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jeanpierre

BY JOEL A. ERICKSON | JERICKSON@THEADVOCATE.COM OCT 4, 2018 - 11:22 AM

Four players have already returned a punt for the New Orleans Saints this season.

And that number could go up.

Releasing Brandon Tate earlier this week leaves the position in a state of open competition once again, led by Alvin Kamara and Ted Ginn Jr., the two players who handled punt returns against Atlanta after Tommylee Lewis was injured against Cleveland.

"We've got the group that's training back there," Payton said. "Kamara, Ginn, Austin Carr."

All of the options present problems. Kamara, obviously, has a heavy workload in the offense. Ginn has had intermittent issues with fumbling. Carr has little experience.

New Orleans is also looking at its practice squad, where a rookie from Louisiana Tech has been working diligently.

"Boston Scott is working back there on our practice squad, developing," Payton said. "A handful of guys (are options)."

It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

K Major

This past off season I had hopes we would draft a kick return "specialist". At this point, might as well have someone who has "good hands" fair catch everything.

Outside of Kamara, I don't think Sean Payton trusts anyone covering punts.

neugey

As of late, just having someone to cleanly field kickoffs/punts and not do something stupid would be a plus. Don't even need to have return abilities. Hell we could put Morestead back there.

jeanpierre

For the life of me, I can't understand why Scott is not on the active roster taking snaps; even if teams no he's gonna run, so be it - he's a special runner...

K Major

Austin Carr has "good hands". Maybe we see him fair catch em vs the Redskins ?

ChrisXVI

He’s always getting reps as a punt returner in practice and pregame warm-ups but for some reason we haven’t tried that yet in a game. Lack of top-end speed to take one to the house maybe?

Beastmode

Snead is not that fast and he was doing it so who knows what the criteria is at this point. Likely versatility. Boston Scott does not seem to have much of that going on. RB, maybe returner but in a pinch, what else could he do.

Rugby Saint II

I always hold my breath on punts.....we so desperately need a top return man. I thought Tate might be good but one fumble and he's gone.

Beastmode

The position is so marginalized now. It use to be a real skill. I get the reasons it died but it took a lot of fun out of the game and killed a lot of careers. I doubt the beer man would even get a shot today.