Saints not short on offensive weapons

saintswhodi · 06-12-2006, 08:09 AM

The whole point of getting Reggie, was his versatility. Did he get hurt at USC returning punts and kicks? Nope, not at all. Why take the guy, the most versatile guy to come out in forever, and not get him on the field as often as possible? He shouldn't return every kick, but he should be out there some. That was one of the reasons he was so highly touted.

BlackandBlue · 06-12-2006, 09:19 AM

i don't mind if he plays on kick returns opposite lewis, but i will cry if they have him returning punts. don't need my all-world running back being decapitated by gunners.....

saintswhodi · 06-12-2006, 09:23 AM

Steve Smith returns punts, and he is smaller than Reggie. He got hurt playing receiver year before last, not returning punts. I'd let Reggie do it a couple of times a game. Not every return, but why play up his versatility if we aren't gonna use it? Gale Sayers returned kicks and punts, and that's who he is most often compared to. I don't think we drafted him to put him in a glass case on the mantel for a 50 mil contract. He could get hurt doing anything, how many guys you see legitimately get hurt on kick and punt returns? It doesn't happen any more frequently than on any other play on a football field. I wanna get the most out of Reggie we can. When's the last time Donte Hall went on IR?

BlackandBlue · 06-12-2006, 09:38 AM

steve smith plays in carolina. that has no bearing on me. don't really care how he's used until he's wearing black and gold.

i said what i wanted, and i stated my reasons. injuries happen, and you can never plan for it. but you cannot deny the increased danger in returning punts versus kicks. if anything, i don't understand limiting reggie to 10-15 carries a game. to me, that would be a disservice to the fans and the team.

not once did i say put him behind a glass case. but assess the talent on your team, and use him wisely. we have a ton of players (deuce, lewis, stallworth, henderson, johnson) that have a ton of experience with that, let one of them be the cannon fodder.

saintswhodi · 06-12-2006, 09:55 AM

But if Reggie is the best at it, why not have him do it? I mean, if he brings extra field position or scoring cause of his return ability, why would we keep that on the sideline? Not one person who scouted him said draft him cause he is a 20-25 carry per game guy. They said draft him cause of his versatility, and the dynamics he brings to a team. Well, he got that label returning punts and kicks at USC in addition to playing RB and sometimes WR. And he has also said he would like to stay in these same roles.

So sure, you can say "Players like Steve Smith play for other teams so I don't care what they do," and that's all fine and dandy. But it's a relevant point that players smaller than Reggie return kicks and punts never see an injury doing those things. How about this, since Deuce, Jamal Lewis, Edge James, blew out their knees playing RB, let's not have Reggie do that either. Since TO and Steve Smith broke their ankles playing WR, let's not have Reggie do that either. I am sorry, but for 50 something million dollars, a #2 overall pick, and the FACT he is known for his versatility, I want Reggie on the field displaying that versatility as much as possible. But again, that's just me. We see this differently.

neugey · 06-12-2006, 10:09 AM

I'm not too worried about injuries on spec. teams. The returner can always call for fair catch or run out-of-bounds. If the ball carrier is skilled, they should avoid most of the big hits.

IMHO, we need to have Reggie returning punts. Elusiveness and reversing direction is important on PR and Reggie does that best. It's not as important for him to return kickoffs, since it's most straightline speed running full blast and trying to find a seam. Beerman and Bethel are probably just as good an option at KR as Reggie on most plays.

saintswhodi · 06-12-2006, 10:15 AM

Dude, I agree 100%. What's the point of having the best punt returner on the team not returning punts? He is just a slikely to get hurt having a safety T up on him on a crossing route as he is to get hurt getting hit on a punt return. Or what about a 300 lb DT eating him up in the backfield? That was a good point about the kick returns, and we can prob keep him off of those. But having him do some punt returns in games is no more dangerous than anything else he will do on the football field. No matter where he lines up, people are gonna be gunning for him anyway cause so much hype came with him into the league.

BlackandBlue · 06-12-2006, 10:22 AM

risk versus reward. and with a player of his caliber, the risk is not worth the payoff, in my opinion. but it's always the extreme's with the fans. not allowing him to return the 5-7 punts a game (on average) translates into not letting him play at all. nevermind the fact that he'll be calling a fair catch on roughly half of those plays. i can do without him returning 2-3 punts a game, if i get to see him carry the ball an additional 5 times a game. and all it takes is one idiot 3rd string gunner to miss the fair catch call. unlike running and receiving the ball, there's no defense for that.

saintswhodi · 06-12-2006, 10:31 AM

Okay, see, I don't get this line of thinking. If all it takes is one idiot third string gunner, why aren't players like Steve Smith, donte Hall, Jerome Mathis, etc. hurt more on punt returns? Hurt at all for that matter? Steve Smith IS Carolina's offense, I would think returning punts in every game, someone would have taken him out, no? Well, no and he went on to have one of the best seasons at WR. Donte Hall IS the most feared return man in the league. Tiny guy. Doesn't get hurt by 3rd string gunners. It's no more risky than anything else Bush will do as a football player. Once again, he got drafted for his versatility. He's not a one dimensional player, and the team shouldn't try to make him one. I guess we could also say all it takes is one idiot LB to see Bush running free across the middle of the field and lay a blind hit on him and hurt him. Happens just about as often as a player who is TAUGHT to be aware of a fair catch call, missing a fair catch call.

What do you see more on "Jacked Up" tackles that happen during regular offense, or special teams tackles? FAR more tackles that happen during the course of offensive series. Players just aren't out there getting hurt doing punt returns, cause there are enough rules in place that a smart punt returner will know most often when he is aout to get whacked, and when to try to break one.

mikesaintfan · 06-12-2006, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by spkb25

i would like to see haas make it

AMEN to that

06-12-2006, 09:38 AM	#14
BlackandBlue Kinder, gentler Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: dirty south Posts: 3,889	steve smith plays in carolina. that has no bearing on me. don't really care how he's used until he's wearing black and gold. i said what i wanted, and i stated my reasons. injuries happen, and you can never plan for it. but you cannot deny the increased danger in returning punts versus kicks. if anything, i don't understand limiting reggie to 10-15 carries a game. to me, that would be a disservice to the fans and the team. not once did i say put him behind a glass case. but assess the talent on your team, and use him wisely. we have a ton of players (deuce, lewis, stallworth, henderson, johnson) that have a ton of experience with that, let one of them be the cannon fodder.
	The waiting drove me mad.... I don't want to hear from those that know... Everything has changed, absolutely nothing's changed Eddie is a....draftnik?

06-12-2006, 10:22 AM	#18
BlackandBlue Kinder, gentler Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: dirty south Posts: 3,889	risk versus reward. and with a player of his caliber, the risk is not worth the payoff, in my opinion. but it's always the extreme's with the fans. not allowing him to return the 5-7 punts a game (on average) translates into not letting him play at all. nevermind the fact that he'll be calling a fair catch on roughly half of those plays. i can do without him returning 2-3 punts a game, if i get to see him carry the ball an additional 5 times a game. and all it takes is one idiot 3rd string gunner to miss the fair catch call. unlike running and receiving the ball, there's no defense for that.
	The waiting drove me mad.... I don't want to hear from those that know... Everything has changed, absolutely nothing's changed Eddie is a....draftnik?

06-12-2006, 01:11 PM	#20
mikesaintfan 1000 Posts + Join Date: May 2006 Location: new jersey Posts: 1,070	Originally Posted by spkb25 i would like to see haas make it AMEN to that

06-12-2006, 08:09 AM	#11
saintswhodi 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 6,941	The whole point of getting Reggie, was his versatility. Did he get hurt at USC returning punts and kicks? Nope, not at all. Why take the guy, the most versatile guy to come out in forever, and not get him on the field as often as possible? He shouldn't return every kick, but he should be out there some. That was one of the reasons he was so highly touted.

Latest Blogs
2023 New Orleans Saints: Training Camp Last Blog: 08-01-2023 By: MarchingOn Puck the Fro Browl! Last Blog: 02-05-2023 By: neugey CFP: "Just Keep Doing What You're Doing" Last Blog: 12-08-2022 By: neugey

06-12-2006, 09:19 AM	#12
BlackandBlue Kinder, gentler Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: dirty south Posts: 3,889	i don't mind if he plays on kick returns opposite lewis, but i will cry if they have him returning punts. don't need my all-world running back being decapitated by gunners.....

06-12-2006, 09:23 AM	#13
saintswhodi 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 6,941	Steve Smith returns punts, and he is smaller than Reggie. He got hurt playing receiver year before last, not returning punts. I'd let Reggie do it a couple of times a game. Not every return, but why play up his versatility if we aren't gonna use it? Gale Sayers returned kicks and punts, and that's who he is most often compared to. I don't think we drafted him to put him in a glass case on the mantel for a 50 mil contract. He could get hurt doing anything, how many guys you see legitimately get hurt on kick and punt returns? It doesn't happen any more frequently than on any other play on a football field. I wanna get the most out of Reggie we can. When's the last time Donte Hall went on IR?

06-12-2006, 09:55 AM	#15
saintswhodi 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 6,941	But if Reggie is the best at it, why not have him do it? I mean, if he brings extra field position or scoring cause of his return ability, why would we keep that on the sideline? Not one person who scouted him said draft him cause he is a 20-25 carry per game guy. They said draft him cause of his versatility, and the dynamics he brings to a team. Well, he got that label returning punts and kicks at USC in addition to playing RB and sometimes WR. And he has also said he would like to stay in these same roles. So sure, you can say "Players like Steve Smith play for other teams so I don't care what they do," and that's all fine and dandy. But it's a relevant point that players smaller than Reggie return kicks and punts never see an injury doing those things. How about this, since Deuce, Jamal Lewis, Edge James, blew out their knees playing RB, let's not have Reggie do that either. Since TO and Steve Smith broke their ankles playing WR, let's not have Reggie do that either. I am sorry, but for 50 something million dollars, a #2 overall pick, and the FACT he is known for his versatility, I want Reggie on the field displaying that versatility as much as possible. But again, that's just me. We see this differently.

06-12-2006, 10:09 AM	#16
neugey Hu Dat! Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 6,672 Blog Entries: 13	I'm not too worried about injuries on spec. teams. The returner can always call for fair catch or run out-of-bounds. If the ball carrier is skilled, they should avoid most of the big hits. IMHO, we need to have Reggie returning punts. Elusiveness and reversing direction is important on PR and Reggie does that best. It's not as important for him to return kickoffs, since it's most straightline speed running full blast and trying to find a seam. Beerman and Bethel are probably just as good an option at KR as Reggie on most plays.

06-12-2006, 10:15 AM	#17
saintswhodi 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 6,941	Dude, I agree 100%. What's the point of having the best punt returner on the team not returning punts? He is just a slikely to get hurt having a safety T up on him on a crossing route as he is to get hurt getting hit on a punt return. Or what about a 300 lb DT eating him up in the backfield? That was a good point about the kick returns, and we can prob keep him off of those. But having him do some punt returns in games is no more dangerous than anything else he will do on the football field. No matter where he lines up, people are gonna be gunning for him anyway cause so much hype came with him into the league.

06-12-2006, 10:31 AM	#19
saintswhodi 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 6,941	Okay, see, I don't get this line of thinking. If all it takes is one idiot third string gunner, why aren't players like Steve Smith, donte Hall, Jerome Mathis, etc. hurt more on punt returns? Hurt at all for that matter? Steve Smith IS Carolina's offense, I would think returning punts in every game, someone would have taken him out, no? Well, no and he went on to have one of the best seasons at WR. Donte Hall IS the most feared return man in the league. Tiny guy. Doesn't get hurt by 3rd string gunners. It's no more risky than anything else Bush will do as a football player. Once again, he got drafted for his versatility. He's not a one dimensional player, and the team shouldn't try to make him one. I guess we could also say all it takes is one idiot LB to see Bush running free across the middle of the field and lay a blind hit on him and hurt him. Happens just about as often as a player who is TAUGHT to be aware of a fair catch call, missing a fair catch call. What do you see more on "Jacked Up" tackles that happen during regular offense, or special teams tackles? FAR more tackles that happen during the course of offensive series. Players just aren't out there getting hurt doing punt returns, cause there are enough rules in place that a smart punt returner will know most often when he is aout to get whacked, and when to try to break one.