Kick returner, if not Boyce or Finch

There clearly is a considerable chance neither Boyce nor Finch will make the team. Maybe you think the chance of that is >50%; maybe you think it's still less; either way, you surely agree it's considerable.

If neither does, then who returns kicks?

• I don't like the McCourty idea; he's too valuable on defense, he doesn't have some superhuman kind of ability to survive taking hits, and he isn't anything special in the role anyway.
• I generally like the idea of RBs returning kicks, assuming they have the hands. That said, Vereen dropped a lot of passes last year, which we hope was due to his wrist injury. White seems like a natural candidate, as it would give him a reason to be game-day active.
  
• Edelman and Amendola are obvious choices, but I don't like the idea of them taking more hard hits than they already do.
• Slater's been tried and rejected for the role in other seasons.

As you say, White is the natural choice. Is it really worth a team and active roster spot to have whatever improvement Boyce or Finch would give us? I think not.

If Boyce or Finch are to make the team, they need to show value at their positions. And yes, this could be future value. We usually keep a couple of developmental players on the 53, expecting them to be inactive.

Tyms? He's suspended for the first four games, after that it would seem a natural possibility especially if Boyce gets cut it may be because Tyms knocked him down the depth chart. Vereen or White might be the best choices to start the season even if Tyms is in line to take over once he comes off suspension.

I think White or a WR with the talent for it, therefor not Edelman or Amendola, will be selected. Edelmen and Amendola have shown Punt Return abilities, which are completely different. And IMHO much more valuable and difficult to find.

Unbelievable as it seems, the WR talent is all shaping up, and for a Belichick team unexpectedly deep. Usually BB is satisfied with only 2 or 3 good, but not necessarily great pass receivers.

FWIW, on Tuesday Roy Finch and James White took reps as the first-team kick returners; Matthew Slater and Josh Boyce were in the second group. There was plenty of 11-on-11 kickoff work on Tuesday.

How important is being a KR these days anyway?

Like most of us, I watch far too many games and see so many kickoffs that I'm getting punch drunk. If there's been a runback of any consequence so far in the preseason, I must have missed it. What I see is a string of kicks to the back of the EZ, a knee and the O taking over at the 20. If you want to stick on a roster as a RB these days I think you have to beat out other runners. KR is becoming, if not already has become, an anachronism.

Arrington seems like a reasonable option. Or we could go outside of the box and see if the former rugby guy, Ebner, can get the job done.

doesntmatter1 said:

Arrington seems like a reasonable option. Or we could go outside of the box and see if the former rugby guy, Ebner, can get the job done.

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I would think a guy like Ebner (if he makes it, due to the fact that he's in the same category as Finch/Boyce) would be a much better wedge guy on special teams.

I am guessing White will get the final call

Like Joker said...KO are zzzzzz. Punts on the other hand...but edelman is the best at that

Obviously, the kick return role is diminishing in importance, due to rules changes that serve to reduce the likelihood of something interesting happening on the play. Still, somebody has to do the job.

The top requirement for the job, of course, remains catching and holding onto the ball ...

Gronk. (I miss the bricks emoticon.) OK, seriously, Ryan Mallet. (C'mon, you didn't expect a serious answer after "seriously," right?)

I understand that Boyce hasn't had a good camp by any stretch but we're talking about a position (WR) that was the most depleted on an already injury depleted team last year. We went into the AFCCG with a banged up Dobson, a banged up Amendola, Edelman, and Collie. Even with a bad TC, it's hard to see him not making the team. That position needs depth.

KontradictioN said:

I understand that Boyce hasn't had a good camp by any stretch but we're talking about a position (WR) that was the most depleted on an already injury depleted team last year. We went into the AFCCG with a banged up Dobson, a banged up Amendola, Edelman, and Collie. Even with a bad TC, it's hard to see him not making the team. That position needs depth.

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I agree with you, though on any given gameday he might be the odd man out if the rest are healthy. I doubt we'd bring 6 wr's plus Slater onto the 46. So in those instances, we'd need someone else to return the kicks. You know, all four of them that will be returnable this season

A better question is, is there someone else besides Edelperson that shows real talent as a punt returner?

PatsWickedPissah said:

A better question is, is there someone else besides Edelperson that shows real talent as a punt returner?

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Yep, Amendola is a good and experienced PR.

KontradictioN said:

I understand that Boyce hasn't had a good camp by any stretch but we're talking about a position (WR) that was the most depleted on an already injury depleted team last year. We went into the AFCCG with a banged up Dobson, a banged up Amendola, Edelman, and Collie. Even with a bad TC, it's hard to see him not making the team. That position needs depth.

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I tend to agree, but at the very least it's easy to picture him not being a an every-game fixture on the active 45.

White certainly seems to have the inside track -- IMO he's a safe but underwhelming choice. KR is about two things, speed and hands. White has the secure hands but not the speed (just as Slater has the speed but no hands).

lurker1965 said:

Gronk. (I miss the bricks emoticon.) OK, seriously, Ryan Mallet. (C'mon, you didn't expect a serious answer after "seriously," right?)

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Oh, come on! You can do better than that.

Why not Shane Vereen?

lurker1965 said:

Gronk. (I miss the bricks emoticon.) OK, seriously, Ryan Mallet. (C'mon, you didn't expect a serious answer after "seriously," right?)

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I would love to see a backup QB returning kicks. maybe we should have done that with Tebow

Bequette