Buffalo Bills Re-Sign LS Garrison Sanborn, Per Report

by Brian Galliford on Jan 30, 2012 8:30 AM EST in Buffalo Bills News

Joe Buscaglia at WGR 550 is reporting that the Buffalo Bills and long snapper Garrison Sanborn have agreed to a three-year contract extension. Aaron Wilson reports that it's a $3.21M deal with a $530K bonus. Sanborn, entering his fourth season out of Florida State, was set to become a restricted free agent.

The Bills signed Sanborn as an undrafted free agent out of college in 2009, where he promptly beat out Ryan Neill (who has since spent time in St. Louis and San Diego) and held onto the job for three full years. Here's the true measure of how good Sanborn has been in his role: it's tough to remember a single poor snap in the past three seasons. His contract extension, if the report is accurate, is well-deserved.

Sanborn was one of three impending restricted free agents that the team may look to give longer-term deals this spring, joining guards Kraig Urbik and Chad Rinehart. With more than a month remaining until the start of free agency, it's possible that the Bills will complete more re-signings before the new league year begins in early March.

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I am from Sanborn, NY living in St. Louis, MO so I like this guy

cause he reminds me of home! (And he does a great job snapping the ball)

by dabillsr1 on Jan 30, 2012 8:38 AM EST reply actions

This is just one positon I can't get behind

I know this guy does his job well as he’s been quite efficient as a long snapper and a special teamer. But can he do anything else? Can he fill in as center in a pinch? Last year when we lost Wood and Levitre was struggling snapping it to Fitz, could he have came in and atleast got the ball there?

What else can he do? Can he be utilizied any other capacity?

by doctork44 on Jan 30, 2012 8:40 AM EST reply actions

Obviously if he’s on the field for punts, he’s also on the punt coverage team, as well. It’s not as if he snaps the ball then trots off the field. :)

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by Brian Galliford on Jan 30, 2012 8:41 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Most long snappers are good b/c they specialize in long-snapping. I’d rather they be great at that than mediocre at that and mediocre at something else.

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by bluecollarbuffalo on Jan 30, 2012 9:00 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Life of a Long Snapper

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films-sound-efx/09000d5d80c16e5d/Live-Wire-Life-of-the-long-snapper

Sure, Fitz aced the Wonderlic test...but he does not pass the Eyeball test...

by MonStarr_716 on Jan 30, 2012 9:09 AM EST up reply actions

As Marv Levy explained, a large portion of field position and scoring is based on the long snapper, punter, kicker, and “kicking teams”. He doesn’t call them special teams. Sanborn is an integral part of that. I’m not of the “it’s a third of the game” mentality but it’s important.

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by MattRichWarren on Jan 30, 2012 9:42 AM EST up reply actions

I felt the same for a long time, that you’d think the roster spot could be used more effectively.

On the other hand, Moorman needs someone to snap him the ball in order to be able to practice punts, and Moorman/Lindell also need someone to snap the ball to practice field goals.

From that perspective, it makes a lot of sense to have a dedicated special-teams snapper.

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by cmeid on Jan 30, 2012 11:13 AM EST up reply actions

Well whenever I have a son, he’s going to be long snapping by the age of 3. He’s going to be snapping footballs between tire holes 30yards back. Its an easy scholarship and ticket to the NFL. Why even bother play anything else?

A highscool buddy of mine was 5’5 140lb MLB, that couldn’t tackle to save his life. He was also the long snapper. Do you know he got a full athletic scholarship to play football at a Division 1 school as a long snapper? Now he plays in the CFL making a pretty decent living…geez

by doctork44 on Jan 30, 2012 12:37 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Nice!

haha..Can he play any of the OL positoins?

by doctork44 on Jan 30, 2012 8:50 AM EST reply actions

He weighs 242 pounds. Does that answer your question? :)

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by Brian Galliford on Jan 30, 2012 9:00 AM EST up reply actions

Thanks

I guess size does matter :)

Well the guy is a good special team performer..I’m okay with this

by doctork44 on Jan 30, 2012 9:22 AM EST up reply actions

Sanborn probably wouldn’t make it if defenders were allowed to hammer the long snapper like they used to.

by Rick A on Jan 30, 2012 11:16 AM EST up reply actions

Impact on Moorman/Lindell?

So does this mean they’re locks to be re-signed? I thought the kicker/punter and long-snapper were usually a matched set…

by finn_ on Jan 30, 2012 8:56 AM EST reply actions

Moorman’s already under contract, and it’s been clear for months that the team’s intent is to re-sign Lindell.

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by Brian Galliford on Jan 30, 2012 8:59 AM EST up reply actions

This is good news. Hopefully many more over the next four weeks.

When the job is finished no one remembers how long it took, just how well it was performed.

by Buffalo for Eternity on Jan 30, 2012 9:17 AM EST reply actions

This just means re-signing Stevie isn’t a priority!

sarcasm

"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.

by stetzwebs on Jan 30, 2012 9:38 AM EST reply actions

Super Bowl!

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by MattRichWarren on Jan 30, 2012 9:41 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

made me laugh

rec’d for that.

by suteck on Jan 30, 2012 11:32 AM EST up reply actions

not earth shattering news, but a good long snapper is one of those things you have to have. signing goes largely unnoticed. most fans dont care, but wed miss sanborn if he was replaced with someone who isnt so consistent.

Its fun to think quarterback, but i think the odds of nix taking one in the first are close to 0%.

by boomsauce on Jan 30, 2012 10:36 AM EST reply actions

now he will start to mess up like others who got contract….

just trolling, i know… :)

by statcruncher on Jan 30, 2012 10:44 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

made me laugh harder

rec’d for that too

by suteck on Jan 30, 2012 11:33 AM EST up reply actions

That takes long snapper off the best-player-available list for round one in the draft.

by Rick A on Jan 30, 2012 11:14 AM EST reply actions 2 recs

NOOOOOOOO

I just spit on the computer. That was so funny. rec’d. And I guess my first round pool is out. I had long snapper. It had 50,000 to 1 odds :(

by suteck on Jan 30, 2012 11:33 AM EST up reply actions

You never know. Nix could load up on long snappers the way he stockpiled kickoff returners on this year’s roster.

by Rick A on Jan 30, 2012 11:41 AM EST up reply actions

Financial Details Just In

OBD resigns Garrison Sanborn to 9 Year, $102 Million contract. When asked why Sanborn was offered such a lucrative contract, Russ Brandon responded “Buddy promised we’d spend to the cap!”

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by BuffaloOwdaTwnr on Jan 30, 2012 1:04 PM EST reply actions

Actual Financials in. :-)

$3.21 million over 3 years per Aaron Wilson.

Wowza.

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by MattRichWarren on Jan 30, 2012 1:42 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Bills snapper Garrison Sanborn’s three-year deal is worth $3.21 million, including $530,000 bonus and salaries of $830,000 $885,000 $895,000

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by MattRichWarren on Jan 30, 2012 1:43 PM EST up reply actions

that is kinda absurd, right?

for a guy who is basically playing 15 snaps MAYBE? more like, idk, 7? Isn’t Fred Jackson making similar money on his current deal?

Insanity.

I like Sanborn, and i remember the nightmare we had prior, but this just seems like, idk, the LAST person I would be focusing contract negotiations on, given our current circumstance. Yes we have time, yes we have a bunch of guys to sign, but- maybe we start with the starters at key positions, rather than the guy who is practically never on the field.

ABAYARDE IS NOSTRADAMUS JUST WATCH WE WILL NOT YIEALD TO NOBODY YOUR SOUL WE WILL TAKE

by ThaRealTruth on Jan 30, 2012 4:08 PM EST up reply actions

Considering the minimum salary for a 4th year player is 685K I wouldn't call it insanity.

Unless you are talking about pro sports contracts in general then yes, it is insanity.

FYI…minimum salary for a 4th-6th player in 2014 is 730K.

I have no problem with the Bills knocking out the easier contracts whle the bigger ones play their game of chicken. Remember that most off-season extensions happen after the combine.

"I got no problem with 7-9 coming off of 4-12 as long as I don't buy a couch there, you got to keep moving" - Mike Schoop

by lonestar_ak on Jan 30, 2012 5:14 PM EST up reply actions

Fred is making $1.8M next year.

It’s not absurd. It is more than most long snappers.

I like Sanborn but this just seems like, idk, the LAST person I would be focusing contract negotiations on, given our current circumstance

Focus on the easy ones, then get the hard ones out of the way, I guess.

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by MattRichWarren on Jan 30, 2012 8:31 PM EST up reply actions

okay. it isn't insanity. i revise my statement to:

That is more than most long snappers get. Good for him. I believe he has been solid, and if they feel he is among the very best in his craft, then awesome. I won’t ever pretend to know much more about a long snapper than they need to have a strong chest, and good velocity on the ball, while getting it there accurately still.

I guess focus on the less monumental, but it seems like we should be hearing about at least some talks with Steve, Fred. Fundamental components of our offense.

I realize free agency still affords us opportunity, but for the ones who express they wanna be here- you are overpaying others, but might not re-sign the guys who have gutted it out, and earned it?

Not a great message to send to the locker room.

Maybe that is why guys don’t come here. You don’t get paid until you earn it, and then once you do earn it, you can pack… and go get paid by someone else, because we aren’t going to do it.

ABAYARDE IS NOSTRADAMUS JUST WATCH WE WILL NOT YIEALD TO NOBODY YOUR SOUL WE WILL TAKE

by ThaRealTruth on Jan 31, 2012 12:39 AM EST up reply actions