Neill snaps into place
Specialist proving decision was right
There are surprises on every 53-man roster after the final cuts, but one in particular raised eyebrows last year:
Ryan Neill in, Pro Bowler Mike Schneck out as the Buffalo Bills’ long snapper.
Long snapping is one of the more routine plays in football, but it’s important nonetheless. Which is why cutting Schneck, one of the best in the business, was viewed as a stunner.
“That was really a long, well-discussed decision a year ago,” Bills special teams coach Bobby April said. “A lot of it had to do with Ryan’s ability to stay healthy, and Mike had been through a couple of surgeries. We didn’t know how he would hold up. It was a risk in terms of performance.”
A risk that appears to have been rewarded.
Neill goes into this season a lot better and more confident, which in turn will raise the comfort level of punter Brian Moorman and kicker Rian Lindell.
“I’m really much further along than when I first got here,” Neill said. “Last year, I trusted that I could snap well but was worried about everything — the wind, was it going to rain or just being in the big game. But I’m a lot more comfortable. I thought I had a real good preseason and offseason, and hopefully I can have a good regular season so Brian and Rian can do their thing.”
Neill was signed as an undrafted rookie out of Rutgers in 2006 and spent that year on the practice squad. He got some long snapping work, but his focus was on playing defensive end.
Even last year, he thought defense would be his only chance to make the team. But one week before the regular season, Neill long snapped in the final preseason game. That was enough to convince April he could do it.
Moorman, on the other hand, needed to be convinced. It wasn’t a lack of faith in Neill, but an abundance of confidence in Schneck, Moorman’s partner for two years.
“Last year was an adjustment period,” Moorman said. “I was used to Mike for the two years we had him and we went to a new snapper right from Week One, so it took a while to get a good feel.
“I think Ryan has improved considerably. Not that he was bad last year. It’s just that any time you go into a first year with anything it’s tough. Speaking from experience, my first year was difficult. You just have to get to where your mind doesn’t think every rep has to be absolutely 100 percent perfect. You just have to be consistent. He’s done that. He’s shown a marked improvement, and I’m excited to see how the year unfolds.”
The biggest adjustment for Neill was accuracy. Moorman likes to catch the ball at a certain level on punts and when holding for field goals and extra point attempts.
Neill had a few issues with that last year, especially in a mid-November game in snowy Cleveland when a high snap sailed over Moorman’s head. Moorman quickly booted the ball out of the end zone for a safety.
Some of Neill’s struggles could be pointed to the fact he had to play more than expected at defensive end last season because of injuries. He said it probably took more of a toll on him than he originally admitted. It also took away time with Moorman and Lindell.
But a full offseason and an increased work ethic led to vast improvement.
“He worked on long snapping every day, he worked on the weekends,” April said. “He came into camp and he was better. Light-years better. And he’s continued to work. He hasn’t taken any time off. He’s really good right now. I really think he’s going to be one of the better guys in the league, if not this year in future years.”
Long snappers are a lot like referees in that you know they are doing a good job if you don’t notice them. In that regard, Neill hopes he gives fans and media a good reason to ignore him.
“It’s kind of funny that at defensive end, you’re at the point of attention when you’re making plays,” said Neill, who also is one of the Bills’ leading tacklers on special teams. “Sacking the quarterback is one of the biggest plays in football. As a snapper, you don’t want to be catching much attention unless it’s making a tackle covering kicks. As far as just snapping, I’d rather people talk about Brian’s punting and Rian’s kicking.”
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The Bills added the eighth and final member of their practice squad Tuesday, signing offensive tackle Brandon Rodd. An undrafted rookie free agent out of Arizona State, Rodd originally signed with Oakland in May before being cut last week. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Hawaii native started 36 of his 37 career games at Arizona State.
