Washington Redskins special teams grades for the 2018 campaign
Long snappers
I’m grouping the long snappers because there simply isn’t a lot to say about the position. Generally speaking, it’s better for a long snapper to be completely unknown or unheard of. If you’re a long snapper and the casual fan knows your name, chances are it’s not for a good reason.
In 2018, the Redskins had to use two long snappers. Nick Sundberg, who has been with the team since 2009, started the season as the lone player on the roster. Per usual, he was a solid, steady contributor for the squad.
However, Sundberg missed the final three games of the season after suffering a back injury. It was an unfortunate development for the team’s longest-tenured player, but he ended up on Injured Reserve. It marked just the second time in the past five years that Sundberg hasn’t played a 16-game season.
The good news for the Redskins is that Sundberg’s replacement, Andrew East, was a solid replacement. He didn’t make any major mistakes in the final three games of the season, and that could be enough to earn him a starting long snapper job somewhere next year. At the very least, he will be on the short-list for the ‘Skins if Sundberg misses time in 2019.
Overall, the play of the long snappers was fine. They’ll both get a solid grade for their performance in 2018.