Addition of Zach Triner brings a second reliable long snapper into Broncos’ fold

Zach Triner walks into Denver Broncos headquarters as their most experienced long snapper — even though he’s not the incumbent.

The Broncos signed the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins long snapper, according to the NFL transaction wire, bringing him aboard three days before the NFL Draft.

He joins Mitchell Fraboni, who returned to the Broncos on a three-year deal.

Zach Triner, a 34-year-old Assumption University product, spent four years trying to break into the NFL, going through tryouts, workouts, offseason stints with the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers and a practice-squad stint with the Packers that lasted a week.

In 2019, he finally got the chance for which he’d toiled. He landed with the Bucs and earned their long-snapping job, making his regular-season debut at the relatively advanced age of 28.

Zach Triner kept the job for five seasons before losing the gig last summer to Evan Deckers, who was eight years younger and on a rookie contract. The Bucs brought him back for six games while Deckers was injured, but subsequently released him.

A practice-squad stint with the Miami Dolphins and three fill-in elevations to the game-day active roster late last season followed before they parted ways with him.

REGARDING A POTENTIAL ZACH TRINER-MITCHELL FRABONI COMPETITION …

The contract situation of Fraboni would seem to preclude it, as it appears to tilt the scales of any snapping derby in his favor.

Per Over the Cap, the contract Fraboni signed last month includes $1.7 million in guarantees.

If the Broncos cut him at the roster deadline this year; they’d have $1.3 million in dead money this year and $400,000 in 2026. The only way the Broncos could get any kind of relief if they parted ways with Fraboni to keep Zach Triner would be if a trade was involved.

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