Washington Redskins: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time

Long snappers don’t get no respect.

Truth be told, playing long snapper has to be a very tough position to play in the NFL. The play volume is considerably lower than other positions, as is the accrued contact wear, but long snappers have to deliver a near perfect feed to the holder on every special teams down, or else the play will collapse. And then, right after the snap, they need to whip their arms up and fend off the interior rush. It’s a fast-paced, unpredictable occupation.

But Nick Sundberg has made the position about as predictable as it can be for the Redskins.

Sundberg first entered the NFL as a free agent, just not the usual kind of free agent. He was an undrafted free agent after the 2009 NFL Draft, and he signed with the Carolina Panthers.

For the 2009 offseason, he worked in Carolina, but he was ultimately cut at the end of preseason. Later that year, he’d be signed to the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad, but his contract would not be renewed.

Luckily for Sundberg, his next destination was right around the corner. The Redskins signed the 2010 free agent to a futures contract in January that year. He earned the team’s starting job by the end of the offseason, beating out Pro Bowler Ethan Allbright, and he hasn’t relinquished the job since.

For a free agent who was at first offered nothing more than a futures contract, Sundberg has given the Redskins a healthy return on their investment.