Punt Returner Options?

[Techsass]

I hope we didn't get Tavon to be our PR guy. Very small sample size of his punts, but it was all I found - and it's scary ugly. (Actual punt vids start around 1:20)

 

[jobberone]

I'm willing to wait and see. Fielding punts can be taught.

 

[Techsass]

I'm willing to wait and see. Fielding punts can be taught.

I hope so. I'm not really anti-Tavon, but I haven't joined his bandwagon, either.

 

[jazzcat22]

You won’t be laughing if Tavon fumbles a punt and cost us a game. Also, you don’t need to be a coach, to know Tavon’s history of fumbling punts.

Was laughing at the fact that fans already having him as a disaster without giving him a chance either. Our last 2 PR guys had fumbling problems at first. Then seem to correct it. Maybe Austin gets that corrected here too.

 

[DasSchnitzel]

Honestly, I would be thrilled if we just found a PR that had one simple skill- the ability to make a successful fair catch. That is an incredibly underrated skill.

Ever notice that some teams like NE will use a guy as a PR not so much for his ability to avoid tacklers, but for his ability to reliably make a fair catch? Guys like Danny Amendola who also can occasionally break one. But the importance of the Fair catch is that it prevents loss of field position.

IMO, what made Ryan Switzer a poor PR was how many times he let the ball hit the ground when he could have made a fc. I believe he led the league last year with number of unfielded punts which is a killer for field position. And he cost us the rams game with his killer fumble late in first half. When you think about it, the “take it to the house” punt return is so rare, it’s almost overrated compared to the reliability of a guy who can be counted on to successfully field a punt on a consistent basis.

In other words, let’s find a guy who can be reliable back there fielding punts. We haven’t had a guy like that since Dwayne Harris left.

That's what they used Beasley for and he did it just fine iirc

 

[conner01]

Was laughing at the fact that fans already having him as a disaster without giving him a chance either. Our last 2 PR guys had fumbling problems at first. Then seem to correct it. Maybe Austin gets that corrected here too.

None close to Austin
A first year player muffing a couple is much different than a guy who has returned over 150 punts and still muffing a bunch of them

 

[jazzcat22]

None close to Austin
A first year player muffing a couple is much different than a guy who has returned over 150 punts and still muffing a bunch of them

All I am saying, I am waiting to see what he does here. Everyone else can say or think what they want.
Sometimes players just need new scenery.

 

[xwalker]

Terrance. His palms up body catching is a natural to field punts, and he actually does seem to have a knack for open field running if you give him a little space up front to work with.

TWill catching Punts would be funny...if he was on the other team.

I agree he has decent RAC ability but he would make Tavon Austin seem like he had hands of glue in comparison.

TWill is unique in that he is good at everything except actually catching the ball.

 

[xwalker]

Deonte Thompson has served as a punt returner in the past and has very good speed.

I'm confident that he'll be afforded a chance to do that. Let's see what he has to offer.

Realistically, there are others that should qualify for a looksee at that ST position.

KO only for DT according to stats.

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

We could take on Desean Jackson's $11M salary and make him the PR.

 

[xwalker]

I'm thinking Z Martin. He needs to do extra to make up for that huge contract.

Have you seen him and Fred running routes and catching balls before games?

How about a new formation where Martin is at his normal spot but back off the line and an extra player on the outside steps up to be on the line making it a legal alignment.

Martin reports eligible from there but can still block as an OG.

I'm open for names of my new position...
Tight Inside
Receiving Guard

The alignment can be the 70 offense like the 46 defense named after Doug Plank who wore #46.

 

[RodeoJake]

Have you seen him and Fred running routes and catching balls before games?

How about a new formation where Martin is at his normal spot but back off the line and an extra player on the outside steps up to be on the line making it a legal alignment.

Martin reports eligible from there but can still block as an OG.

I'm open for names of my new position...
Tight Inside
Receiving Guard

The alignment can be the 70 offense like the 46 defense named after Doug Plank who wore #46.

How about the Mack Truck play?

 

[Ranching]

What are the options other than Tavon Austin?

On offense I'm anxious to see Austin but I hope they don't plan on him being the top Punt Returner.

Cole Beasley
Tavon Austin
Cedrick Wilson
Jourdon Lewis
Chidobe Awuzie
Other

Put Garrett back there! I'd love to see that

 

[CPanther95]

The silver lining of shying away from a big 1-tech because he's only a "2 down player" is that getting a good punt returner becomes much less important.

 

[buybuydandavis]

TWill catching Punts would be funny...if he was on the other team.

I agree he has decent RAC ability but he would make Tavon Austin seem like he had hands of glue in comparison.

TWill is unique in that he is good at everything except actually catching the ball.

You seemed to have missed the part about "His palms up body catching is a natural to field punts". He actually has very good hands for palms up catching. It's the palms out and back to the QB catches that he sucks at.

Remember Beasley fumbling a punt return? He tried to catch it like you'd catch a pass palms out at chest level, instead of palms up and body catching.

Different technique for different kinds of catching.

 

[buybuydandavis]

The silver lining of shying away from a big 1-tech because he's only a "2 down player" is that getting a good punt returner becomes much less important.

Now that was funny.

 

[xwalker]

You seemed to have missed the part about "His palms up body catching is a natural to field punts". He actually has very good hands for palms up catching. It's the palms out and back to the QB catches that he sucks at.

Remember Beasley fumbling a punt return? He tried to catch it like you'd catch a pass palms out at chest level, instead of palms up and body catching.

Different technique for different kinds of catching.

TWill has issues judging deep passes.

 

[xwalker]

Put Garrett back there! I'd love to see that

It would be more fun to have Garrett a 1-tech...

 

[gimmesix]

What are the options other than Tavon Austin?

On offense I'm anxious to see Austin but I hope they don't plan on him being the top Punt Returner.

Cole Beasley
Tavon Austin
Cedrick Wilson
Jourdon Lewis
Chidobe Awuzie
Other

I think we'll use Austin on return opportunities and Beasley in fair catch situations.

 

[conner01]

I'm willing to wait and see. Fielding punts can be taught.

I generally agree
But after more than 150 punt returns he hasn’t learned yet
At what point do you decide he’s just not a punt returner