Bills sign tryout long snapper

[The Spaz]

Bills head coach Dick Jauron said up to a handful of tryout players that attended Buffalo’s rookie minicamp last weekend could be signed and return for the start of OTAs later this month. The first player afforded that opportunity was long snapper Garrison Sanborn.

The former Florida State product appeared to have a quick and accurate delivery on short snaps for field goals during the weekend workouts. His specialty however, is long snapping and has been timed between .72 and .75 seconds on his delivery which is considered above average by NFL standards.

Sanborn (6’0” 240) was the Seminoles’ long snapper for three seasons and also snapped for field goals for two and a half seasons. Despite playing in the Senior Bowl and the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star game as a long snapper in 2008 he went undrafted.

He did participate in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie camp that spring, but was not signed.

Sanborn also had a tryout with the Bills last June, and the club thought enough of his abilities to give him a second look. Sanborn will provide competition for Buffalo long snapper Ryan Neill, who has manned the position for the Bills for the past two seasons.

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/bills-sign-tryout-long-snapper/d2559705-d151-4b84-8cb2-ae0f93a226f4

[Mahdi]

Bills head coach Dick Jauron said up to a handful of tryout players that attended Buffalo’s rookie minicamp last weekend could be signed and return for the start of OTAs later this month. The first player afforded that opportunity was long snapper Garrison Sanborn.

The former Florida State product appeared to have a quick and accurate delivery on short snaps for field goals during the weekend workouts. His specialty however, is long snapping and has been timed between .72 and .75 seconds on his delivery which is considered above average by NFL standards.

Sanborn (6’0” 240) was the Seminoles’ long snapper for three seasons and also snapped for field goals for two and a half seasons. Despite playing in the Senior Bowl and the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star game as a long snapper in 2008 he went undrafted.

He did participate in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie camp that spring, but was not signed.

Sanborn also had a tryout with the Bills last June, and the club thought enough of his abilities to give him a second look. Sanborn will provide competition for Buffalo long snapper Ryan Neill, who has manned the position for the Bills for the past two seasons.

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/bills-sign-tryout-long-snapper/d2559705-d151-4b84-8cb2-ae0f93a226f4
Championship!

[casdhf]

Can he play anything else, or does this guy strictly snap?

[Jan Reimers]

Ah, yes, another position of need taken care of.

[Mahdi]

Can he play anything else, or does this guy strictly snap?
6'0 240 means he strictly long snaps. Unless he is a beast of a LB.

[psubills62]

6'0 240 means he strictly long snaps. Unless he is a beast of a LB.

Or a FB? Not that you want your long snapper trying to pave the way for the running game...

[Italian Stallion]

great...uh...news???

[DBrown77]

do you guys remember the errant snaps on punts last year? actually this is probably good news

[OpIv37]

great...uh...news???

2 1/2 months til training camp- until then, stuff like this is going to have to pass for news.

The NFL off-season is excruciating.

[methos4ever]

The fact he has an above average long snap (which as previously mentioned was a problem at times last year) is helpful, if he can push Neil off the roster. I'd rather just have a long-snapper again and go with one less DB than hold onto Neill who doesn't even play DE anymore.

[psubills62]

The fact he has an above average long snap (which as previously mentioned was a problem at times last year) is helpful, if he can push Neil off the roster. I'd rather just have a long-snapper again and go with one less DB than hold onto Neill who doesn't even play DE anymore.

Yeah, I'm not sure I see the point of having our LS be able to play a position if he's never used there anyway.

[OpIv37]

just out of curiosity, do most NFL teams keep long snappers solely to be long snappers, or do they play other roles on the team as well? I'm just wondering if this is common practice or another case of the Bills keeping an S/Ter at the expense of an offensive or defensive position.

[methos4ever]

just out of curiosity, do most NFL teams keep long snappers solely to be long snappers, or do they play other roles on the team as well? I'm just wondering if this is common practice or another case of the Bills keeping an S/Ter at the expense of an offensive or defensive position.

Op,
Some teams like the Redskins have had the same guy strictly as a LS for like 10-15 years. Others have them play multiple positions, like the Giants who have shifted DeOssie to LB/LS.

Our prior two - Dorenbos and Schneck were strictly LS. The Steelers cut Schneck because they wanted to save the money and I cannot recall how we got Dorenbos. Both are strictly LS on the Eagles and Falcons respectively.

[Dr. Lecter]

just out of curiosity, do most NFL teams keep long snappers solely to be long snappers, or do they play other roles on the team as well? I'm just wondering if this is common practice or another case of the Bills keeping an S/Ter at the expense of an offensive or defensive position.

I think most teams have a guy who only LS or a guy like Neill who is an emergency fill-in at a position.

With the rosters now at 53, I think most teams think they can afford the luxury.

[The Spaz]

Op,
Some teams like the Redskins have had the same guy strictly as a LS for like 10-15 years. Others have them play multiple positions, like the Giants who have shifted DeOssie to LB/LS.

Our prior two - Dorenbos and Schneck were strictly LS. The Steelers cut Schneck because they wanted to save the money and I cannot recall how we got Dorenbos. Both are strictly LS on the Eagles and Falcons respectively.

Dorenbos we signed as a UDFA.

[justasportsfan]

Neil needs to go. Moormans game went south when Neil started snapping the ball.

[homeslice5484]

we kept neil who is also a DE, and when we had a ton of injuries, we still didnt let him play DE...so why not just get a good LS?

[OpIv37]

we kept neil who is also a DE, and when we had a ton of injuries, we still didnt let him play DE...so why not just get a good LS?

We had one- Schneck- but we cut him for Neill so Neill could play DE in case of emergencies.... oh, wait a minute....

The reason I have no faith in this FO whatsoever is because of that kind of personnel move.

[methos4ever]

We had one- Schneck- but we cut him for Neill so Neill could play DE in case of emergencies.... oh, wait a minute....

The reason I have no faith in this FO whatsoever is because of that kind of personnel move.
Op,
To be fair, that was the year he DID play a bit - I remember him rotating a bit during miami in particular. That was the year of Denney's foot, the ex-principal we signed got on IR during the last game of the pre-season and we held Denney's spot for him, forcing us to cut Schneck and go with Neill, since he would be at least a body in the rotation.

Also, by drafting Ellis and now Maybin - and having Spencer Johnson as a swing guy at DT/DE - we no longer need an emergency DE turned LS. With his placement and snap speed, I think Sanborn will replace Neill and allow us a full-time professional long snapper.

If anything, I take this as less of an affront on the front office than an opportunity for April to get a part of his ST even better. I cannot fault them for the decision made then or the one made now.