With the NFL lockout underway, snapping news is scarce. Although there will be a Draft at the end of April, there will be no undrafted free agent signings as of right now. As a result, the only snapping news of note involves the Canadian Football League, where veteran snapper Taylor Inglis was acquired by the Edmonton Eskimos from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in exchange for draft picks.
Snapping instructor Chris Rubio just updated his new blog with a comprehensive examination of his answer to the question that I am frequently asked, “What Makes a Great Long Snapper?” Rubio’s post examines this question by breaking down a number of qualities, such as speed, accuracy, consistency, size, athleticism, blocking, spiral and mentality.
Many college snappers often wonder what separates a great college snapper from those few who can snap at the professional level. While all of the factors Rubio mentions are key to the position, I have found that consistency and blocking are particularly relevant. As Rubio notes in his post, some high school and college systems do not require the snapper to block after the snap and this can be a key element as to which snappers can succeed at the professional level, where blocking is a must.
Zach Enyeart, a Draft-eligible long snapper from Washington State, has received national media attention for his video containing various snapping tricks. The video, which was posted on You Tube a few days ago, shows Enyeart demonstrating some amazing snapping accuracy in a variety of unique settings.
Although NFL snapping developments may come to a halt in the next few days due to the labor dispute, the Jaguars made a move late last week to prevent snapper Jeremy Cain from becoming an unrestricted free agent. Cain signed a new contract that will keep him with the Jags through the 2013 season.
One of the potential fallouts of the NFL labor dispute that has not received much attention to date is the fact that, unless a new collective bargaining agreement is reached, there will be no undrafted free agent signings following April’s NFL Draft. This will have a significant impact on the numerous senior long snapping prospects looking for a chance to play at the next level.
With snappers rarely drafted in the last few years, signing a free agent contract after the conclusion of the Draft has been the primary way for snappers to secure a shot in the NFL. Like many Draft-eligible prospects, snappers in particular are hoping the labor issues can be resolved shorty.
Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News has just published his annual special teams rankings for the 2010 NFL season. Gosselin ranks each club in 22 different categories and assigns points based on where each team stands, with one point for being the best and 32 points for being ranked last in a category.
This year, the New England Patriots finished first, with a total score of 269 points. The Titans were in second place with 274 points, followed by the Browns (277) with the Bears, Raiders and Seahawks all tied for fourth with 280 points. Seven playoff teams finished in the top 10, but the Super Bowl winners, the Green Bay Packers, were near the bottom.
The Chargers finished last with 480.5 points. Just above them were the Colts (458.5), Giants (445.5), Packers (441) and Bengals (421.5).
One of the nation’s best long snapping instructors, Chris Rubio, has just started his own long snapping blog. A new post provides a nice overview of the timeframes for high school snappers and the college recruiting process. In the post, Rubio describes the four waves of recruiting and will be of interest to any high school snapper looking to play at the college level.
Each year, the changes at the head coaching position in the NFL usually results in changes for special teams coaches as well. This year is no different, as there will be at least seven coaching changes at the special teams level. To date, there are new special teams coaches in Carolina (Brian Murphy), Cleveland (Chris Tabor), Denver (Jeff Rodgers), Minnesota (Mike Priefer), San Diego (Richard Bisaccia), San Francisco (Brad Seely) and Tampa Bay (Dwayne Stukes). Stukes is the only new coach in charge of special teams, as the other coaches were special teams coaches for other teams during the 2010 NFL season.
Recently, I received a complimentary copy of a book called “How I Coached My Son to the NFL” by John Dach. Dach is the father of former NFL snapper Carson Dach. In the book, John Dach provides a handy reference for those looking to learn how to long snap. The book includes sections on conditioning, technique and mental focus, along with photo illustrations. Longsnap.com readers who want additional information about the book and to order a copy can visit the book’s website at www.thelongsnappinghandbook.com
Snapper Clint Mower, who spent time with the Rams prior to training camp, has been signed to a reserve/future contract for next season with St. Louis. Mower joins Jake Ingram, who signed a similar contract with the Titans, as snappers who have been added to NFL rosters for next season.
