Pats sign new long snapper

[Mainefan]

In the last two games alone, I have seen him make at least four poor snaps--two bouncers, two highballs. I was amazed Mesko was able to get the kick off. I assume they did some practicing last week, but evidently it didn't work.

Sometimes these things happen. I was once a competitive badminton player, but for reasons I still don't understand, I suddenly lost the ability to serve short. I'd been doing it for years with no trouble, but suddenly, no amount of practice could bring it back.

I think this sometimes happens to baseball players as well--fielders who, for some reason, lose the ability to consistently catch the ball.

At any rate, I'm not surprised BB addressed the problem.

 

[captain stone]

Re: Pats sign new long snapper?

Lonie Paxton should still be a member of the Patriots.
Another 2009 mistake has come back to bite the team in the ass.

Eggs-actly, Batman.

It's now official: Bill Effed-up (again), this time by being penny wise but pound foolish.
He just should've paid Paxton the measly extra couple of Hundred K and be done with it.

Next week at PitsDirt will make the Halloween Massacre of '04 look like a nail-biter.

 

[DaBruinz]

Did anyone stop and think that maybe Lonnie didn't want to be in New England anymore? That maybe he wanted to go to Denver with Josh?

Saying that BB f-ed up is just dumb especially since no one on this board could have done better. Including Captain Stone. BTW, Capt. Still waiting to know which team has hired you for talent evaluation since you claim to be so awesome..

 

[Deus Irae]

Did anyone stop and think that maybe Lonnie didn't want to be in New England anymore? That maybe he wanted to go to Denver with Josh?

Saying that BB f-ed up is just dumb especially since no one on this board could have done better. Including Captain Stone. BTW, Capt. Still waiting to know which team has hired you for talent evaluation since you claim to be so awesome..

Paxton inked a five-year, $5.38 million deal with a $1 million signing bonus. Among long snappers, only Cleveland's Ryan Pontbriand will be paid more.

"It was the only scenario we would leave [for]," said Paul Sheehy, Paxton's agent, pointing out that it is the second-richest deal awarded to a long snapper.

Broncos' McDaniels reunites with Paxton, Gaffney - The Boston Globe

 

[jmt57]

Re: Pats sign new long snapper?

Pure Long Snappers are almost never drafted. Maybe one a decade if that.
He simply saying that it damn well be a sure thing if you're going to actually use a draft pick on one. And this is the reason teams don't draft them.

I know, I completely understand what he was saying. I'm just disagreeing with the idea that if you draft a late round player at Position X then you should be absolutely sure he will be great and be around for a long time, but you can draft a player at Position Y in the identical slot and it's no big deal if he does or does not make it through training camp his rookie year.

I know special team players are rarely drafted. I just don't follow the logic of how a 6th rounder being cut after 24 games is "embarrassing" but at same time a 6th rounder that doesn't make it onto the 53-man roster is apparently acceptable.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

In the last two games alone, I have seen him make at least four poor snaps--two bouncers, two highballs. I was amazed Mesko was able to get the kick off. I assume they did some practicing last week, but evidently it didn't work.

Sometimes these things happen. I was once a competitive badminton player, but for reasons I still don't understand, I suddenly lost the ability to serve short. I'd been doing it for years with no trouble, but suddenly, no amount of practice could bring it back.

I think this sometimes happens to baseball players as well--fielders who, for some reason, lose the ability to consistently catch the ball.

At any rate, I'm not surprised BB addressed the problem.

Interesting speculation that I think is on point. Maybe the kid just lost it....bigtime. Too bad for him.

I'm no Chicken Little but I'd specificly mentioned those misques each week, but folks here seem oblivious to the danger fraught in bad snaps. You can turn your points into their points quite easily. A bad snap can easily be a game changer.

 

[sbpatfan]

WE CUT A SIXTH ROUND PICK?!?

*Commits Seppuku*

 

[Fencer]

Re: Pats sign new long snapper?

Lonie Paxton should still be a member of the Patriots. Another 2009 mistake has come back to bite the team in the ass.

Agree with you on this one.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Re: Pats sign new long snapper?

Lonie Paxton should still be a member of the Patriots. Another 2009 mistake has come back to bite the team in the ass.

On that we agree. Remember how all the fantasy players here annually wanted Bill to stop wasting a roster spot on a damn punter when we could have another position player on the end of the roster and just train someone else to do it...LOL

Probably should have taken a flyer on DeOssie's kid...

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Re: Pats sign new long snapper?

On that we agree. Remember how all the fantasy players here annually wanted Bill to stop wasting a roster spot on a damn punter when we could have another position player on the end of the roster and just train someone else to do it...LOL

Probably should have taken a flyer on DeOssie's kid...

Wasn't he a 4th or 5th round pick by the Jints? Fans here woulda gone ballistic had we drafted him higher.

 

[BPF]

Broncos' McDaniels reunites with Paxton, Gaffney - The Boston Globe

Good point. McDaniels clearly doesn't know how to build a team, paying that much money for a LS is not a good idea. The kid they signed today looks like he could be a solid player if he avoids injury. According to the NFP link he had signed a 5-yr deal 2 yrs prior but was injured. It seems to be that PK's and LS's are like golfers in a way, once they go bad it takes them a while to get back on track.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Broncos' McDaniels reunites with Paxton, Gaffney - The Boston Globe

Which was at least 20% more than he was getting from New England, and more than double what they paid Ingram last year.

As others have said, he was fine last year, so it's not at all clear what happened here (the best analogy I can come up with is Chuck Knoblauch); it's hard to argue that they "completely f***ed this up," though.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Good point. McDaniels clearly doesn't know how to build a team, paying that much money for a LS is not a good idea. The kid they signed today looks like he could be a solid player if he avoids injury. According to the NFP link he had signed a 5-yr deal 2 yrs prior but was injured. It seems to be that PK's and LS's are like golfers in a way, once they go bad it takes them a while to get back on track.

See: Folk, Nick.

 

[BradyBranch39]

Re: Pats sign new long snapper?

Wow, Ingram is one of the most embarrassing draft picks under BB.

Missing on an RB/WR? It happens.

But if you're going to use a DRAFT PICK a long-snapper, he better be damn guaranteed to be the BEST long-snapper available who will contribute to your team for years.

Instead, he's so bad we're actually cutting him.

eh. He was pretty good last year, right? Can't predict suddenly sucking.

 

[Water Boy]

Re: Pats sign new long snapper?

Wow, Ingram is one of the most embarrassing draft picks under BB.

Missing on an RB/WR? It happens.

But if you're going to use a DRAFT PICK a long-snapper, he better be damn guaranteed to be the BEST long-snapper available who will contribute to your team for years.

Instead, he's so bad we're actually cutting him.

Ingram was the consensus best LS in the draft. Don't get all bummed out over a wasted pick. BB is a drafting genius and has been able to go into the draft the last few years with multiple high round picks - and more picks than can be expected to make the team in any given year. This has given the Pats the luxury of "reaching" for top rated specialist in the middle rounds of the draft (Gostkowski, Ingram, Mezko) ahead of other teams.

Ingram was a bust, but don't sweat the draft pick.

 

[Fencer]

Did BB do the right thing in dumping Paxton for a cheaper alternative? I think not.

Did he do the right thing in his choice of cheaper alternative? Yes. The fact that it went sour this year doesn't invalidate his decision-making at the time.

Any other choice could have gone sour too ... which is why it was wrong to dump Paxton.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

Re: Pats sign new long snapper?

eh. He was pretty good last year, right? Can't predict suddenly sucking.

Two possible explination I can think of....

1. Some sort of undisclosed injury. (nah NEP would never hide one of those)

2. This rookie year he busted his butt to make the team. Then this off-season having made it, he slacked off.

 

[DaBruinz]

Did BB do the right thing in dumping Paxton for a cheaper alternative? I think not.

Did he do the right thing in his choice of cheaper alternative? Yes. The fact that it went sour this year doesn't invalidate his decision-making at the time.

Any other choice could have gone sour too ... which is why it was wrong to dump Paxton.

Except that they didn't DUMP Paxton. Paxton was a free agent who signed a long term deal with Denver.

Oh.. and Deus, Paxton signed the 1st day of Free Agency with Denver. Please also consider that you really don't know what the "only situation we would leave (for)" really refers to, it's kinda hard to say what the reason was.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Re: Pats sign new long snapper?

Wasn't he a 4th or 5th round pick by the Jints? Fans here woulda gone ballistic had we drafted him higher.

It was the fourth. The Giants must like him, just gave him a $540,000 signing bonus. In all fairness he was drafted as a linebacker who could also long snap.
Also, he was in the 2007 draft so he would have been an improvement over any of the other picks after Meriweather.

Giants give extensions to DeOssie, Koets | National Football Post

 

[Deus Irae]

Except that they didn't DUMP Paxton. Paxton was a free agent who signed a long term deal with Denver.

Oh.. and Deus, Paxton signed the 1st day of Free Agency with Denver. Please also consider that you really don't know what the "only situation we would leave (for)" really refers to, it's kinda hard to say what the reason was.

It's called "big money", possibly with a side of "former Patriots coach", and he said it was the only way he'd leave, meaning your point about "Did anyone stop and think that maybe Lonnie didn't want to be in New England anymore?" only holds water if Paxton is a liar.

And, for all of those people talking about the money, it was big money for a long snapper, not big money for the team. In terms of team money, 20% more than almost nothing is still almost nothing.