Fixing The Return Game

Interested to see what you think the Seahawks will do to improve the return game. Walters was sure handed but was not a threat.
I'd love to see Jacoby Jones in a Seahawks uniform. He is a dangerous returning and would be a nice deep threat.

I thought our blocking on returns was atrocious last year. Of course it takes vision to break one but you need help to do it.

Ginn is out there, but we can't afford a roster spot for just a return guy.

I Say Eddie Royal.

Royal is not the game breaker Jones could be but he would be a good weapon on offense. Reminds me of Bobby Ingram.

Largent80":39i7pbqm said:

I thought our blocking on returns was atrocious last year. Of course it takes vision to break one but you need help to do it.

Ginn is out there, but we can't afford a roster spot for just a return guy.

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This, times 1000. In the focus on bad returners was lost that the IR exchange just killed some assignment soundness in the KR game.

I wouldn't sign a free agent to be a return guy. The draft is where I'd go for that.

I really hope we draft 2 WR's in this class- 1) Big Target receiver early on - Sidney Rice type. 2) In the 5-7th round pick up a WR/Returner who can be a #4-#5 WR or slot depth behind Baldwin.

I agree with the "no roster spot" theory.
Pick the best guy you already have and run with it. Pun intended.

IMO Spots are far to valuable, to give a guy one, just to return kicks/punts.

I think the # 1 fix is fixing whatever the issue is / was with the up men.

BUUUUUT I'd be fin with a guy like Jones or Ginn.

I don't know why someone would prefer a returner via the draft. I'd take a known commodity that's a specialist on a short term deal. It's too bad that the Seahawks are currently so deep but unsexy at WR. We can't really afford to sign or draft another (unless they're going to the top of the depth chart), IMO.

Largent80":1fchrab3 said:

Ginn is out there, but we can't afford a roster spot for just a return guy.

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But isn't that exactly what we had in Walters? And his roster spot was basically just for punt returns. If we can get a legitimate KR/PR and jettison Walters it basically frees up a roster spot that was held hostage last year.

oldhawkfan":bj8m9lz0 said:

Largent80":bj8m9lz0 said:

Ginn is out there, but we can't afford a roster spot for just a return guy.

Click to expand...

But isn't that exactly what we had in Walters? And his roster spot was basically just for punt returns. If we can get a legitimate KR/PR and jettison Walters it basically frees up a roster spot that was held hostage last year.

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Good point.

as posted in the NFL thread, if CJ Spiller could be had on a cheaper deal I think he would be a perfect fit.

I can almost guarantee that one of our draft picks this year is going to be a dynamic PR/KO returner.

We can't go another year having the slowest white boy on two feet and Doug Baldwin returning.

oldhawkfan":33bgteif said:

Largent80":33bgteif said:

Ginn is out there, but we can't afford a roster spot for just a return guy.

Click to expand...

But isn't that exactly what we had in Walters? And his roster spot was basically just for punt returns. If we can get a legitimate KR/PR and jettison Walters it basically frees up a roster spot that was held hostage last year.

Click to expand...

How does it do that? Switching out one specialist for another might use the spot better, but it doesn't free one up.

If they get Spiller they would need to unload either Turbo or Michael. How funny would that be, (if Lynch comes back) Lynch & Spiller in the backfield. Both drafted by the Bills. He would be a nice change of pace. Excuse my ignorance but didn't Spiller only return kick offs and not punts or did he do both? I feel someone will overpay for Spiller to be there every down back.
I still feel Jacob Jones would be a great fit not only due to his contribution returning punts & kicks but he is a deep threat that the team does not have.

we need too much receiver & secondary help to sign/draft a guy just to do returns.

Yeah, it's great that Walters is a local boy and all, but he needs a nickname like "One Hit Walters" or something. Always straight up the middle and the first guy that touches him has him down. We need to do better. I don't have a problem with having a designated return specialist, personally. Do teams ever use big bowling-ball types for returns, or is it always the fleet-footed, shifty guys?

I hope the goal is to have our 5-6 wr be our returner but to get him from the draft.

TRE MCBRIDE!!!!!!!!!

or lockett

purpleneer":2ammmcvi said:

oldhawkfan":2ammmcvi said:

Largent80":2ammmcvi said:

Ginn is out there, but we can't afford a roster spot for just a return guy.

Click to expand...

But isn't that exactly what we had in Walters? And his roster spot was basically just for punt returns. If we can get a legitimate KR/PR and jettison Walters it basically frees up a roster spot that was held hostage last year.

Click to expand...

How does it do that? Switching out one specialist for another might use the spot better, but it doesn't free one up.

Click to expand...

Probably just semantics. To say it differently,

Walters' value was pretty much fielding punts. If we can replace his spot on the roster with someone who can return both kicks and punts, while at the same time be a better receiver than Walters it will be a clear upgrade.

Jon Ryan is our man.

Here are the FA options that I can think of:

Tedd Ginn - Can return both punts and kicks I believe, but probably wouldn't play WR for us

Dwayne Harris - Awesome special teamer. Can do punt and kick returns as well as play coverage team and is a viable #4 WR

Jacoby Jones - I know he does kick returns, not sure about punts. Not much of a WR other than a deep threat.

Lance Moore - Probably the best WR on my list, but probably the weakest in the return game. I believe he did punt returns for the Saints, not sure about kick returns.

Then you have your RB's who can return like Reggie Bush and CJ Spiller, but I'm not even going to go there.