LeGarrette Blount as the Patriots kick returner (KR)

[Froob]

Blount is Fred Taylor 2.0 he should not even be on the roster yet he still has 11 rush att for a amazing 2.4 yards per att and more KR then any 250lbs RB should ever have in he's whole career. at lest he will be a help this week with some info on the bucs

That's gotta be one of the strangest comparisons I've ever seen. Don't see anything similar between Blount and Taylor.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Blount =

 

[jmt57]

Am I the only one who hates this? This is pretty much a sure way of guaranteeing we'll return the kick no further than our 25 yard line.

Let's face it, this guy is NOT going to return a kick for a TD or even make it to around the 40yard line or midfield, to give us decent field position - something we should really value and go after considering our offense at this point.

*Blount had one extremely lucky play in the pre-season that he took for like 50 yards, but that's it.

Thoughts?

The number one thing that I want from a kick returner is not the fastest player on the team and best possibility of a kick returned for a touchdown; what I want is the lowest probability of a fumble.

A kickoff returned for a touchdown is electrifying, but even for the very best return guy for that to happen you typically need a breakdown from the opponent's kick coverage team. The chances of him making that happen all by himself are infinitesimally small. There's a valid reason why Slater doesn't return kicks, even though he is probably the fastest player on the roster.

A turnover deep in your own end is devastating. If Blount is the best player to keep that from happening, then so be it. I'm not too concerned with a drive after a kickoff starting six yards further upfield (which is about what the difference is between the best kickoff returners and the worst). On the other hand I am extremely concerned with gifting an opponent with a possession in the red zone.

If there's one issue I would like to see the team address it's the decision making on when to return a kick versus taking a knee. Far too often last year the Pats were running the ball out from deep in the end zone.

 

[PatsFan2]

Am I the only one who hates this? This is pretty much a sure way of guaranteeing we'll return the kick no further than our 25 yard line.

Let's face it, this guy is NOT going to return a kick for a TD or even make it to around the 40yard line or midfield, to give us decent field position - something we should really value and go after considering our offense at this point.

*Blount had one extremely lucky play in the pre-season that he took for like 50 yards, but that's it.

Thoughts?

BB seems enormed with slow lethargic kick-off returners we have been so bad in that area in years. That said you are not the only who is angry that Lethargic Blount is still on this Team.

 

[dales804]

Along with the slow returner that is Blount, is it me or is the blocking on the kick return not good? I realize Blount isn't too swift but he got hit on that first kickoff against BUF at like the 13. Perhaps the blocking is playing a part in the below average kickoff returns but I don't have access to film to analyze such things. Just a thought.

 

[cstjohn17]

Blount is the worst kickoff returner in NFL history, I wish that was hyperbole.

Spikes would be better.

I expect Washington to take this over, the lead footed Blount era is almost over.

 

[mgteich]

Washington has been injured.

Bellichick chose a player who he judged to be a sure handed returner. I know that folks would have him taken chances with Boyce. The possible improvement just isn't worth the risk.

Personally, I don't think that we signed Washington as just a KR. The position just isn't important enough. He was brought to partially replace Woodhead.

I have exactly zero problem with using Blount. My guess is that second choice would ahve been Slater.

I noticed that folks really had not better suggestions.

 

[Gronkandez]

Cue the "how dare you question Belichick, he knows more than any of you can ever dream of..." guy.

FWIW Coradelle Patterson had a 105 yard TD return yesterday.

 

[mgteich]

What you seem to be saying that we should have drafted a kick returner in the first down instead of our backups at LB and CB. Patterson had 3 catches for 24 yards in his 2 games.

Cue the "how dare you question Belichick, he knows more than any of you can ever dream of..." guy.

FWIW Coradelle Patterson had a 105 yard TD return yesterday.

 

[dales804]

Cue the "how dare you question Belichick, he knows more than any of you can ever dream of..." guy.

FWIW Coradelle Patterson had a 105 yard TD return yesterday.

They have Leon Washington who was 4th last year at 29.0 yds/return (with a long of 98) for anyone with at least 10 returns. He's just not doing that job for whatever reason.

 

[Gronkandez]

What you seem to be saying that we should have drafted a kick returner in the first down instead of our backups at LB and CB. Patterson had 3 catches for 24 yards in his 2 games.

No, it's just ironic and also it related to the commenter who said KO returners are irrlelevant given the new KO rules.

 

[mgteich]

I presume that he is still injured.

They have Leon Washington who was 4th last year at 29.0 yds/return (with a long of 98) for anyone with at least 10 returns. He's just not doing that job for whatever reason.

 

[moosekill]

He did have a heck of a block last game though!

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

Having a 250lb kick returner makes perfect sense.

 

[supafly]

The number one thing that I want from a kick returner is not the fastest player on the team and best possibility of a kick returned for a touchdown; what I want is the lowest probability of a fumble.


A turnover deep in your own end is devastating. If Blount is the best player to keep that from happening, then so be it. I'm not too concerned with a drive after a kickoff starting six yards further upfield (which is about what the difference is between the best kickoff returners and the worst). On the other hand I am extremely concerned with gifting an opponent with a possession in the red zone.

Actually, Blount may be the worst choice out of any of the candidates going by that reasoning alone. He currently has a fumble rate of 1/43 touches.

In comparison, the guy who we've constantly been worried about with Stevan Ridley, has a fumble rate of 1/76 touches.

Obviously there's something that Belichick sees that we possibly don't and/or it could simply be a temporary sort of filler role until Washington is either healthy enough or up to speed enough to take that role back over, which should happen pretty soon. I don't think any of us expect LeGarrette Blount to continue returning kickoffs throughout the course of the 2013 season.



****These fumbling figures of 1/43 touches for Blount and 1/76 touches for Ridley were calculated as of 2 weeks ago and do not reflect the first two games of the 2013 season.

(stats courtesy of profootballreference.com)

 

[Fencer]

Blount bobbled a kickoff in the middle of the endzone, eventually controlled it, and then ran it out. (And he's not a particularly fast guy.)

WTF kind of decision-making is that???

 

[VJCPatriot]

Would prefer Washington out there but he must be hurt if blount us getting reps. How about boyce?

 

[Fencer]

I wonder whether Blount's role in part is to preserve our other RBs by soaking up hits, on offense and kick returns alike ...

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

the coaching staff is really dropping the ball on this one. They take away our chance for a KR for a TD by putting him back there...he will never get a TD or have a chance at one

 

[PATRlOT]

Blount bobbled a kickoff in the middle of the endzone, eventually controlled it, and then ran it out. (And he's not a particularly fast guy.)

WTF kind of decision-making is that???

Yeah I noticed that. Smh