Pittman gone for last 4 games

[Rum Runner]

Originally Posted by Arky

I just have never liked wasting on roster spot on a long snapper. Most of these guys are pretty athletic.... can't one of the linemen or tight ends or someone learn to pick up this trade with extra practice? It's not rocket science....

I had a co-worker who was the long snapper for Virginia Tech (and was in several camps but never the final 53) and although it's not rocket science, what he could do was pretty damn impressive. He could fire the ball, between his legs, harder than my high school quarterback could from the pocket. He could calculate the rotations of the ball in order for me to catch the ball and place it in position to kick with the laces already pointing out... it was very weird; if you've never tried to catch balls coming up, that fast, from 5 yards away, while on a knee, you should try it sometimes.

I hate to waste roster spots too but I'd take a great guy over a multi-dimentional average guy.

On another note; I'm an aviator in the Army and we are not supposed to self-medicate AT ALL. We clear EVERYTHING we take through our flight surgeons. It's not that bad...

[Arky]

Originally Posted by Rum Runner

.......it was very weird; if you've never tried to catch balls coming up, that fast, from 5 yards away, while on a knee, you should try it sometimes........

Now, that takes some skill. The way the holders catch and spin (laces out)... Lots of practice...

Still not impressed by the skill of the long snapper. Doing a quick search of the rosters of just AFC teams at www.nfl.com (www.espn.com just listed the LS's alternate positions - TE, LB, etc.), most teams do carry a LS. It's curious that Tennessee Titan LB Ken Amato is also listed as the LS. If I'm not mistaken, he participates on special teams so that at least gets some extra value...

If I was running the show, I'd hire a retired LS to come to camp and teach the top 2 or 3 prospects (among the regulars) everything he knows. Pay the starting LS an extra bonus and give the backup half the bonus as incentive. Some of these guys (especially centers) were LS's in high school/college....

It's interesting that the Buffalo Bills Ryan Neal and the Texans Clark Harris are both from Rutgers which, I suppose, makes Rutgers a hotbed of LS's...

At any rate, I wouldn't have a problem with it so much if the NFL would do away with the stupid 45 man gameday roster and let all 53 suit up....

[HPF Bob]

I remember a snapper for the Bengals many years ago who showed off his skill by deep snapping a football to hit a soda can off a pedestal where the punter would want it (10-15 yds back) between his legs 50 straight times. They had the JUGGS gun on him too to clock the speed of his snaps - although I forget what the speed was, it was impressive.

There's definitely a skill the best ones have (throw in the fun of getting bull rushed after every snap) and I don't mean to belittle it. But there are 200 colleges a year spitting out snappers and only 32 at a time make it in the NFL so it can't be that hard a skill to master. As automatic as most of these snappers are, keeping a guy like Pittman who screws up badly at least once a year seems to me like somebody who could be easily replaced.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

But there are 200 colleges a year spitting out snappers and only 32 at a time make it in the NFL so it can't be that hard a skill to master.

Not that I disagree with your point, but by this logic, there are 200 colleges a year spitting out quarterbacks, too. And kickers, and punters, etc. Yet we still have Red Grange back there booting balls for the Texans and scrambling for first downs.

There are many times where a "split second" is the difference between a kick or a punt getting off and getting blocked. Pittman had one of the quicker snaps in the league. Is it so much better than Option B to keep him on the roster? Probably not, but I think there is some skill differentiation at the position just as there is at all of the other positions.