Chargers 90-in-90: LS Cole Mazza

I don’t know how excited you can be about the signing of a long snapper, but it’s always refreshing to see new faces at positions that have long been locked-down. Plus, it’s always a good feeling to grab a former member of the Alabama Crimson Tide, even if he was just a long snapper.

You never know, he could end up being the greatest long snapper of all time, right?

Basic Info

Height: 6-1
Weight: 247
College: Alabama
Experience: 0
Years with the team: 0

Contract Status

“Cole Mazza signed a 3 year, $1,755,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including an average annual salary of $585,000. In 2019, Mazza will earn a base salary of $495,000, while carrying a cap hit of $495,000.” - Spotrac.com

The Good

Mazza has the opportunity to come in and win the starting job away from the incumbent, Windt. If he does, hopefully he will be able to handle that job for the next decade as the Chargers really appreciate continuity at the special teams positions.

The Bad

There’s a chance he just doesn’t make the team and the Chargers decide to continue with longtime snapper Mike Windt.

Odds of making the roster/What to expect in 2019

Without there being any recorded problems with their current long snapper, I don’t think there’s much of a chance that Mazza can wrangle the job away from Windt. I think the team just wanted to bring in some competition for special teams to make sure the incumbents aren’t feeling too relaxed after years of mediocrity in the third phase of the game.

Fun Fact: Mazza was a member of the Birmingham Iron, one of the inaugural eight teams that comprised the short-lived Alliance of American Football. He played in eight games before the league folded.