why not use newman as a kick returner?

[RoysAHitta]

regardless of drafting him so high, what have we got to lose by using him as a return man? hes fast and has some experience in the return game in college. his value right now really isn't that high because of mediocre cb play, but if he established himself as a great return man he could add lots of value to himself. i just dont see anyone on our roster that looks that appealing as a return man besides him.. i say this is his year to show us why we drafted him so early.

 

[Yeagermeister]

If he gets hurt we lose a starting cb. That's enough of a reason for me.

 

[parchy]

It's nowhere near worth risking losing our #1 CB to a return injury. The secondary is tenuous as it is.

 

[Doomsday101]

If he gets hurt we lose a starting cb. That's enough of a reason for me.

Here is one instance that I do agree with what Jimmy Johnson said and that is Special teams is a very important phase of the game and thus Dallas had many starters who played special teams. He once said there are 3 phases of the game Offense,Defense and Special Teams you win 2 out of 3 of those phases and you have a good chance at winning the game. I don't want to see an injury but if I have a player who can change the complex of the game then I would have him out there just as Dallas did with Deion.

 

[ravidubey]

Two words: Jason Sehorn (OK, kickoff returns are not the same as punt returns, but same jist).

 

[TheEnigma]

regardless of drafting him so high, what have we got to lose by using him as a return man? hes fast and has some experience in the return game in college. his value right now really isn't that high because of mediocre cb play, but if he established himself as a great return man he could add lots of value to himself. i just dont see anyone on our roster that looks that appealing as a return man besides him.. i say this is his year to show us why we drafted him so early.

Why does everyone keep saying Newman played mediocre last year. Although he may not have played lights out last year, he was solid sans 3 games. He also had a good freshman outing. So stop it with the "mediocre" talk.

 

[noshame]

I wouldn't mind giving Newman a shot from time to time, if we "need" a big return. But not a study diet. Jimma was right using starters on ST, just not the returner part

 

[InmanRoshi]

We use him occasionally last year, just like we occasionally used Deion. Deion didn't return every punt. We just used him when the opponent was backed up and couldn't kick it out of bounds.

 

[Doomsday101]

I wouldn't mind giving Newman a shot from time to time, if we "need" a big return. But not a study diet. Jimma was right using starters on ST, just not the returner part

He did it with all aspects of the special teams and there were games that had it not been for big plays out of special team we may have lost more games. I understand the risk of injury but it comes with the game of football. I hate to lose knowing we had better players who could have been out of the field that could have changed the outcome. I'm not avdocating making Newman the return guy but if he were to show himself as the best return man on the team then yes I would play him

 

[Qwickdraw]

I've got high hopes for MB3, especially at KR. Looks like he has the patient but fast-strong-finesse combo that's perfect for returning kicks. That and you know he's hungry to prove something.

 

[InmanRoshi]

Someone will have to remind me when Clayton Holmes, Kelvin Martin and Kevin Williams were big time starters for the Cowboys.

Kevin Smith was a big time punt returner out of college. He returned a 71 yarder and 73-yarder for TD's as a senior at A&M, just doing it part time. He was regarded as one of the top punt returners in his draft class.

Did he return punts under Jimmy? Hell no.

 

[Doomsday101]

Someone will have to remind me when Clayton Holmes, Kelvin Martin and Kevin Williams were big time starters for the Cowboys.

Kevin Smith was a big time punt returner out of college. He returned a 71 yarder and 73-yarder for TD's as a senior at A&M, just doing it part time. He was regarded as one of the top punt returners in his draft class.

Did he return punts under Jimmy? Hell no.

I did not say you had to be a starter to be an excellent return man either.

 

[noshame]

I'm not avdocating making Newman the return guy but if he were to show himself as the best return man on the team then yes I would play him

Newman likely has the quickest first ten steps on the team, that combined with good vision would make him the best return person. That said, there is a reason star players do not do returns on a regular basis. Especially now that there's a salary cap and your back-ups are less than stellar
Are a few really good returns worth the loss of a solid CB?

 

[scottsp]

I might buy into some of this injury concern IF not for the fact the punt return team did not use Newman at end. I know for a fact he played on the right side of the return team as one of the two ends used in blocking the opponent's gunner.

The return men are no more likely to sustain injury as anyone else on the unit. In fact, less so it seems. If they were that concerned about T-New getting dinged in the return game, they'd play him at corner and corner only.

But they don't.

 

[noshame]

The return men are no more likely to sustain injury as anyone else on the unit

What?

Hello....Hello...is this thing on?

 

[InmanRoshi]

To suggest blocking the gunner is the same in degree of injury risk as kick returning in laughable. To block a guy lining up 5 yards from you is not the same degree of impact as getting cold cocked from a headhunter who has a 30 yard head of steam behind him.

Returners also have to cut on a dime to fake people out of their shoes, and risking lower joint damage in the process. Ask Jason Sehorn.

 

[InmanRoshi]

I did not say you had to be a starter to be an excellent return man either.

And who was our excellent return man back then? Kevin Williams. You realize when Kevin Williams went down with injury, Clayton Holmes filled in ... not Kevin Smith. Was Clayton Holmes a terrific return man, or was Jimmy just scared to risk Kevin Smith to injury?

 

[scottsp]

To suggest blocking the gunner is the same in degree of injury risk as kick returning in laughable. To block a guy lining up 5 yards from you is not the same degree of impact as getting cold cocked from a headhunter who has a 30 yard head of steam behind him.

Returners also ahve to cut on a dime to fake people out of their shoes, and risking lower joint damage.

It's hardly laughable. It's not the guy in front he needs to worry about. More players get hurt from what is coming behind them anyway. Punt returners aren't littering the injured list that much.

Injuries, particularly those on special teams, are more common from the waist down. It's precisely why players are penalized for blocking below the waist in the return game.

Headhunters aren't nearly the concern.

 

[johnnybluestar]

Why stars (or big contracts) don't play on special teams...........
Joey Galloway blowing out his knee in his first game as a Cowboy. Not to mention it was special teams at the very end of a blowout to the Eagles. I knew then that trade was bad, but had no idea how bad.

Kellen Winslow breaking his leg on an on-side kick in his second professional game. Of course we all know he is a young man who makes poor decisions, but he didn't make that one. That was Butch Davis. A middle aged man who makes poor decisions.

Jason Sehorn went from being a good player to horrible after getting plowed returning a kick.

The list could go on and on. Now a days (with big contracts and a salary cap) stars make too much money and have too much value in regard to what a team can spend to be put in a human crash up derby, which is exactly what special teams plays are.

 

[scottsp]

Why stars (or big contracts) don't play on special teams...........
Joey Galloway blowing out his knee in his first game as a Cowboy. Not to mention it was special teams at the very end of a blowout to the Eagles. I knew then that trade was bad, but had no idea how bad.

Kellen Winslow breaking his leg on an on-side kick in his second professional game. Of course we all know he is a young man who makes poor decisions, but he didn't make that one. That was Butch Davis. A middle aged man who makes poor decisions.

Jason Sehorn went from being a good player to horrible after getting plowed returning a kick.

The list could go on and on. Now a days (with big contracts and a salary cap) stars make too much money and have too much value in regard to what a team can spend to be put in a human crash up derby, which is exactly what special teams plays are.

Hey, I agree. I would take these core guys off all special teams units. There would be some exceptions, but very few.