Kyle

this is true.

The idea that there are guys on staff that should be doing this instead, isn't.

 

Not a Barnidge believer?

 

1/10 of a second can be the difference between a FG and a blocked FG. I don't imagine that it's the hardest skill to develop, but if it was so easy, I think more college players would be doing it so they could eventually secure an NFL roster spot.

 

OMG Schwartz snapped in high school

 

ideally you'd be better off with some one who can contribute to the team other than just being the LS. I'd rather have Kyle for just one year more while we find out who the next LS is though.

 

That's not reality, though. Long snapper is a specialized position, and it's very rare to find one of contributes in any other way. Philly had a guy for a while who was used as a goal line TE. Besides him, I can't remember any long snapper who did more than long snap.

 

ideally you'd have a billion dollars.

I'm 100% completely fine with us having a long-snapping specialist, just as we have gunners, kickers, and everything else. I don't worry about Kyle's age. I don't worry about a roster spot. And I'd rather have a 250 lb guy who can sit there and work with the kickers (same as why the punter needs to hold) than a guy who's sitting there watching tape 30 hours a week, practicing with the offense 20 hours, and then expected to have a relationship with kicker and punter. And compound that problem if suddenly your snapper is a 300+ lb lineman who you now expect to hoof it downfield 40 yards and keep up with a guy that's 180 lbs.

Fuck it, draft Chryst to snap.

 

It doesn't seem like a big deal, until you look at what happened to Pittsburgh last year when James Harrison was forced to do it. You don't use the LS on offense or defense for the same reason you don't find a punter or a kicker who can also play safety. You don't want him to get hurt and be left with no back-up plan.

 

Well hell we have 24 k to offer, let's splurge.

 

Arizona just cut their long snapper, so it doesn't look promising. Unless he wants to play here for a few grand and free cable.