It may not be the sexiest position on an NFL roster, but the long snapper is certainly one of great importance in an all too often forgotten part of the game.
A good long snapper is the kind of player that you have to Google, because they play a position where they’re only mentioned after glaring mistakes. It’s rare – at least for the Ravens – to see any blunders from the position on game days.
Unfortunately, that may not be the case anymore, as Ravens head coach John Harbaugh confirmed reports that surfaced last night that long snapper Morgan Cox was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Harbaugh confirmed also on Tuesday that the team signed Kevin McDermott to replace Cox. The team worked him out at their facility early Monday morning, as reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
McDermott, a 6-4, 234-pound long snapper, has had playing stints in both Denver and San Francisco. Per the Denver Post, McDermott played in all 16 games for the 49ers last season but was released when he was beaten out by Kyle Nelson in training camp.
Cox, who signed with the Ravens as a rookie free agent in 2010 has been a valuable part of the success the team has enjoyed on special teams during the last few years.
More importantly Cox, punter Sam Koch and kicker Justin Tucker have a bond both on the field and off. The kicking unit has been a well oiled machine for the Ravens over the last few seasons and as we all know, kickers tend to be creatures of habit, so it is certainly something to keep an eye on in the weeks to come.
Here’s hoping McDermott fits in well as an honorary “Wolfpack” member.
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