Indianapolis chose Luke Rhodes as its long snapper and dealt…
Indianapolis chose Luke Rhodes as its long snapper and dealt Thomas Hennessy to New York for safety Ronald Martin. Martin was waived at final cuts, later returned to the Colts' practice squad and never became a meaningful Indianapolis regular. Hennessy, by contrast, won the Jets' snapping job and remained a fixture for years, turning a fringe-roster exchange into a quietly excellent New York acquisition.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- player Ronald Martin
New York Jets Received
- player Thomas Hennessy
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Indianapolis traded rookie long snapper Thomas Hennessy to New York for safety Ronald Martin late in the 2017 preseason. The Colts had decided Luke Rhodes would handle long-snapping duties, making Hennessy expendable. Martin gave Indianapolis another defensive-back option, but he was waived during final cuts, returned to the practice squad and only briefly resurfaced on the active roster later that year.
Why New York Won
The Jets found something much harder to notice than a star but almost as useful to roster planning: a dependable specialist who solved one job for years. Hennessy took over New York's long-snapping duties and became a season-after-season fixture. That continuity matters because a bad snap can swing a field goal, punt or game, and teams value specialists they do not have to replace every offseason. Indianapolis, meanwhile, received little lasting on-field return from Martin.
How the Return Aged
The trade also looks sensible from the Colts' process at the time. Rhodes won their competition and became their own long-term answer, so moving Hennessy for another roster possibility was rational. The result simply favored New York because Hennessy proved good enough to stick. Martin's Colts tenure never developed beyond reserve and practice-squad status, leaving Indianapolis without a comparable asset from the exchange.
Final Verdict
New York earns an A- for turning surplus safety depth into durable special-teams stability. Indianapolis gets a D+ on the trade itself because Martin supplied almost no lasting value, even though keeping Rhodes worked out independently. New York Jets Win.