Should Niles Paul be returning kickoffs

[Vanguard]

I like Niles Paul.  But I also know that if we're going to return kicks; it would be nice to see someone back there who's a threat to take it the distance.  What do you think?

[Hunter_R]

I'd prefer someone less likely to bobble or drop the catch, that's for sure.

[TheDiplomat]

I'd prefer her not honestly. It would be nice to see Crawford get some reps back there vs. Pit.

 

4.4 40 and he's shown to be patient but assertive on PRs

[BringBackMcCants]

no.

[SpacePenguin]

I like Niles Paul.  But I also know that if we're going to return kicks; it would be nice to see someone back there who's a threat to take it the distance. What do you think?

I think that if Shanahan agreed with this line of thinking, Brandon Banks would still be on the roster.

I get where you're coming from, but if the division winning HC wants to give Paul a look returning kickoffs, then who am I to judge? It just means he sees something we don't. No big deal, considering how often touchbacks occur with these lame rules.

HTTR

[HTTRDynasty]

I don't see what Shanahan is thinking with this.  Niles is never going to take it to the house.  My vote goes to Crawford.

[bigkobe81]

Of course not. No big play ability at all, i would much rather see Crawford 

[Burgold]

Until someone takes the job away... yes, he should.  Personally, if Thompson proves he's healthy I'd love to see him get a shot as the third down back and KR.

[DeadExField]

He's been doing it since last season, and I'm still not impressed. Dude isn't even a real TE

[Mocountyskins]

I'd prefer someone who was faster then a JV lineman.

[TheDiplomat]

Until someone takes the job away... yes, he should.  Personally, if Thompson proves he's healthy I'd love to see him get a shot as the third down back and KR.

 

Did he ever really earn it himself tho. I guess he was next in line after we cut Banks, but he hasn't done enough to impress minus that one stiff arm to the Dallas Kicker

[redskindan07]

We are probably the only team in history that has a TE returning kickoffs

[Dark Acre]

Why not Moss?

[Vanguard]

Why not Moss?

 

Only reason I wouldn't put Santana back there is because he's so valuable in the slot.  But it would be interesting to see him do it.  I can think of five or so people that would be better than Niles.

[Hitman21ST]

I don't mind him, honestly. He might not break the big one, but he'll get us solid field position

[Vanguard]

I don't mind him, honestly. He might not break the big one, but he'll get us solid field position

 

Why settle for solid field position, when you could get a touchdown and rest your offense with a more dangerous kick returner with real speed?

[Hitman21ST]

I don't mind him, honestly. He might not break the big one, but he'll get us solid field position

 

Why settle for solid field position, when you could get a touchdown and rest your offense with a more dangerous kick returner with real speed?

 

I'll take the 25 or 30 consistently than the occasional TD and an average starting spot of the 15. Besides, why would we want to rest our offense? If there's a side of the ball you want to rest, it's the D.

[Vanguard]

 

I don't mind him, honestly. He might not break the big one, but he'll get us solid field position

 

Why settle for solid field position, when you could get a touchdown and rest your offense with a more dangerous kick returner with real speed?

 

I'll take the 25 or 30 consistently than the occasional TD and an average starting spot of the 15. Besides, why would we want to rest our offense? If there's a side of the ball you want to rest, it's the D.

I understand what you're saying.  Basically there's two ways you can look at it.  Neither way would be wrong.

[TheDiplomat]

 

I don't mind him, honestly. He might not break the big one, but he'll get us solid field position

 

Why settle for solid field position, when you could get a touchdown and rest your offense with a more dangerous kick returner with real speed?

 

I'll take the 25 or 30 consistently than the occasional TD and an average starting spot of the 15. Besides, why would we want to rest our offense? If there's a side of the ball you want to rest, it's the D.

 

Well Niles averaged 21.8 last year. For comparison, Banks averaged 24 (Let it be known I'm glad he's gone. Just noting that he was poor on KO's and yet still better than Niles).

 

Also, no starting returner averages 15 yards per return

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/returning/sort/kickReturnYards

[DMVLeGenD]

Not at all. Dude has no burst. He's never gonna be a threat to take it the distance. 

 

And I don't understand why people are bringing up Banks. Banks was never a threat to take it the distance after he got knee surgery (besides in the preseason). And his proness to muffing and poor decision making made him useless.

 

I've heard people bring up CT, but he barely returned kicks at FSU. I'd rather have Crawford there than Paul though.

 

I wish we brought someone in like Onterio McCallebb, just for this role.

[ctskinsfan]

No

[HeluCopter29]

This board has a weird fascination with Niles Paul that I don't see.

 

He's a fine kick returner but he really shouldn't be on the roster.

[KuNiT21]

I don't mind him, honestly. He might not break the big one, but he'll get us solid field position

 

I hope not.  The SP of the Gibbs era was brutal with Rock Cartwright.  I'll take a guy who has potential to take it to the house.  I trust our offense enough to compensate someone not getting quite the field position of Niles but potential of taking to the house.  

[DC9]

The 6-1,

220-pound Paul has made his mark in the NU record books during his

career. Paul had 103 career receptions to rank sixth on the NU career

list and his 1,532 career receiving yards rank fifth in school history.

His 1,887 career kickoff return yards are second in school history,

while Paul’s career total of 4,122 all-purpose yards ranks fifth at

Nebraska.

 

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=831272

 

For some of the less well-read out there... there was  a cat by the name of Johnny Rodgers who played a little football out at Niles' Alma Mater... winning that Heisman Trophy thingy.  Niles broke many of his records.

 

I have an idea... for idea's sake.

 

We preach continuity as a fan base.  We preach letting football people make football decisions... and we all have our own opinions on Danny Smith, but I'd safely bet the farm that over 70% of diehard Redskins fans were not Danny Smith fans.

 

So... we lost Danny Smith this offseason.  Niles took over KR last year after 16 was just terrible. 

 

Let's give the kid a chance at some continuity with a proper ST coordinator before we start picking on little things like this.

 

EDIT:

 

Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention...  Any KR/PR is going to have to contribute somewhere else.  Don't get any pipe dreams about keeping a guy just to return kicks... not gonna happen this year.

[Spitfire71]

Keep in mind that the majority of kickoffs by kickers worth their salt in this league are going to go out of the back of the end zone with the new kickoff rules established before last year started, so return men are going to have less chances anyway.  Maybe you can get away with a smaller guy back there for punt returns (and maybe it's actually advantageous as they tend to be more elusive).  But the good thing about Niles Paul as a KR is that he knows what he is.  He doesn't try to juke and jive his way to big plays.  He runs straight ahead, right into the teeth, and he's not really a guy your special teams are licking their chops to tackle because of his size.

 

The first problem with those 'speed' types is that they tend to be small.  Maybe not Brandon Banks small, but small.  You always have to ask yourself, can that guy take a physical pounding for all 16 games?  And that's not so much size sometimes as being used to being hit.  Personally, I always favor guys that are offensive guys by trade - RBs especially because, A.) they tend to have better hands, and B.) they are physically and psychologically more used to taking hard hits.  The other risk you run with sticking a speed guy - especially a guy that's inexperienced at this level - is that they tend to be 'dancers'.  In most kickoff return situations nowadays, you're already coming about 5-7 yards out of your own end zone.  If you look at Devin Hester and what made him great as a kick returner a few years ago, he always got into a line and just went north-south.  He may cut once as necessary, but that was only after he squared his shoulders and pointed himself toward the end zone.  A certain receiver who shall go unnamed, several years ago, had gotten a few return touchdowns under his belt and then decided that he would try to break every kick he got his hands on for a touchdown.  A lot of those attempts never made it past the 20 because he was so busy looking for the big one that he forgot that IT'S NOT THE KICK RETURN TEAM'S PRIMARY JOB TO SCORE TOUCHDOWNS.  Sure, it's exciting to watch and puts points on the board, but our team isn't exactly wanting for excitement OR points.  If our offense weren't so effective, then maybe we could put a gamebreaker.  But I'd rather have a guy that consistently shortens the field for an offense that can already get the job done well enough - especially if I know he's not going to put the ball on the turf.