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So with the offseason moves, doesn't it seem we are short on return men? I might be incorrect but I believe on our roster only Janis and Davis have any significant return experience, and both are on the roster bubble. Or maybe we plan on using some of the new rbs there? Any ideas on who will be back there on kicks and punts?

MVP2110 wrote:So with the offseason moves, doesn't it seem we are short on return men? I might be incorrect but I believe on our roster only Janis and Davis have any significant return experience, and both are on the roster bubble. Or maybe we plan on using some of the new rbs there? Any ideas on who will be back there on kicks and punts?

Monty was a good kick returner in college. I thought he'd get a look.

Thinking Cobb will get a long look as the punt returner. Kick returner is up in the air between Davis and Janis probably on which actually makes the roster

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I'd use Cobb on both unless davis beats him out. You're paying him a bunch of cash might as well get your money's worth on what could be his last season on the team.

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WeekapaugGroove wrote:I'd use Cobb on both unless davis beats him out. You're paying him a bunch of cash might as well get your money's worth on what could be his last season on the team.

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This + Janis/Davis who-ever makes roster as 2nd KOR they sometimes deploy

Unless Cobb, Janis, Davis, everyone else flames out entirely (not likely) Pack will not risk ST injury to Montgomery as he is too big a factor in the offense

Yea I forgot about Monty but I can't see them using their starting RB for returns. Cobb is an interesting idea that they have gone away from in recent seasons but with his dimished role I could see it

I'd say just let Cobb or Monty do it. They seem to fair catch it most of the time and avoid big hits on punts. KOR can be Monty but again it's mostly a touchback these days.

MVP2110 wrote:So with the offseason moves, doesn't it seem we are short on return men? I might be incorrect but I believe on our roster only Janis and Davis have any significant return experience, and both are on the roster bubble. Or maybe we plan on using some of the new rbs there? Any ideas on who will be back there on kicks and punts?

This position has never particularly intrigued Ted Thompson. Think he's making a mistake. Desmond Howard and Allan Rossum always titled the field in the Packers advantage. Hyde did some damage too for awhile.

paulpressey25 wrote:

MVP2110 wrote:So with the offseason moves, doesn't it seem we are short on return men? I might be incorrect but I believe on our roster only Janis and Davis have any significant return experience, and both are on the roster bubble. Or maybe we plan on using some of the new rbs there? Any ideas on who will be back there on kicks and punts?

This position has never particularly intrigued Ted Thompson. Think he's making a mistake. Desmond Howard and Allan Rossum always titled the field in the Packers advantage. Hyde did some damage too for awhile.

I remember thinking Cobb and Monty were specifically for special teams. Cobb was big early but then became too important.

Davis for KR and either Cobb or Montgomery for PR. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

They will probably have a few options at kick returner since that's much easier to do than return punts and with how many touchbacks there are it's not really that important anyway. I'd still use Cobb there since he was really good at it early in his career. But if they want I'm sure they could go with one of the backup RB's on kicks or even a guy like Randal could probably handle it if he's not deemed too important on D. Punts are a different animal and take more skill so that should probably be Cobb unless someone takes that job from him.

I think one of the 3RBs or 2WRs we drafted, or one of the UDFAs, or Janis and Davis can handle this.

Not concerned about it.

Cobb at least for punts. Antonio Brown still returns punts, right?

Meh. Kickoffs are rarely returned these days. Yes, a good punt returner is nice, but I'm less interested in giving a roster spot to a return specialist than I am to someone like guys like Hyde and Cobb who can be useful at multiple positions.

Cobb is only worth the money we are paying him if he is being used on returns. I have said that since we offered him the deal.

humanrefutation wrote:Meh. Kickoffs are rarely returned these days. Yes, a good punt returner is nice, but I'm less interested in giving a roster spot to a return specialist than I am to someone like guys like Hyde and Cobb who can be useful at multiple positions.

rarely? Twice a game in 2016.

DrWood wrote:

humanrefutation wrote:Meh. Kickoffs are rarely returned these days. Yes, a good punt returner is nice, but I'm less interested in giving a roster spot to a return specialist than I am to someone like guys like Hyde and Cobb who can be useful at multiple positions.

rarely? Twice a game in 2016.

On average, about 62% of kickoffs end up in touchbacks these days. The best teams are closer to 80%.

Ten years ago, it was closer to 15% with some teams having less than 5% of their kickoffs go for touchbacks.

The average return got about 20 yards. The highest figure is about 26 yards.

When you take into account that touchbacks are being moved to the 25 instead of the 20, and kickoffs are injury prone, then you have to ask yourself whether it's worth it to put someone on the roster who will only return kicks.