Randle El will still be our primary punt returner

GTripp, have you done a breakdown of punt returns comparing ARE to anybody else who has returned a punt last season?

I don't recall anyone other than Moss but there may have been others.

i think Thrash was actually back there for a couple

Are they nuts again this year? Randle El sucks as a return man. If you noticed, he fell down alot whenever trying to run the ball back. I say keep him as a third WR, and let someone else return punts.

Are they nuts again this year? Randle El sucks as a return man. If you noticed, he fell down alot whenever trying to run the ball back. I say keep him as a third WR, and let someone else return punts.

Who? Who on the roster can return punts better and not fumble (fumbled punts are real killers)?

What happened to that kid we got from Denver the lil scat back?

What happened to that kid we got from Denver the lil scat back?

Aldridge? Doubt he'll make the team.


Why not Rock? He's great on KO returns.

Aldridge? Doubt he'll make the team.


Why not Rock? He's great on KO returns.

Returning punts is a very different animal than returning kickoffs. With kickoffs, Rock has plenty of room to get behind his wall of blockers and get up to full speed. He's not a much of a cutter, and can't stop on a dime and re-accelerate like successful punt return guys. He just picks a lane and runs full speed in a straight line until someone tackles him. Granted he's very good at doing so, but you won't ever see him take one to the house.

Often times when you're returning punts you have guys flying in your face, and you need to be able to get up to top speed right away. That's probably why Rock has never returned a punt for us despite behind so solid on KOs.

Returning punts is a very different animal than returning kickoffs. With kickoffs, Rock has plenty of room to get behind his wall of blockers and get up to full speed. He's not a much of a cutter, and can't stop on a dime and re-accelerate like successful punt return guys. He just picks a lane and runs full speed in a straight line until someone tackles him. Granted he's very good at doing so, but you won't ever see him take one to the house.

Often times when you're returning punts you have guys flying in your face, and you need to be able to get up to top speed right away. That's probably why Rock has never returned a punt for us despite behind so solid of KOs.

Excellent analysis. I would add that returning punts requires better hands than returning kickoffs. With a kickoff you have time and unopposed space to settle under the ball to catch it. On the other hand, with a punt you may have someone in your face while you are trying to catch the ball. A punt returner thus must be unflappable and glue-fingered in a way that a kickoff returner need not be.

you guys make me laugh. the same guys that cry for Moss or Hall to return punts are the same guys that will want Zorn fired if they get hurt back there.

Somehow I doubt that, quite the reactionary statement.