Edelman As A Punt Returner

Edelman is one of the NFL's best in history, as far as average yards per punt return. Don't expect Belichick to sit him.

NFL Career Punt Return Average Leaders | The Football Database

I'm coming to accept he will be returning punts at least to start the season, so they can keep Inman and/or Harris instead of Berros.

Yep, I just don't see anybody on this roster who's likely to unseat Edelman. And even if Berrios manages to make the roster, he could easily be a gameday inactive.

I'd rather see someone else returning, I think he's too important to the offense right now to handle primary PR duties at least in the regular season. He's likely the best option, but he's trended downward over the years (will attach a snapshot of the stats below) as a returner and I don't think it's worth the extra toll at this point. The last 3 active seasons he's well below the 11.2 career average. Whether someone proves to be a reliable option is another story.

PATSYLICIOUS said:

I'd rather see someone else returning, I think he's too important to the offense right now to handle primary PR duties at least in the regular season. He's likely the best option, but he's trended downward over the years (will attach a snapshot of the stats below) as a returner and I don't think it's worth the extra toll at this point. The last 3 active seasons he's well below the 11.2 career average. Whether someone proves to be a reliable option is another story.

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I think that Belichick looks at it as part of his job, one of the plays he is in on, a d dots t consider the chance of getting injured returning a punt to be any greater than playing WR.
I actually don’t think it is.
I mean it’s like saying Edelman is too important to the offense so let’s take him out for running plays.

I hate seeing it, TBH. I would prefer that it is anyone else that can catch and not fumble, even if they just fair catch it.

Is it that Edelman is trending downwards or that league-wide the punt return distance is decrease? I am not sure.

I think it’s where the punters place the punts. More often, I see the punts targeted near the sideline, effectively boxing in the receiver, limiting the return.

Patjew said:

I hate seeing it, TBH. I would prefer that it is anyone else that can catch and not fumble, even if they just fair catch it.

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“Not fumble” is much easier to say than achieve.

I’ve grown to accept that BB puts importance on STs and que sera, sera... for 99%+ of the time, it works out for coach.

It has been a long time since I have seen that transcendent ability that Edelman had to cut and accelerate on a punt return. His punt returns his first 6 years in the league were works of art. Now he is effective and reliable, but no longer other worldly.

I would love to see him not returning punts or at least scale back the workload punt return-wise. Crucial situations and close games where you may need to switch field position or have someone sure handed field the punt throw him out there. But in games we're up 14 late in the third quarter have Berrios (or whomever ends up as the backup punt returner) out there. Edelman goes down and this offense is in big trouble. We saw Dorsett in the slot last year and he wasn't bad but he wasn't anything close to what Edelman gives us.

I think a good punt return can be just as impactful, if not moreso, than a big reception. I don't see why we should remove that weapon from arsenal to avoid 4-5 plays in the average game where Edelman might get hurt. Unless someone else (who can justify their existence on the roster in another way too) can be as dynamic, I keep Edelman there. Doesn't have to be all the time though, they can rotate other guys in for lower leverage situations, or times when it's unlikely we're going to get a return at all. But I want Edelman returning punts until someone proves they're better at it.

The good news for those hoping we pull him from the role, is that his absence in camp has given the coaching staff plenty of opportunity to look at other candidates. If someone IS going to unseat Edelman for PR duties, we'll find him. If no one seizes this chance, it would be detrimental to the team to replace him purely out of caution.

farn said:

“Not fumble” is much easier to say than achieve.

I’ve grown to accept that BB puts importance on STs and que sera, sera... for 99%+ of the time, it works out for coach.

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Everything in football is much easier said than to achieve for me,

Like others have said, in critical situations or bad weather or the playoffs, I am OK with him back there. I just hate seeing him take the beatings on a regular basis.