Longsnap.com debuted its exclusive Twitter list today that contains a constant feed of tweets only from current NFL long snappers. To date, there are 27 active NFL long snappers on Twitter.
Twitter users can subscribe to the “NFL Long Snappers” list by going to the following link:
Today is the final cut down day in the NFL as each team must pare its roster to 53 players. Although there may still be some movement over the next few days, it looks as if two rookie snappers will make NFL regular season debuts next week.
Today, the Niners released veteran Brian Jennings, who was drafted in 2000 and played 208 consecutive regular season games for San Francisco. He issued a press release, noting that he felt he was “honorably discharged.” Rookie Kevin McDermott from UCLA will likely start the season as the new snapper for the Niners, joining Carson Tinker from Alabama with the Jaguars, as the other rookie snapper to make a team
Other snappers that have been waived over the last few days include Brandon Hartson (Bears), Bryce Davis (Bengals) and Andrew DePaola (Buccaneers).
Today is the first required cut down day in the NFL. Each team is now limited to 75 players on the roster and must be down to 53 by Friday. A number of teams have let go of snappers as they reached the first roster limit. The biggest move involved the Jaguars, who released veteran Jeremy Cain and waived rookie Luke Ingram. Carson Tinker, a rookie from Alabama, will snap for the Jags this season.
Other snappers that were cut included P.J. Mangieri (Cowboys), James Winchester (Eagles), Patrick Scales (Jets), Kyle Nelson (Seahawks), Jorgen Hus (Rams), Mike Zupancic (Patriots) and Brad Madison (Chiefs). Madison was a defensive lineman and snapper for Missouri and was not previously mentioned here as a snapper.
Two snappers, John Denney (Dolphins) and client Clint Gresham (Seahawks), signed new deals in the last week. Denney signed a deal that lasts through 2016 and Gresham’s deal will expire after the 2014 season.
Snapping instructor Chris Rubio has been featured regularly on Longsnap.com as well as many other national media sources. The latest recognition came in the form of a feature story in The New York Times by Scott Cacciola, who calls Rubio, appropriately, “Guru of the Long Snap”.
Cacciola’s article was centered around a visit to one of Rubio’s camps for aspiring college snappers in Massachusetts and noted how so many college programs continue to rely on Rubio’s rankings for their recruiting of snappers.
There was some snapping news during the second weekend of NFL pre-season games, as the Dolphins announced the signing of veteran snapper John Denney to a three-year extension. Denney would have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and his new deal extends until the 2016 season.
In addition to this signing, another snapper became the subject of a Wall Street Journal story on his shrieking. Zak DeOssie, the Giants snapper, made news due to his unique skills during punt coverage. When running downfield, DeOssie “emits a piercing, high-pitched howl” to make his presence known. The tactic is apparently in a gray area as to whether it is legal, but there are no reported incidents of a flag being thrown for this potentially distracting action. Although it is unclear what effect the shrieking has, DeOssie is always one of the leading tacklers among snappers each year.
With the first full week of NFL preseason action complete, there have been some recent snapping developments. Two snappers, Jon Condo (Raiders) and Christian Yount (Browns), received contract extensions. Condo is now under contract until 2016 and the extension prevents him from hitting the open market at the end of the season. Yount, who would have become a restricted free agent after this season, is now under contract through 2017.
Veteran snappers Jon Dorenbos (Eagles) and Patrick Mannelly (Bears) each suffered injuries on punt coverage in their preseason openers, although both are expected back soon. To be safe, the Bears added rookie snapper Brandon Hartson (Houston) and the Eagles signed James Winchester (Oklahoma).
Snappers were also involved in a number of other transactions as the Steelers waived rookie Luke Ingram. Ingram who was later claimed off waivers by the Jaguars, giving them three snappers in camp. The Patriots also waived Mike Zupancic but re-signed him a few days later. The Cowboys swapped rookie snappers today, waiving Jackson Anderson and adding PJ Mangieri (Nebraska).
With some NFL training camps underway and the rest about to commence, it is time to debut the 2013 NFL Long Snappers Chart, Training Camp edition. The Chart is similar to the Regular Season chart but includes a column for a second snapper.
The Jets made the latest move at the snapping position, signing client Patrick Scales. Scales beat out client Nick Guess and Charley Hughlett yesterday in a workout.
With training camps a few days away, there have been a couple of moves at the snapping position. Late last month, the Jets waived Travis Tripucka and, last week, the 49ers waived Kyle Nelson, who was later claimed by the Seahawks.
At this time, the Bengals, Cowboys, Jaguars, Patriots, Steelers, 49ers, Seahawks, Rams and Buccaneers are the only teams with two snappers on the 90 man roster.
Although the college and NFL seasons are many weeks away, it is never too early to start identifying some of the top college snapping talent that NFL clubs will be watching closely this season.
So far, there are a few snappers who have demonstrated NFL potential based on my analysis and discussions with some trusted sources. Casey Kreiter (Iowa), Trevor Gillette (Rice) and Drew Howell (Oregon) are some of the most common names being mentioned in NFL circles. Gillette and Howell are four-year starters and Gillette has played both tight end and defensive end during his career at Rice. Kreiter is entering his third year as starting snapper and contributed seven tackles on special teams last year for the Hawkeyes.
Rams snapper Jake McQuaide is enjoying a great week so far during the down time that occurs just prior to training camp. McQuaide, who is entering his third NFL season, signed a four year contract extension on Monday that will keep him with the Rams through the 2017 season.
In addition, McQuaide plays a role in the hot new trick shot video from Dude Perfect that appeared on YouTube Monday featuring his teammates punter Johnny Hekker and kicker Greg Zuerlein. Enjoy…
