New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Monday that the club has signed free agent long snapper Jason Kyleand released long snapper Kevin Houser.
"Jason is a quality veteran player and we saw in him a chance to upgrade our kicking game," Loomis said. "I've known him since we drafted him in Seattle and going up against him twice a year for the last eight seasons with Carolina, he has always been impressive. I'd also like to thank Kevin for nine seasons of excellent service to the Saints and wish him all the best in the future."
Kyleis a veteran of 14 NFL seasons and has spent the past eight years as the long snapper for the Carolina Panthers. A fourth-round selection of the Seattle Seahawks out of Arizona State in 1995, the former collegiate linebacker took over snapping duties in his second pro campaign.
The 6-3, 242-pound native of Tempe, Ariz. has played in 178 career regular-season games along with eight postseason contests in stints with the Seahawks (1995-98), Cleveland Browns (1999), St. Louis Rams (2000), San Francisco 49ers (2000), and Panthers (2001-08). He played in 120 consecutive games for the Panthers – including the postseason – and did not miss a game in his eight seasons in Carolina. The 37-year-old snapper has amassed 55 career special teams tackles and recovered two fumbles in punt coverage.
Houser was a seventh-round pick of New Orleans in 2000 and was the long snapper in all 144 regular-season as well as four playoff games. He ranks 11th in Saints history in games played.
