Yes, the long snapper is one of the roster locks
The Buffalo Bills place a great deal of emphasis on special teams. This isn’t a surprise to die-hards like those of you reading our 85th entry in this series, but if you’re new to the program, welcome—we accept no specialist slander in these parts.
The Bills know who they want in essential positions, and they’ve locked those players up long-term as they’ve needed. The subject of today’s installment of “90 players in 90 days” is no exception.
Name: Reid Ferguson
Number: 69
Position: LS
Height/Weight: 6’2” 235 lbs
Age: 27 (28 on 3/24/2022)
Experience/Draft: 5; signed with Buffalo following the 2016 NFL Draft
College: LSU
Acquired: Signed as UDFA on 5/2/17
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Ferguson signed a three-year contract extension in May of this year. That pact is worth a total of $4 million. For the 2021 season, Ferguson carries a cap hit of $1,283,750 and the Bills would be responsible for a dead-cap charge of $800,000 if he were to be released.
2020 Recap: Ferguson was Buffalo’s long snapper for the duration of the season, appearing in all 16 games for the fourth consecutive season. He made two tackles on special teams and was darn near perfect on his snaps.
Positional outlook: Ferguson is the only long snapper on the roster, so he will remain on the squad barring something weird happening between now and the regular-season opener on September 12.
2021 Offseason: Ferguson is healthy and he has participated in all offseason activities to date.
2021 Season outlook: It’s nice when no one notices the long snapper on game day. He’s one of those guys who is supposed to blend in, because if he is noticed, it’s almost always for a bad reason. In Buffalo’s case, the most recognizable thing about the long snapper from a casual fan’s perspective would probably be his jersey number. Ferguson is as steady as they come, and he’s clearly the cooler brother in his family (given that Blake, his younger brother, is stuck playing for the Miami Dolphins). Reid Ferguson will be a Buffalo Bill in 2021 and beyond.
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