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Just prior to the start of this year’s NFL Combine, 16 snapping specialists eligible for the 2010 NFL Draft attended former NFL special teams coach Gary Zauner’s inaugural College Senior Specialists Combine in Arizona.  Zauner’s Combine, which also included punters and kickers, tested snappers in a number of drills.  Following the camp, Zauner ranked the snappers and presented the top snappers’ results and film to each NFL team.

Zauner recommended eight snappers as being skilled enough to get into a pro camp and compete for a roster spot.  The recommended snappers are Kayl Anderson (Kansas), Cody Brown (Abilene Christian), Morgan Cox (Tennessee), Justin Drescher (Colorado), Kamuela Kapanui (UNLV), Andrew Pitz (Penn State), Preston Powers (Ole Miss) and Sam Scroggins (West Virginia State).

Later this month, Zauner will conduct his Free Agent Specialists Combine in which NFL, CFL and UFL teams are scheduled to attend.  More information on the results of the College Combine and the upcoming Free Agent Combine is available at www.coachzauner.com.

At the NFL Combine last weekend, TCU’s Clint Gresham was the sole snapping specialist, but Boston College linebacker Mike McLaughlin also drew attention from NFL clubs for his snapping ability.

At midnight, NFL free agency begins and without the benefit of the salary cap.  There have been a number of developments on the eve of the free agency period at the snapping spot.  Ken Amato of the Titans, a potential unrestricted free agent, has signed a two-year contract to remain with the Titans, while Mike Schneck of the Falcons has decided to end his 11 year career and retire.

There were two restricted free agent snappers this year and Raider snapper Jon Condo made headlines yesterday when the Raiders gave him a contract tender that would earn them a second round pick if someone were to sign him and the Raiders did not match the offer.  The other restricted free agent, Ryan Neill of the Rams, was not tendered a contract and now becomes an unrestricted free agent.

The other unrestricted snappers are Ethan Albright (Redskins), James Dearth (Jets), Kevin Houser (Seahawks), Jason Kyle (Saints), Chris Massey (Rams), client Bryan Pittman (Texans), Jeff Robinson (Seahawks) and Joe Zelenka (Falcons).

With the all-star games complete, the NFL Combine is the next big event in the Draft cycle, followed by Pro Days at individual college campuses.  This year, Clint Gresham of TCU is the lone snapper at the Combine.  In addition to Gresham, there are a number of college snappers that are being evaluated by pro teams.  The snappers include Mike Windt (Cincinnati), Morgan Cox (Tennessee), Carter Brunelle (Baylor), Jack Geiser (Boston College), Kayl Anderson (Kansas), Preston Powers (Mississippi), Justin Drescher (Colorado) and Andrew Pitz (Penn State).

Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News has just published his 2009 Special Teams Rankings and the Cleveland Browns and special teams coach Brad Seely finished at the top.  Gosselin ranks each special teams unit from 1 to 32 in 22 categories.  After the Browns were the Bucs, Bills, Cowboys and Jets.  The bottom five from the last up were the Panthers, Packers, Jaguars, Saints and Colts.  Previously, I reported on the rankings from FootballOutsiders.com, that also had the Browns as the top ranked unit.

The Saints victory over the Colts in the Super Bowl on Sunday gave veteran snapper Jason Kyle his first Super Bowl ring.  The NFL off-season is now getting started and the labor negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement will be critical to ensuring labor peace.

During the 2009 season, there were snapper changes in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Pittsburgh and Seattle related to either performance or injury.

Looking ahead to free agency that begins in March, a number of snappers will be unrestricted free agents, including  Mike Schneck (Falcons), Joe Zelenka (Falcons), client Bryan Pittman (Texans), Jason Kyle (Saints), James Dearth (Jets), Jeff Robinson (Seahawks), Ken Amato (Titans) and Ethan Albright (Redskins).  Restricted free agents, for which teams have the right to match any offer, include Jon Condo (Raiders) and Ryan Neill (Rams).

In the last few weeks, a few teams have signed snappers to contracts for next season, including Nick Sundberg (Redskins) and Tanner Purdum (Jets).  In addition, it is expected that the Seahawks will be adding to its roster former UFL snapper Matt Overton and former CFL snapper Pat MacDonald.

At the pro level, client Justin Snow (Colts) and Jason Kyle (Saints) will be the snappers in Sunday’s Super Bowl.  A number of NFL special teams coaching vacancies have been filled recently, including Buffalo (Bruce DeHaven), Carolina (Jeff Rodgers), Detroit (Danny Crossman), Philadelphia (Bobby April), Pittsburgh (Al Everest), San Francisco (Kurt Schottenheimer) and Seattle (Brian Schneider).  There has also been one snapper signing for next year, as the Redskins added Nick Sundberg, who was in camp with the Panthers and on the Ravens practice squad at the end of the season.

As for college prospects, Carter Brunelle of Baylor was added to the Shrine Game, while Morgan Cox (Tennessee) and Mike Windt (Cincinnati) handled the snaps in the Senior Bowl.  TCU’s Clint Gresham remains the only snapping specialist invited to the Combine and will also snap in the final all-star game, Texas vs. The Nation this weekend.

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The college all-star game season is about to get in full swing and a number of NFL Draft prospect long snappers will get a tremendous opportunity to showcase their skills.  Mike Windt (Cincinnati) and Morgan Cox (Tennessee) will snap in the Senior Bowl, while the only snapper invited to the Combine so far, Clint Gresham of TCU, will snap for the Texas side in the Texas vs. The Nation game next month.  Blaze Soares of Hawaii, who is primarily a linebacker, is slated to snap for the Nation side.  The East-West Shrine Game, which takes place this weekend, will use position players to snap.

The recent traditional of adding a long snapper as a “need” player to the Pro Bowl teams has continued this year, with Raiders snapper Jon Condo representing the AFC, while Jon Dorenbos of the Eagles will snap for the NFC side.  Each player is making their first Pro Bowl appearance.

With the NFC and AFC Conference Championship games set, here are some quick notes about the snapping position through the first two rounds of the NFL playoffs.

Matt Katula of the Ravens had solo tackles in each of  his team’s two playoff games.  However, it appears that his arm injury may still be having an effect on his snapping, as he had a high snap on a field goal attempt Saturday night against the Colts.  Jets snapper James Dearth added an assisted tackle in yesterday’s win against the Chargers.   The Chargers missed three field goals in the game and snapper Dave Binn tried to take at least some of the blame away from kicker Nate Kaeding, claiming not all of the snaps were laces-out.