Ladies and gentlemen, we may have a long snapper competition on our hands. Earlier this week, the New England Patriots signed a second player at the position to their roster when they acquired Niko Lalos on a one-year, $1.01 million deal. If both remain on the team, Lalos and incumbent Julian Ashby will participate in a high-stakes battle over the course of the summer.
With that in mind, let’s grade the signing based on everything we know.
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Instant grades: Patriots sign LS Niko Lalos
Bernd Buchmasser: Julian Ashby’s first season as Patriots long snapper was nothing out of the ordinary, but competition is the name of the game especially this time of the year. The team adds some in the form of a player on a minimal contract, who may not be the most experienced option available but at the very least should push the sophomore over the coming months. | Grade: C-
Andrew Guindon: Lalos’ contract has no impact against the 2026 cap. This might be a summer depth pickup for the Patriots in case Julian Ashby goes down with an injury at some point. Lalos could be a practice squad candidate, but he’s only appeared in six NFL games back during the 2020 season. | Grade: C
Pat Lane: Not sure how anyone could give it a grade above an F. I mean, they spent a draft pick on a long snapper last year. Bringing someone else in to compete means that was a waste of a pick. | Grade: F
Matt St. Jean: Julian Ashby was just OK as a rookie long snapper last season, and clearly the Patriots felt the need to bring in camp competition this year. Lalos comes in on a small contract and Ashby was drafted in the seventh round, so the costs here are minimal. However, it’s important to have confidence in this position when you’re playing in big games and big moments, so it’s good of the front office to get ahead of this to make sure they have competency at the position. | Grade: C
What do you think about the Patriots signing Niko Lalos? Do you like the move? Do you not? And how would you grade it? Please head down to the comment section to discuss.
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