New York Giants 2023 UFA Primer: LS Casey Kreiter
Casey Kreiter, Long Snapper
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 250 lbs.
Age: 32
NFL Exp: 7 Years
College: Iowa
It’s been a while since the New York Giants had to make an important decision regarding who’s going to handle their long snapping duties.
For 12 seasons, the franchise’s special teams base was held down by stalwart Zak DeOssie, the former fourth-round pick in 2007. After 199 games played and two Super Bowl titles, the lifetime Giant retired, leaving the team to search for his replacement. The answer was seventh-year pro Casey Kreiter.
A native of DeWitt, Iowa, the 32-year-old Kreiter comes from a very diverse athletic background. In high school, he was a three-sport athlete, including football, where he played linebacker and tight end and set the prep state record for most points in a game as a junior.
Earning a scholarship from the University of Iowa, Kreiter shifted into the long snapper position and was named the starter by his sophomore season. He recorded seven special teams tackles that same year and earned three Academic All-Big Ten distinctions by the end of his senior campaign. He would enter the NFL Draft in 2014 but ultimately go undrafted.
The Giants partnered with Kreiter in April 2020 when he signed as a free agent and competed with DeOssie in training camp. Before that, he spent two stints with the Cowboys and Broncos, respectively. When he landed in East Rutherford, he was reunited with his former head coach turned Giants’ offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. His boldest achievement among all his stops–going 146 straight snaps with a miscue in Denver during the 2018 season.
Ultimately, Kreiter won the long snapper position before the 2020 season, when DeOssie announced his retirement and has retained the starting role for three seasons. After resigning twice over the past two years, the time has come for the Giants to evaluate their long snapper again and decide whether they want to hand him another one-year deal.
Why the Giants Should Keep Him
Kreiter will provide the same attributes he’s displayed since joining the organization three seasons ago to the Giants with another contract. They are the most important qualities for the long snapper position—durability and sharp execution.
The 2018 Pro Bowler has yet to miss extended time with Big Blue since his debut in 2020, except for a brief bout with COVID-19 that season that sidelined him for under a week. That has allowed New York to not fret over the security of one of their most valuable assets on special teams, a department in which Kreiter has been flawless on a game-to-game basis.
In previous offseason negotiations, the Giants have agreed to very inexpensive deals with Kreiter, which has helped them focus more of their minimal salary cap funds on other more important areas of all three phases. In 2021 and 2022, they signed the 32-year-old to veteran salary benefit deals consummate to a player with two years of accrued service.
While cap space won’t be as frugal this offseason, expect the team to approach Kreiter similarly this time.
GIANTS UFA PRIMERS: QB Daniel Jones | IOL Nick Gates | RB Saquon Barkley | C Jon Feliciano | IDL Justin Ellis | RB Matt Breida
Why the Giants Shouldn't Keep Him
One significant downfall to Kreiter’s game that could hold the Giants’ special teams unit back is his production beyond the snap.
When DeOssie was slinging the long balls for the team, New York had more than just an additional player preventing a free-for-all toward the punter. They also had an extra coverage man they knew would get downfield and lay some punishment on an opposing punt returner. In his 12 seasons with Big Blue, DeOssie had 87 tackles (71 solos) and was responsible for one forced fumble with recovery.
His successor in Kreiter has not been as destructive in 108 career games thus far. The Iowa product holds just seven tackles in that span and has only two as a member of the Giants over the past three seasons. Much of this comes from his effort to get downfield and produce a play on the ball, something the team needs from everyone if they want to grow and improve on special teams.
Kreiter has been fairly clean with the delivery of the pigskin every game, but he has had some scary miscues lately. The most memorable came in Week 14 against the Eagles when a poor snap and handling of the football led to punter Jamie Gillan fumbling it and racing to boot it away illegally. The error cost the Giants within the sticks and was one of the biggest bloopers of the 2022 season.
Keep or Dump?
The Giants’ special teams unit has certainly benefited from the consistency and durability of Casey Kreiter to warrant consideration of giving him another one-year contract for the 2023 season. Not only would it be affordable for them, but they would also know that they have a player that shows up and does the basic things crisply and with very little error.
That said, the team should still do their due diligence and scope the free agent market for any long snappers that could be more advantageous on the defensive stat sheet.
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