Saints not short on offensive weapons
 

I’m pleased with how they’re beginning to catch the ball. They’re picking up the offense a little quicker than I thought they would, so overall it’s a pretty good group.� Curtis Johnson

http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/s...l?index=13&c=y

little something

RE: Saints not short on offensive weapons
 

Play along... Remove our top 2 WR's (Horn, Stallworth) from the roster.

Could you imagine our starters at WR? Henderson, Lewis, Hass, Lyman, Derrius Thompson, and Jamal Jones.

CB's across the league would be circling the Saints on their calendar as they're BREAKOUT game!

RE: Saints not short on offensive weapons
 

Exactly. We need Joe and Donte to stay healthy.

well given that we have 14 WR's on the roster right now, and every team keeps either 5 or 6. Who do you think makes it. It seems the only locks are Horn, Stallworth, and Henderson.

The n you have Johnson, Lewis, Lyman, C. Horn, Hass who i think are the next tier of guys.

At least 2 of these guys are going to be cut...who do you think goes?

i would like to see haas make it

Well, Lyman's going down with an injury and will spend another season on IR. I would never wish injury on him, but the only thing he's been consistent about in his career is being hurt.

Lewis will make it for his... return skills? I guess so, but when was the last time he took it to the house. Or, when was the last time you didn't see him running for the sidelines?!!! He's lost that, excitement.

Johnson... Return game as well, but I have a question. Why does it always seem like the fastest man in the NFL, never has the hands to match his speed? How come a track and field guy can't catch even a little bit?

Hass will make it b/c NOLA likes an underdog they can pull for. (i.e. Michael Lewis' rookie season)

I know nothing about Chris Horn except that he came from KC. Could we see a second coming of another Horn from KC? That would be nice, but highly unlikely.

So, in summation:

Lewis, Johnson, and Hass stay.

Chris Horn, Lyman gone.

Well last season he was obviously hurt so he couldn't do much of anything. But if you remember that last game of the season before that, against Tampa Bay, he took a punt return all the way down to like the three that pretty much saved the game for us, and we ended up winning.

This seems pretty logical. I definitely think that if one of those guys will be cut, it will be Chris Horn. Who? I am very interested to see if Lyman makes it. He sounds like an explosive WR when healthy, and he says that he is healthy, and he's not even using a knee brace. I think that if he's healthy at the beginning of the season, he'll make the roster. I also wouldn't be surprised to see one of those return specialists get cut. We also have Reggie who's return abilities are better than both Lewis and Bethel. And only one guy can return kicks...

I hope Lewis stays. People forget how absolutely horrendous our Special Teams unit was at blocking. The Saints were called for penalties in nearly ever kick return last season. Holding was the only way our team could block. Lewis is a momentum shifter. He's a game changer.

I hope Peyton and his coaches teach this team about two really important fundementals - the arts of blocking and tackling.

It is just a read guys

Reggie should never return kicks! Yes he has the ability, but leave it to Lewis and Bethel to sacrifice their bodies in one of the most dangerous positions of the game.

I know people say that fewer people are injured on special teams, but they're also on the field much less often.

Let Johnson or Lewis rack us up 28-30 yards a return on kick-offs and we'll be cool.

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.

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.....

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

AMEN to that

Lewis and Bush returning kicks are you crazy thats will be a teams nightmare !!!! Lewis on the punts special teams will win use some games this year guys i can see it already !!

Scroll down to the 5th section of the article. Loomis talks about using Reggie on special teams.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5576238

HA! Loomis is talking so much BULL! I put money, Reggie doesn't return anything.

I'd love to be wrong too... More than anything I'd love to see Reggie scoring touchdowns off of kickoffs and punts. But, they're not going to spend that kind of money to have him return kicks

AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN...

A little Devil's Advocate. I found the following on Wikpedia. They make a valid point as well...

Because they take the field sometimes fewer than ten times a game, most special teams players are exceptionally intense during play, making kick and punt returns home to some of the most exciting (and hardest hitting) action in a game of football. Though this makes for good spectating, it also leads to a fairly high rate of injury among special teams players, and as a result, many starters are hesitant to take up a special teams role.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_teams

Good article about injuries in the NFL.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_291033.html

Is that the "Bishop" in your avy?.......

Wow, heard this before:

I do not know what they are going to do but I would like to Henderson learning that skill. If not get a mad man back there like NE had last year. Smart and fearless, speed is not always the answer. Bush I can see once in a while.

It IS just a read, but you have a bunch of ravenous fans, just waiting for something to be posted, to disect it. The cool thing is that most of the stuff said shows a lot of intelligent thought provoking stuff. Compared to the trash on that raiders site, this stuff is all golden.

I agree with B&B, why take the chance. Especially since we do have Lewis and Johnston. The reason Carolina uses Smith is because they don't have anybody else that is worth a damn. There are definitely people out there that would be gunning to take a cheap shot on Bush, especially if he starts kicking proverbial A$$ in the NFC South.

Good point.

However, I would've loved to have seen Ricky Proehl returning kicks!

Let's see, Carolina had He Hate Me returning kicks. They also have Chris Gamble who was a damn good returner in college. They also have Drew Carter, and Deshaun foster has returned kicks. So they weren't exactly devoid of players who could do it either. They CHOSE to let Smith do it cause he was the best at it, same with Bush here. Every team has guys who CAN return, but very few teams have difference makers at returner. Steve Smith is one, so is Reggie Bush.

none other ;) i think it was whodi that initially made the comment that led me to put it up there, can't remember for sure. but after hearing the new busta CD, i think i'm about to change it.

is he hate me even in the league anymore???

He was when Steve Smith was returning punts, which was the point. :P

He hate me i remeber that guy he returned some on the saints ...........

so basically you're telling me that deuce, stallworth, henderson and lewis = gamble and smart on special teams.

:|

he hate me signed a one year deal with the raiders this offseason, btw.

Um, Chris Gamble is as good a returner as any we have. Outside of Reggie. Beerman sucks now, people need to give up that dream. How much weight has Deuce gained? He hasn't returned KICKS since his rookie season, did he ever return punts? We tried Stallworth on punt returns some last season, negative. Henderson has not done it either. So, basically, the choice is not to take out best option at punt returner and have him return, or take a hasbeen, a power back, a guy who did not do so well at it the prior year, or a guy who has never done it, over a guy who excels at it. Awesome. I guess we can get any scmoe to fair catch. Good call. :roll:

I don't know where he hate me is playing this year has to do with the fact Steve Smith still returned punts when he was in Carolina, but okay.

gamble might be as good as anyone on our team at returning punts, but you cannot negate the fact that we have more options than carolina does in that regard. which furthers my belief that there's no need to use bush on punt returns, but okay :roll:

ever wonder why deuce was limited to kick returns? ;)

I see that dude all the time...Cool as Phuck..

lemme know ...ill hook you up with an autograph...
pimpin.....
and ...Smart is still in da league...

see who all the time??? bishop???

yes....
him and his green caddy..