The Detroit Lions’ agreement with defensive Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was a relatively significant special team move by the franchise following Sunday’s shocking news. Long snapper Jake McQuaide reportedly agreed to a one-year agreement worth $1.3 million, which included a $152,500 signing bonus, with the Lions.
As Pride of Detroit special teams specialist Hamza Baccouche noted in his free agency profile of current Lions long snapper Scott Daly: “McQuaide is a huge signing considering the Lions had some long snapper troubles last season.”
McQuaide can be viewed as a considerable improvement even though the Lions have given Daly a tender for exclusive free agent rights, therefore ensuring that he will be on the roster during off-season training. He’s 35 years old and spent 10 years as a long snapper for the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, where he met the current Brad Holmes of the Lions. He has twice been selected to the Pro Bowl (2016, 2017).
Last year, McQuaide was the Cowboys’ long snapper, but he missed the rest of the season due to a ruptured tricep.
So, it appears that the Lions will have a difficult training camp this year.
