Who's our punt returner?

[Brady-To-Branch]

Faulk, for all his contributions, still scares me as a fumbling threat.

Welker has already taken a pounding with his receiving duties.

That leaves...

Edelman?

In 2008, statistically, we were better than average.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categoryst...263-s=PUNT_RETURNS_AVERAGE_YARDS&d-447263-n=1

Discuss...

 

[patriot lifer]

Faulk, for all his contributions, still scares me as a fumbling threat.

Welker has already taken a pounding with his receiving duties.

That leaves...

Edelman?

Discuss...

hard to say. i don't think BB trusts anyone else very much besides those two guys (welker and faulk). they arguably have the best hands on the team, and they have great awareness out there, which is more important for punt returns than kick returns.
there aren't a whole lot of guys on the team that meet those requisites as well as them (great hands and field awareness)

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

I'm just concerned about injuries to those guys.

I posted a link in the OP that shows that the Pats fared well in this area. Here it is again.

NFL Stats: by Team Category

Edelman has punt ret experience in college.

 

[patriot lifer]

does Springs have experience? i thought i heard something about him fielding kick returns or punt returns (probably kick returns)

Edit: just checked nfl.com. he only has returned kicks

 

[mgteich]

Have dredged up a 2-year old post? How often has Faulk fumbled per try compared to other returners. He has not had fumble problems in several years.

We have Faulk and Welker. Do we NEED more than a returner and a backup? If BOTH are injured, I'm sure we have others who have returned punts. I think Butler and Lewis have done so.

 

[patriot lifer]

galloway has experience

Joey Galloway: Career Stats

 

[letekro]

Faulk, for all his contributions, still scares me as a fumbling threat.

Welker has already taken a pounding with his receiving duties.

That leaves...

Edelman?

In 2008, statistically, we were better than average.

NFL Stats: by Team Category

Discuss...

Faulk seems to be over his fumbling problem, and I don't remember him ever fumbling a punt. In fact, Belichick seems to use him as the "safe" returner, when it is more important to simply field the punt, than to get a big return.

Welker will continue to be the main PR guy I imagine. While he takes a lot of hits, he runs so low to the ground that I think he has a good chance to continue to avoid serious injury.

 

[DaBruinz]

My guess is that Welker is the man for punt returns with Faulk as the back-up. Edelman has very limited experience from college, but he does seem to have the short area quickness that is needed to excel at that position.

Looking at the Pats roster, the following have also returned punts:

Galloway (as mentioned)
Greg Lewis - Very limited with the Eagles
Terrence Nunn - Punt Returner for Nebraska - Averaged 8.5 YPR as a senior
Brandon Tate - 79 Punt Returns for 835 yards and 3 TDs (recovering from torn ACL)
Terence Wheatley - Was a punt returner in High School, but not in college

If Tate comes to camp and shows that his knee is completely healthy, then I look for him to take over the punt return duties from Welker. Tate being healthy, doesn't bode well for Aiken, Lewis or Edelman as one or two of those three would be out...

 

[Deus Irae]

Faulk seems to be over his fumbling problem, and I don't remember him ever fumbling a punt. In fact, Belichick seems to use him as the "safe" returner, when it is more important to simply field the punt, than to get a big return.

Welker will continue to be the main PR guy I imagine. While he takes a lot of hits, he runs so low to the ground that I think he has a good chance to continue to avoid serious injury.

94 career punt returns
4 career punt return fumbles
2 punt return fumbles in 2006

Kevin Faulk: Career Stats

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

My guess is Brady.

If we are trailing, Wilfork

 

[makoute]

If healthy would Tate be able to?

 

[SyN65]

Healthy Brandon Tate, Darius Butler maybe?

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

94 career punt returns
4 career punt return fumbles
2 punt return fumbles in 2006

Kevin Faulk: Career Stats

Oh my god. 4 punt returns fumbles out of 94. That is over 4% of the time. Or about a half as often as Gostkowski missing a field goal from inside th 29 yard (3 times out of 33). I say for the well being of the team both should be cut.

 

[Mack Herron]

I think this is a job for which many will compete in a few weeks...
I think there are a lot of possibilities among the younger players to take some of the load off the vets.

 

[Deus Irae]

Oh my god. 4 punt returns fumbles out of 94. That is over 4% of the time. Or about a half as often as Gostkowski missing a field goal from inside th 29 yard (3 times out of 33). I say for the well being of the team both should be cut.

They're just numbers. How you use them is up to you. However, given that the post I was responding to said

I don't remember him ever fumbling a punt.

I'd say posting them was appropriate.

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

My guess is that Welker is the man for punt returns with Faulk as the back-up. Edelman has very limited experience from college, but he does seem to have the short area quickness that is needed to excel at that position.

Looking at the Pats roster, the following have also returned punts:

Galloway (as mentioned)
Greg Lewis - Very limited with the Eagles
Terrence Nunn - Punt Returner for Nebraska - Averaged 8.5 YPR as a senior
Brandon Tate - 79 Punt Returns for 835 yards and 3 TDs (recovering from torn ACL)
Terence Wheatley - Was a punt returner in High School, but not in college

If Tate comes to camp and shows that his knee is completely healthy, then I look for him to take over the punt return duties from Welker. Tate being healthy, doesn't bode well for Aiken, Lewis or Edelman as one or two of those three would be out...

IMO, BB will put Tate on PUP before IR. Assuming he's healthy he's my first choice.

Thanks for the data.

 

[DaBruinz]

IMO, BB will put Tate on PUP before IR. Assuming he's healthy he's my first choice.

Thanks for the data.

At the Draft, I thought that Tate was destined for the IR. However, after looking at when his surgery was, its a good chance that Tate will be ready for TC.

But, there is only one way to know. When it happens,.

 

[DaBruinz]

Healthy Brandon Tate, Darius Butler maybe?

I cannot find any information that says Butler has ever returned punts (either at the high school or college level). Tate was one of the most explosive returners in college last year. Both on kick returns and punt returns.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Punt returners are different from Kick returners, less RB-style follow your blockers and hit the hole they make (KR), PR is more kamakaze, bull in a china shop running that ideally means a charge straight of the middle once the ball is secured and your eyes are back in the field. Shifty guys with great hands like Troy Brown, Kevin Faulk, Wes Welker who can shimmy just enough to make a couple guys miss and pick up 8-10 yards, but they've got to be Special Teams' Crazy kind of guys who'll throw their bodies at a human wall without flinching. That's what I see when I watch a good PR. One step to full speed and damn the torpedoes.

EDIT: For now that's Welker and Faulk. Maybe in time Tate, Edelman, or Ventrone might develop into that role.

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

Punt returners are different from Kick returners, less RB-style follow your blockers and hit the hole they make (KR), PR is more kamakaze, bull in a china shop running that ideally means a charge straight of the middle once the ball is secured and your eyes are back in the field. Shifty guys with great hands like Troy Brown, Kevin Faulk, Wes Welker who can shimmy just enough to make a couple guys miss and pick up 8-10 yards, but they've got to be Special Teams' Crazy kind of guys who'll throw their bodies at a human wall without flinching. That's what I see when I watch a good PR. One step to full speed and damn the torpedoes.

EDIT: For now that's Welker and Faulk. Maybe in time Tate, Edelman, or Ventrone might develop into that role.

Exactly.

KRs can be found quite easily. Maroney showed some ability there in 2006, when he averaged 28.0 with a long of 77. With Hobbs gone and Taylor on board, I wonder if Maroney will be moved back to that role.