Seahawk's punt returner? - Earl Thomas

[Patler]

Many call it insanity to have Cobb returning punts. How about one of the top safeties in the league? Pete Carrol has picked Earl Tomas for the job:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000386707/article/earl-thomas-wins-seahawks-punt-returner-job

[smuggler]

Thomas isn't even really fast enough to justify this risk...

[call_me_ishmael]

Wow, that is crazy. So silly IMO.

[NewsBruin]

Three thoughts:

--You don't have have to be fast, as much as shifty on PR. Speed is better on KR, when everyone's running at each other from opposite ends of the field, Braveheart-style. But is a starting safety super-shifty?
--Isn't your safety going to be a little winded from defending 3rd-and-long before taking the punt? I'd think if you wanted to use a starter, you'd use an offensive one.
--It reminds me of when the Cowboys had Brock Marion as a KR. I wish I had paid attention to those returns; could have been fun.

[RashanGary]

Earl Thomas ran between a 4.37 and 4.43. He's incredibly fast. It kind of scares me, just because it probably makes them better and he'll be healthy on Thursday unless he gets injured in practice so the health thing doesn't mean anything for opening day.

That said, I think it's probably a bad idea. He's so valuable to that defense. I like Cobb returning for us. We could get by without him. I don't know if Seattle would be the same team without Thomas at FS.

[smuggler]

He's not a burner. Specifically, he runs faster in shorts than in pads. I'm not saying he's slow by any stretch, but the Seahawks probably have a handful of guys that are better runners.

[call_me_ishmael]

One good hit and Earl the pearl will be done back there.

I put Janis back there personally. That is the job of the 5th or 6th receiver IMO.

[texaspackerbacker]

First and foremost, you need somebody who is a dead sure thing to catch it and not fumble it. I don't know who is and who isn't that on Seattle, but I suspect that's why Seattle has him back there. When you got a defense like theirs or an offense like ours, you mainly just don't want Special Teams messing things up.

[pittstang5]

First and foremost, you need somebody who is a dead sure thing to catch it and not fumble it.

Exactly - That's the very reason I liked Hyde back there. Cobb is good too, but Hyde just looked so natural catching a punt. He's not the fastest guy, but I didn't worry about him missing or muffing a punt.

Even with that said, didn't he (Hyde) drop one in preseason?

[Patler]

Exactly - That's the very reason I liked Hyde back there. Cobb is good too, but Hyde just looked so natural catching a punt. He's not the fastest guy, but I didn't worry about him missing or muffing a punt.

Even with that said, didn't he (Hyde) drop one in preseason?

Another guy that looks very natural catching a punt, even on the move, is Janis. He won't be back there Thursday, and maybe not for several weeks, but I think he will be before too long.

[Pugger]

Why do folks wring their hands if starters are returning punts? How often does a player get injured in this roll?

[Noodle]

Why do folks wring their hands if starters are returning punts? How often does a player get injured in this roll?

It happens. The Pigskins used super-burner Darrell Green to return punts when they really needed a big return. He was awesome at it (see vid below), but he also got hurt doing it (see vid below).

I'm ok with use Cobb for a few weeks, but I'd be working Janis every day to get him ready to do it ASAP.

Anyway, enjoy Green's brilliance and the Bears's futility:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vykn16DAQ0I#t=49

[KYPack]

It happens. The Pigskins used super-burner Darrell Green to return punts when they really needed a big return. He was awesome at it (see vid below), but he also got hurt doing it (see vid below).

I'm ok with use Cobb for a few weeks, but I'd be working Janis every day to get him ready to do it ASAP.

Anyway, enjoy Green's brilliance and the Bears's futility:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vykn16DAQ0I#t=49

Great post, Noodle.

I was thinking about this play when I read this thread.

Green tore his rib cartilage on this return. Watch him after he hurdles the tackler, he damages the rib right there. He scores holding his ribs. DG played the next week and made a key tackle, hurt ribs and all.

He wasn't nothin' but a stud.