Tag: long snapper

Why the Broncos worked out a punter instead of a kicker

Wil Lutz missed two kicks in Week 1, but the Broncos brought in a punter for a workout, not a kicker. Here’s why.

When news broke that the Denver Broncos brought in a specialist for a workout on Wednesday, some fans were surprised to learn that the team hosted a punter, not a kicker.

Broncos kicker Wil Lutz missed two kicks in the team’s season opener, so fans thought competition might be on the way. Denver coach Sean Payton has backed Lutz to bounce back, though, and Payton is not going to undermine the kicker’s confidence — at least not at the moment.

The Broncos are also content with punter Riley Dixon, but he is a right-footed punter and Denver is set to face a left-footed Tress Way when they host the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Payton likely wanted to give Denver’s punt returners — Marvin Mims and Tremon Smith — reps fielding left-footed punts in practice this week ahead of Sunday’s game against Way.

So the Broncos brought in former XFL punter Brock Miller, a lefty, for a workout. Denver also hosted veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide, according to the NFL’s transaction wire.

If Lutz continues to struggle, the Broncos might bring in kickers down the road. For now, though, it seems that Denver just wanted to get practice reps with a left-footed punter, and they brought in a long snapper to workout with him on Wednesday.

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Broncos cut kicker Elliott Fry, sign a long snapper

The Broncos cut kicker Elliott Fry (but Brett Maher hasn’t won the job just yet). Denver also signed long snapper Jack Landherr.

The Denver Broncos have waived kicker Elliott Fry with an injury designation, the team announced Tuesday.

Fry and veteran Brett Maher had been competing for the kicker job during training camp this summer. Maher is now the lone kicker on the roster, but Denver’s kicker situation is far from settled.

Fry actually had a better preseason debut than Maher last week. Against the Arizona Cardinals, Fry missed a 50-yard attempt before later converting a 55-yard field goal and converting an extra point attempt.

Maher missed a 47-yard field goal attempt and had a 52-yard attempt blocked. He also converted his one extra point attempt.

If Maher continues struggling in preseason, the Broncos consider other options at kicker. Our latest 53-man roster prediction for Denver did not have Maher or Fry making the team. Instead, the Broncos could claim a kicker off waivers once initial 53-man rosters are set and cuts have been made.

To fill Fry’s former spot on the roster, Denver signed long snapper Jack Landherr, who tried out for the team at rookie minicamp earlier this year. Landheer will provide competition to incumbent long snapper Mitchell Fraboni. The 90-man offseason roster is now full.

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Jaguars bring back LS Carson Tinker after Ross Matiscik injury

Former Jaguars long snapper Carson Tinker is back.

Carson Tinker, who spent six seasons as the long snapper for the Jacksonville Jaguars, is back on the team. The Jaguars announced the signing Monday morning, two days after long snapper Ross Matiscik suffered a shoulder injury in the team’s preseason debut.

Matiscik’s injury isn’t expected to be too serious, as Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said he’s “day to day” for now. But he’s likely to miss the upcoming preseason game against the Detroit Lions and, if nothing else, Jacksonville needs a long snapper in practice so punter Logan Cooke and kicker Brandon McManus can get reps.

Since getting released by the Jaguars in 2019, Tinker has played for the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks.

Matiscik has been the Jaguars’ long snapper since 2020 and signed a five-year extension with the team in April 2022.

To make room for the new addition on the roster, the Jaguars played defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux on the injured reserve.

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Alabama long snapper Kneeland Hibbett named to Mannelly Award watchlist

Alabama’s Kneeland Hibbett has been tabbed as a long snapper to watch among the nation’s best.

The Patrick Mannelly Award recognizes the top long snapper in college football. Recently, the 2023 watchlist was revealed, which highlights some of the best in the nation. Alabama’s Kneeland Hibbett has been tabbed as a player to watch.

The award has only been around since 2019. However, despite only having four recipients at this point, Hibbett wouldn’t be the Crimson Tide’s first winner. In 2020, Alabama long snapper Thomas Fletcher won the award.

The unsung heroes of special teams, long snappers serve a crucial role in a team’s success, as they are overlooked if they are doing their job well. It is only when constant mistakes are made do fans learn the names of the long snappers. Perhaps to a certain extent the goal is to remain as anonymous as possible.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Kneeland Hibbett as the 2023 college football season approaches.

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Here are the TE/FB ratings for Broncos players in ‘Madden NFL 24’

Greg Dulcich didn’t get much love from EA Sports. He’ll go into the 2023 season with a 74 overall rating in “Madden NFL 24.”

(EA Sports, Madden NFL 24)

EA Sports revealed tight end and fullback ratings for “Madden NFL 24” last week, and the ratings were not kind to the Denver Broncos.

Greg Dulcich is the team’s highest-rated TE and he’s only 74 overall (a slight increase from 70 OVR last year). Up next is new arrival Adam Trautman at 72 OVR, followed by fullback Michael Burton at 71 OVR.

EA Sports has blocking tight end Chris Manhertz (69 OVR) rated above Albert Okwuegbunam (OVR) and Tommy Hudson (62 OVR).

EA Sports continues to be too lazy to include long snapper as a position in the game, so Mitchell Fraboni is thrown in with the tight ends and given a dismal 32 OVR rating. In real life, every team in the NFL carries a dedicated long snapper on the roster. It’s ridiculous that “Madden” doesn’t include the position in its popular NFL video game.

To view all of the Broncos’ player ratings from last year’s “Madden,” click here.

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Broncos roster series: No. 48, LS Mitchell Fraboni

Mitchell Fraboni snapped in four games for the Broncos last year while Jacob Bobenmoyer was injured. Now only Fraboni remains on the roster.

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Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at second-year long snapper Mitchell Fraboni, No. 48.

Before the Broncos: Fraboni (6-2, 223 pounds) played college football at Arizona State, winning the starting job midway through his freshman season in 2014. After playing four years with the Sun Devils, Fraboni went undrafted in the 2018 NFL draft. He was invited to a Houston Texans minicamp in 2018 and an Arizona Cardinals minicamp in 2019.

In 2020, Fraboni played a season in The Spring League. Last year, he played for the Pittsburgh Maulers in the USFL in the spring and was signed to Denver’s practice squad midway through the 2022 NFL season in the fall.

Broncos tenure: The Broncos signed Fraboni last October and he was later promoted to the active roster and snapped in four games while Jacob Bobenmoyer was sidelined by injury. Denver let Bobenmoyer walk during free agency this spring, a sign that Fraboni did a good enough job in 2022 to earn the full-time gig in 2023.

Chance to make the 53-man roster: Fraboni seems very likely to make the initial 53-man roster this summer. If another long snapper hits the waiver wire that the Broncos like, Fraboni could face some competition. For now, though, Fraboni is the only long snapper on the 90-man offseason roster, so he seems to have strong odds to make the team.

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Packers release long snapper Jack Coco

The Packers will have a new long snapper in 2023. Jack Coco was released on Monday.

The Green Bay Packers will officially have a new long snapper for the 2023 season. The team released long snapper Jack Coco on Monday.

As a first-year player out of Georgia Tech in 2022, Coco handled all the snapping duties for the Packers on kicks and punts during the regular season. He was on the field for 123 special teams snaps and played in all 17 games last season.

The Packers are moving forward with Matt Orzech and Broughton Hatcher at long snapper. Orzech signed a three-year deal in free agency. Hatcher was added following a tryout at the team’s rookie minicamp in Green Bay this past weekend. Orzech was previously the snapper for the Jaguars and Rams, while Hatcher played 35 games as the snapper at Old Dominion between 2018 and 2022.

The Packers are likely to have two new specialists in 2023. Mason Crosby is unsigned, leaving Parker White and sixth-round pick Anders Carlson as the two kickers on the roster. Punter Pat O’Donnell remains.

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Packers 2023 draft preview: New era also beginning at kicker?

Previewing kicker, punter and long snapper for the Packers entering the 2023 draft.

The Green Bay Packers will go into the 2023 NFL draft with 10 draft picks, but it’s a different kind of year in Green Bay. After winning 13 games during three straight regular seasons, the Packers finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs in 2022, and now a transition is beginning at the game’s most important position.

Instead of gearing up for another run at the Super Bowl, the Packers are likely entering a rebuild phase. And the 2023 draft is an important piece of the early rebuilding puzzle.

Packers Wire’s position-by-position draft preview continues at the specialists:

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Broncos’ special teams depth chart before the NFL draft

Here is our projected special teams depth chart for the Broncos before the NFL draft.

As the Denver Broncos prepare for the 2023 NFL draft, the team currently has 18 open spots on their 90-man offseason roster (view the players currently on the roster).

The Broncos are going into the draft with five picks, and they might add more picks through trades. After the trade, Denver will fill its 90-man offseason roster by signing undrafted free agents.

As the NFL draft draws closer, we will be reviewing the team’s projected depth charts on special teams, defense and offense before any rookies are added to the roster.

Today, we’re starting with a look at special teams, and there are some notable changes since the last update.

Cowboys sign veteran long snapper Trent Sieg after McQuaide loss

Sieg played with the Raiders for five seasons and was released just last week, around the same time Jake McQuaide left for Detroit. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys have landed a new long snapper from the waters of free agency.

Trent Sieg will now wear the star after Dallas signed him to a one-year contract on Wednesday, per the team website.

The 27-year-old had been with the Raiders for five seasons. He first came aboard for Oakland as an injury replacement early in the 2018 season and never gave the job back. After their move to Las Vegas, the club signed Sieg to a three-year contract extension in March 2021.

Sieg was released last week after the Raiders inked a new specialist at the position. The Cowboys, coincidentally, found themselves in the market for a long snapper at about the same time, after Jake McQuaide signed to play for Detroit. Matt Overton, who filled in for McQuaide after an early-October triceps tear, is also a free agent this offseason.

Sieg played his college ball at Colorado State and was a teammate of current Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup.

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