Is it Sayonara for Lonie?

[jczxohn1]

I have never seen anyone flub a longsnap. Why?.

Damien Woody?

 

[DaBruinz]

God, I hope so.

Paxton (or any dedicated longsnapper) is a total waste of a roster spot. I absolutely cannot fathom people who seem to think that what he does is so special.

It isn't.

I watch tons of college football games.

I have never seen anyone flub a longsnap. Why?

It's not that hard. Any jag who practices can get it done.

To have a legit #3 TE who can also longsnap is perfect. As a #3TE they are going to be active every game anyway (think Fauria), so then that waste of a live spot that would go to Paxton can now be used for a DB or whatever.

I'm THRILLED.

I don't care how many COLLEGE games you've watched. I've seen PLENTY of flubbed long-snaps in the NFL.

BTW, Davis has NEVER snapped during a game.

 

[tombonneau]

I don't care how many COLLEGE games you've watched. I've seen PLENTY of flubbed long-snaps in the NFL.

BTW, Davis has NEVER snapped during a game.

Really?

The only one that comes to mind is that Giants-Niners playoff game, I think the snapper f'd up that end of game kick.

Occassinally you see a high snap, but most good holders can handle them.

It simply isn't nearly as difficult as people paint it out to be.

These are PROFESSIONAL athletes for God's sake. Longsnapping is hardly the sweet science.

 

[pats1]

Really?

The only one that comes to mind is that Giants-Niners playoff game, I think the snapper f'd up that end of game kick.

Occassinally you see a high snap, but most good holders can handle them.

It simply isn't nearly as difficult as people paint it out to be.

These are PROFESSIONAL athletes for God's sake. Longsnapping is hardly the sweet science.

You know, come to think of it, neither is playing wide receiver. All you have to do is catch it! Or playing offensive line. All you have to do is block! Or play defense. All you have to do is tackle!

Give me a break.

 

[dhamz]

If Thomas actually was a long snapper, this would be a topic of discussion.

Since he's never actually done it in a game, it really is a non-issue.

 

[dryheat44]

If Thomas actually was a long snapper, this would be a topic of discussion.

Since he's never actually done it in a game, it really is a non-issue.

Not only is Thomas a long snapper, Garrett Mills is also.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Long snapping is an art to itself. In the NFL not everyone can do it and do it at the speed and accuracy that Lonnie can. It doesn't matter how good you were in college- this is a new ballgame.

Having said that, if BB ever gets a guy on the roster who can acutally play a position and long snap as well as Lonnie, Lonnie is gone in a heartbeat.

 

[ilduce06410]

first, gotta do it in regular season

Long snapping is an art to itself. In the NFL not everyone can do it and do it at the speed and accuracy that Lonnie can. It doesn't matter how good you were in college- this is a new ballgame.
Having said that, if BB ever gets a guy on the roster who can acutally play a position and long snap as well as Lonnie, Lonnie is gone in a heartbeat.

i csn't imsgine BB keeping a LS specialist on patriots if there's a guy who does that and also plays a position.
grip the ball, take a look, and snap it--either 15 yards, high, or 7 yards, low. get some pace on it. anchor yourself and take a big lick from some opposing player. get yourself downfield and get into the play.
paxton seems pretty good to me, getting into the thick of it covering on punts.
IMO any nfl coach would rather have 2 guys doing 3 jobs than 3 guys on the roster for LS, P, and PK. can't really think of a scenario where a single player could fulfill 2 of the 3 jobs. as i remember ray guy was actually a FS at southern miss, and faiders carried him on their depth chart as a DB as well as a P.

 

[dryheat44]

as i remember ray guy was actually a FS at southern miss, and faiders carried him on their depth chart as a DB as well as a P.

Danny White QB/P for Cowboys.

Tom Tupa Backup QB/P for Patriots, Jets, Cardinals

Ingle Martin could be a QB/P in this league.

 

[kptmorgan04]

I cant remember a time in the last x amount of years that lonnie has been here where he has had a bad snap for a FG or Punt. can someone point out a time when he has?
As far as FG's go, the snap is just as important as the hold which both transfer right to the kick ie a 1-2-3 process.
It is one of the parts of the game that no one notices until there is a bad one which fortunatly for the Pats hasnt happened since????
I dont know what if any experience any of these other guys have experience Long Snapping (people have been saying conflicting stories). But regardless my vote is to keep Lonnie especially with a new kicker coming in.

 

[BelichickFan]

With the variety of depth issues we've had, it would be great to free up a roster spot. One of these guys would have to show excellent consistency in camp but I'd much rather have a 6th WR or 6th CB than a guy who only does long snaps.

 

[fgssand]

While Thomas can snap and Mills as well - Please do NOT get rid of Lonnie Paxton. Automatic long snaps are only missed when one is thrown over the head of the kicker or punter.

 

[spacecrime]

I cant remember a time in the last x amount of years that lonnie has been here where he has had a bad snap for a FG or Punt. can someone point out a time when he has?
As far as FG's go, the snap is just as important as the hold which both transfer right to the kick ie a 1-2-3 process.

have to disagree with this one. The hold is critical. ONE INCH of lean the wrong way or a couple inches of dispalcement on the set-down from the spot where expected is critical to the kick.

The snap must only be catchable by the holder without the holder reaching too far to grab it. Mostly the ball must not touch the ground and bounce, either because the snapper muffed the snap or the holder muffer the catch.

But there is a lot of leeway in the snap.

Lonnie had one bad snap that I recall that rolled on the ground, but Miller got it down okay for AV, forget which game

 

[BelichickFan]

Automatic long snaps are only missed when one is thrown over the head of the kicker or punter.

And depth at other positions is only missed when you have Troy Brown at CB or Heath Evans as your starting RB.

 

[tombonneau]

Call me crazy. But I'm more worried about the guy who will actually be kicking the ball than the guy snapping it.

Also, didn't they just make a rule change, where a defender can't line directly over a longsnapper on a kick any more?

That should make the job even easier.

As someone else noted, the way BB so openly values roster spots, I can't imagine him keeping a guy on the team who only long snaps if there is anohter guy who can longsnap and do something else.

 

[kptmorgan04]

why all of the sudden this year after at least 4 years of Lonnie holding down this position would we replace him with a guy who hasnt long snapped at all in college (I am still hearing mixed things as to what Thomas has or hasnt done with this in college). I am sure there have been and are currently a handful of guys that have been on the roster that have long snapped in college, high school or for giggles on the sideline. If it was so easy and wasnt improtant to BB why has he let this go untouched for years (I am sure there are a bunch of FA Lineman/TE's that he hasnt brought in that have had experience doing this)... just my 2 cents in the Keep Lonnie debate.

 

[BelichickFan]

why all of the sudden this year after at least 4 years of Lonnie holding down this position would we replace him

Well, we've never had Heath Evans as our starting RB before, thanks to depth problems. And Troy at CB may have been amusing in 2004 but to have it happen again in 2005 makes it a trend. I wouldn't be at all surprised if those two developments have Belichick re-thinking the use of this roster spot.

 

[dryheat44]

why all of the sudden this year after at least 4 years of Lonnie holding down this position would we replace him with a guy who hasnt long snapped at all in college (I am still hearing mixed things as to what Thomas has or hasnt done with this in college). I am sure there have been and are currently a handful of guys that have been on the roster that have long snapped in college, high school or for giggles on the sideline. If it was so easy and wasnt improtant to BB why has he let this go untouched for years (I am sure there are a bunch of FA Lineman/TE's that he hasnt brought in that have had experience doing this)... just my 2 cents in the Keep Lonnie debate.

I agree if Lonnie is clearly better than these guys he's worth keeping. If Thomas or Mills proves his rough equal, then we're better off losing Lonnie. One thing I will say in Lonnie's defense is that he makes a lot of ST tackles considering he's the guy who snaps the ball.

 

[spacecrime]

why all of the sudden this year after at least 4 years of Lonnie holding down this position would we replace him with a guy who hasnt long snapped at all in college (I am still hearing mixed things as to what Thomas has or hasnt done with this in college). I am sure there have been and are currently a handful of guys that have been on the roster that have long snapped in college, high school or for giggles on the sideline. If it was so easy and wasnt improtant to BB why has he let this go untouched for years (I am sure there are a bunch of FA Lineman/TE's that he hasnt brought in that have had experience doing this)... just my 2 cents in the Keep Lonnie debate.

I don't know about the others reasons, but for me I think it is more valuable to keep two kickers this year than a kicker and a long snapper. This of course is IF we get a guy who can snap well.

You know of course that Paxton spent a good part of one year on IR, and was replaced by some OL guy (Kitchener?) who had been out of football for years and was teaching Jr HIgh someplace in Louisiana? Forget which year, but he snapped in the superbowl and got a ring.

Not to say he wont be kept, only to say that it is foolish to say he is untouchable and that we shouldn't be exploring other options.

I like Lonnie, but a roster spot is a roster spot. IF IF someone can do it as well, then the roster spot is more useful elsewhere.

He has not been untouchable for years, by the way. He must earn his job EVERY year. Every year BB brings in a long snapper for competition (this year Joe something or other..Condon?) and before games during warmups, Hochstein always does some longsnaps. What is wrong with letting others long snap in training camp and making a decision to keep him or not then? And unless he is so much better than the next guy that it is worth cutting a CB or LB to keep him, cutting him?

 

[BelichickFan]

You know of course that Paxton spent a good part of one year on IR, and was replaced by some OL guy (Kitchener?) who had been out of football for years and was teaching Jr HIgh someplace in Louisiana? Forget which year, but he snapped in the superbowl and got a ring.

LOL, yes that was Brian Kinchen in 2004 (Carolina SB).