Bengals make under-the-radar signing that's extremely important
The Cincinnati Bengals made an under-the-radar signing after the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft that won't generate a bunch of headlines, but it was an extremely important move. Cincinnati signed Pittsburgh Panthers long snapper Cal Adomitis to a free agent deal shortly after the end of the draft on Saturday. I'm sure some of […]
The Cincinnati Bengals made an under-the-radar signing after the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft that won't generate a bunch of headlines, but it was an extremely important move.
Cincinnati signed Pittsburgh Panthers long snapper Cal Adomitis to a free agent deal shortly after the end of the draft on Saturday.
I'm sure some of you are rolling your eyes right now.
How is anyone supposed to be excited about an undrafted long snapper?
I get it. It's a non-glamorous position that most folks don't think about — until a long snapper makes a mistake.
And that's exactly why it's such an important move by the Bengals.
Long-snappers touch the ball more than anyone on the field except the center, the quarterback, the running backs, and a couple of wide receivers.
And every time a long snapper touches the ball, the team is one tiny mistake away from total disaster.
That's the thing about long snappers — they're only touching the ball in situations where a simple mistake can easily lose the game. If a long snapper messes up, it's a catastrophe. A mistake could result in a safety or giving the opponent the ball in the red zone. Or it could be a bad snap on a game-winning field goal attempt that results in a loss.
Having a good long snapper isn't going to win a team a division championship. But it could certainly keep a team from losing the division.
Cincinnati seemingly got a good one in Adomitis.
Signing offensive linemen and drafting defensive backs will be the headlines for the Bengals this offseason. But these types of moves (signing a talented long snapper) are just as important to a team's success.
Featured image via USA TODAY
