Hubbs Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 One of my minor irritations over the past couple of years has been the lack of return on our investment in, well, returns. Punt returns, to be specific, since we seem to be quite happy with Rock taking kickoffs. We were supposed to see a leap in punt return production with the signing of Antwaan Randle El - one of the main arguments for signing him to such a hefty contract was "He's so versatile!" - and yet, he has only one return for a touchdown as a Redskin. More disturbingly, last year he seemed to regress to a player who would dance around half the field horizontally on most returns, netting only three or four yards in the process. Now, I realize that some of this could very well be blamed on the blocking ARE gets in front of him, and I would agree with anyone who wants to argue that said blocking has been less than tubular (not even gnarly, to be honest). However, the Randle El I remember as a Steeler broke so many big returns because he would immediately pick an angle, burst forward, and make one or two quick cuts along the way. That's rarely happened here. Seeing as Antwaan will almost assuredly be playing fewer snaps at receiver this year, it seems only natural that he would spend a bit more time working with Danny Smith and focusing on maximizing the value of his touches in the return game. Will we see the same Dancing with the Stars contestant we've seen for the past two years, or will we see a return of the gap-attacking, forward-moving ARE of the Pittsburgh days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[[ghost]] Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Minor irritations? That ****ing pissed me off last year. Why dance backwards when you could run like hell Forward? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I rather have James Thrash doing full time duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RammsteinSkins Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I rather have James Thrash doing full time duties.Agreed....One chance he gets and he explodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 ]']Minor irritations? That ****ing pissed me off last year. Why dance backwards when you could run like hell Forward? :laugh: Well, when you put it that way.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 I rather have James Thrash doing full time duties. My memory could very well be wrong here, but aren't you mostly basing off Thrash's one return in the Lions game? Isn't that kind of a small sample size? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 My memory could very well be wrong here, but aren't you mostly basing off Thrash's one return in the Lions game? Isn't that kind of a small sample size? he started his career here doing that as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAARedskin Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 This will be Randel El's last season as a REDSKIN if taller WRs like Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly can show that they are for real. I mean why would he and his SALARY be needed if these young guns emerge? I thought this on draft day, and I had blow-hards on this site telling me how great Randel El is........amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 This will be Randel El's last season as a REDSKIN if taller WRs like Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly can show that they are for real. I mean why would he and his SALARY be needed if these young guns emerge? I thought this on draft day, and I had blow-hards on this site telling me how great Randel El is........amazing. I think both Moss and Randel El are gonna in the next 2 years regardless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 he started his career here doing that as well. Well, that was nearly a decade ago by now - I can't say I have a lot of faith in him having enough explosion at, what, 34 years old? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgundy&Gold4Ever Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I rather have James Thrash doing full time duties. Exactly what I was about to say! I hate watching ARE back there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redskins:Victory_or_Death Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 What about Devin Thomas? :whoknows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcnativenerd Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Yeah, that did bother me last season a lot. He had a lot of ample opportunities to make productive gains, only to be stopped deep in our own territory due to a lack of northbound running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abu69 Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 What about Devin Thomas? :whoknows: Ding ding ding! We have a winner! If you haven't familiarized yourselves with our new punt returner, now's the time. Some highlights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 What about Devin Thomas? :whoknows: I dont want to risk his development as a WR to do punt return. I dont want to open up the season with him but i wouldn't mind a gradually change to him late into the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 This will be Randel El's last season as a REDSKIN if taller WRs like Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly can show that they are for real. I mean why would he and his SALARY be needed if these young guns emerge? I thought this on draft day, and I had blow-hards on this site telling me how great Randel El is........amazing. Actually, given the contract details, I find it much more likely that this is Santana's last year as a Skin, barring another 2005-like season from him. He counts more against the cap than ARE does next year, and cutting/trading him will create less of a dead cap hit than cutting/trading Antwaan, because Santana has fewer years left on his contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRock Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 eh, whatever, he's just trying to make a play and to me, he's more of a threat than throwing anyone else back there that can just run forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 Ding ding ding! We have a winner!If you haven't familiarized yourselves with our new punt returner, now's the time. Some highlights Don't be so sure. Not only will Zorn likely want Thomas to spend as much time as possible focusing on becoming a starting wide receiver, but how many here want entrust a rookie to cleanly field punts? More importantly, how many head coaches want to do that? Imagine us being two games over .500 in December, right in the thick of the divisional race. Tied game, fourth quarter, freezing rain falling in terirble, wintry weather. Opposing crowd screaming, chanting, and trying to do everything possible to intimidate our returner into muffing a punt coming at him in the middle of all that precipitation. And that returner is a rookie, who has quite literally never played in a game this big in his entire life. I'll take Antwaan, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackest Eyes Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I was never very happy with ARE's returns last year either. Hopefully this year something will change and he will do a better job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I rather have James Thrash doing full time duties. Thrash isn't that great of a returner. When I've seen him back there, most of the time he'd only get a few yards and get stuffed. That one return last year is more of an exception than the rule. For all the dancing he does, his average is pretty respectable. In 2006, when he was the #3 receiver and was mostly concerned with returning, he averaged 8.8 yards a punt return, which is respectable. I have a feeling him going back to being the slot receiver will benefit him in the return game, because even with all the dancing, he still produces out there. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 Thrash isn't that great of a returner. When I've seen him back there, most of the time he'd only get a few yards and get stuffed. That one return last year is more of an exception than the rule.For all the dancing he does, his average is pretty respectable. In 2006, when he was the #3 receiver and was mostly concerned with returning, he averaged 8.8 yards a punt return, which is respectable. I have a feeling him going back to being the slot receiver will benefit him in the return game, because even with all the dancing, he still produces out there. Jason He was better in 2006, no doubt. And unsurprisingly, his biggest return, the touchdown in the Colts game, happened when he shot forward immediately after catching the punt, made one cut to dodge a defender, and took it to the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCchillin89 Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 ROCK CARTWRIGHT the guy needs more touches. he's a great north-south runner...why not just put him back there in the preseason and see what happens... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McD5 Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Open competition, as there should be at every position. Line em up, and see who wants it. Competition puts our best guys on the field....give anyone who wants a shot an opportunity in practice.....weed them down to the top 3, then give those three multiple opportunities during the preseason games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Open competition, as there should be at every position.Line em up, and see who wants it. Competition puts our best guys on the field....give anyone who wants a shot an opportunity in practice.....weed them down to the top 3, then give those three multiple opportunities during the preseason games. Well, I doubt that ARE will take many, if any, balls in the return game in preseason. Same goes with Rock. So, there will be opportunities for young guys to impress. That being said, I doubt that ARE is going to get unseated as the starting punt returner. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldysknzfn1 Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 This was a major bone of contention with me last season. I remember numerous times saying..."what is he think he's doing w/all that running around? Just run forward ARE...forward!". Don't know if I would call it "nimbly-bimbly" tho:laugh: . I think I rather like "helter skelter" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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