson (LSU)-Bills

Ryan DiSalvo (San Jose State)-Dolphins

Danny Dillon (Campbell)-Cardinals

Kameron Canaday (Portland State)-Cardinals

Nate Theus (Georgia)-Broncos

Chris Highland-Saints

TRYOUTS

Kirk Willis (Cincinnati)-Jaguars/Browns

Kelly Mason (Kentucky)-Redskins

Winston Chapman (Mississippi State)-Jets

Taybor Pepper (Michigan State)-Ravens

Chris Longo (UCLA)-Bears/Rams

Nolan Frese (Houston)-Panthers

Dylan Detwiler (Fresno State)-Chiefs

Boomer Mays (Northern Illinois)-Chiefs

Nick Dooley (UTEP)-Saints

Jeff Overbaugh (San Diego State)-Rams (previously reported as a signing)

Dax Dellenbach-Buccaneers

Jesse Schmitt-Packers

Harrison Elliott-Colts (previously reported as a signing)

Courtland Clavette-Vikings/Redskins

Chris Maikranz-Bengals

Zach Triner-Texans

WAIVED

Forrest Hill-Colts (invited back to tryout)

Brandon Hartson-Cowboys

 

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Latest LS Transactions

Posted on May 7, 2016 by longsnap

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Most NFL teams have rookie mini-camps this weekend.  As a result, most of the long snapper signings are now public.  Unfortunately, tryout players are often harder to determine, but below is the information I have learned at this point.  Since some teams have their mini-camps next week, at least two snappers have multiple tryout opportunities.

Any additional information can be reported to me by email at kevingold@longsnap.com.  Note that many tryouts, and one signing, involve snappers from prior Draft classes.  To separate them, only players from this year’s Draft class have their college team information listed.

DRAFTED

Jimmy Landes (Baylor)-Lions

SIGNINGS

John DePalma (West Virginia)-Eagles

Reid Ferguson (LSU)-Bills

Jeff Overbaugh (San Diego State)-Rams

Ryan DiSalvo (San Jose State)-Dolphins

Danny Dillon (Campbell)-Cardinals

Kameron Canaday (Portland State)-Cardinals

Nate Theus (Georgia)-Broncos

Chris Highland-Saints

TRYOUTS

Kirk Willis (Cincinnati)-Jaguars/Browns

Kelly Mason (Kentucky)-Redskins

Winston Chapman (Mississippi State)-Jets

Taybor Pepper (Michigan State)-Ravens

Chris Longo (UCLA)-Bears/Rams

Nolan Frese (Houston)-Panthers

Dylan Detwiler (Fresno State)-Chiefs

Boomer Mays (Northern Illinois)-Chiefs

Dax Dellenbach-Buccaneers

Jesse Schmitt-Packers

Harrison Elliott-Colts (previously reported as a signing)

Courtland Clavette-Vikings

Chris Maikranz-Bengals

Zach Triner-Texans

WAIVED

Forrest Hill-Colts

 

 

 

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