Who should be the Pats primary kick returner?

[TheSolderKing]

Vince Wilfork

what about Dan Connolly?

Nuff said

Dan Connolly kick return - Bing Videos

 

[ausbacker]

Whoever's the fastest sprinter on the Patriots 54 then him.

 

[TheSolderKing]

SHANE VEREEN HIGHLIGHT - CAL FOOTBALL - YouTube

I stand by Vereen. Look how the dude runs.... very instinctive and finds holes/gaps


check this Highlight Video.


8 minutes really well done.:rocker:


the kid can move.


SHANE VEREEN HIGHLIGHT - CAL FOOTBALL - YouTube


I like what I see... this movement and mobility will help sooooo much in the KR game

 

[makoute]

I vote for Vereen

 

[DaBruinz]

It doesn't matter who the Pats put back there to return kicks because the front 7 on kick returns are horrible blockers and do nothing to slow the opposing team's coverage unit down. When there are 7-8 guys on the three deep blockers just as the returner comes across the 15 yard line, it's almost guaranteed that the returner is not going to get past the 20 because of the number of coverage men to worry about.

Scott O'Brien has not been an improvement on Special Teams. I'd rather see Belichick fire him and take over STs than go another year with no improvements.

 

[Triumph]

It should be Brandon Tate.

Whats with Edelmans stupid white gloves?

 

[Ron Sellers]

Typically your looking to for speed from your kick returner; good hands and quick, shifty moves from your punt returner.

So for kick returns it seems like Taylor Price - who is much faster than Brandon Tate (vilified while here, placed on a pedestal now that he's gone) - would be the guy. If not him then Matthew Slater.

Punt returns I suppose would be Faulk or Edelman.

However, as DaBruinz pointed out above and on the other thread, it's more about the blocking in front of the guy with the ball than the return man himself. That seems to be the primary issue - not the person returning the ball.

 

[Silver Blue&Red]

I have a feeling we're gonna be seeing Underwood at first. But Edleman and Woody weren't working so good. Vereen would be nice!

 

[ATippett56]

Brandon Tate!

Oh wait! The New England Patriots cut wide receiver Brandon Tate for Chad OchoBusto!

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Vereen or Underwood.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Vereen is the obvious choice, but I guess it would make too much sense

 

[strngplyr]

I personally haven't watched a lot of the footage of Vereen, but this seems like the kind of thing he was brought in to do. The quick speedy back, currently not useful as a RB due to Woodhead and Faulk, could probably do a nice job returning and also saving our more used starters from ST injury risk.

 

[Reckedtrek]

Anyone but averageman.. I mean LessThanAverage... I mean edleman. Guy sucks. He hasn't done crap since his rookie year and half the board (that couldn't wait to can Tate) thinks edleman is the next Wes Welker.

He's not even close.

 

[Schmo]

Slater was awful but I'd give him another shot
If Underwood got lots of reps at KR during summer camp I'd consider him too
But if Ben Vereen is gonna be game day active he's another possibility

He may not help us win games, but he could help us win some Tony's. After all, he's "Got Magic to Do"

IMO Price and (Shane) Vereen should be the next ones to get a chance, in that order.

 

[jeffbiologist]

I'd say Vereen too but then we would have 1 less guy to dress. I think with the higher KOs compared to last year kickers are going for more hang time which is more like a punt. For this reason I'd say keep Edleman out there. There is part of me though that wants Slater in there to fumble the season away again(see Steelers game) so he can FINALLY get cut!! GRRR

 

[supafly]

I just can't advocate using McCourty, especially considering our disgusting lack of depth at CB. Kick returns are much more dangerous than punt returns, and I believe that many feel they are the most potentially violent play in all of sports. That is the sole reason why we really shouldn't risk DMcC to that kind of injury possibility, as tempting as his explosive speed is.

Slater hasn't really shown much in the past, has he? I distinctly remember many freaking out about him in the past attempts that he's gotten.

Vareen takes away from an important roster spot, and is not even really used to being in any game situations/ball handling.

Woodhead to me does not appear to be the same player since his concussion/injury, but that's just my opinion. At the moment, I don't even know if he should be in there right now. His pass blocking skills aren't as good as others, and he just doesn't seem to be running with too much purpose lately.

Wes Welker---see reasons for not using McCourty...

So that ultimately leaves one man, and that's Julian Edelman. It's his job to step up, get his mind right, and show us his shiftiness and agility that he has flashed in the past. Whether or not he can do it remains to be seen, but in my opinion it's still his job right now--- but a lot of it comes down to lack of another viable option.

 

[patsfan-1982]

Price is not Good a nuff to be a WR so give the kid a shot at returning kicks

 

[supafly]

Price is not Good a nuff to be a WR so give the kid a shot at returning kicks

Sure, good point; but then you come across the same scenario as you do with Vareen, which is having to take his added roster spot into consideration.

If he weren't usually inactive, it'd be an easy decision.

If Price is active for gameday situations, then I'd think you'd have to give him a shot at returning kicks. No doubt.

 

[patsfan-1982]

Sure, good point; but then you come across the same scenario as you do with Vareen, which is having to take his added roster spot into consideration.

If he weren't usually inactive, it'd be an easy decision.

If Price is active for gameday situations, then I'd think you'd have to give him a shot at returning kicks. No doubt.

thats true you have a good point there im not sure if he's been avtive for more the 2 games this year

 

[chicowalker]

I guess Slater, since I haven't seen Vereen or Underwood.

I don't think McCourty or Welker are significant enough improvements to warrant the injury risk, and I don't think Edelman is a good kick returner (though he has been a very good punt returner in the past).

(btw, I think Tate was overrated as a KR. Second half of the year, he was non-existent as a threat, far different from the first half of the year. Don't know if he was injured or what.)