FOR the last few years the Eagles Special Teams hasn’t scared anyone. It’s true that Punting and Punt Coverage has helped us win the hidden yardage battle in many games. The Kicking has also been reliable, but reliable and special are two different things.
What we haven’t been in some time, is dangerous. RB Miles Sanders had a 67 yard Kickoff return last year, but it was 67 yards and still not a score. Rookie legs broke free, on a dash to the end zone. Yet still we couldn’t seal the deal. Again.
Eagles 2019 Kick Return TD
Over the last few years we’ve had RB Darren Sproles lend us a little cred as a Punt Returner. However, given the number of games he’d missed over the past few years, we were trading on an old reputation. Meanwhile players who couldn’t really fill Sproles shoes, were given their shot at his job.
Which now sits vacant.
Part of our problem is that the staff likes to shoehorn a back-up into the role. Instead of getting a specialist, the staff picks a guy to act almost as a fill-in. Instead of a RB who can return kicks, we need a KR who can give us a few offensive downs per game. Understand the difference?
Maybe RB Boston Scott is that player. He’s done both KR and PR duty. Why not make that the primary reason he’s on the roster? Gives us a reason to keep 4 RB’s.
Eagles 2018 Kick Return TD.
The Eagles currently don’t have a Bobby Mitchell, Devin Hester, Mel Gray, Tamarick Vanover type player. Instead we have Miles Sanders playing KR, like RB isn’t enough wear and tear.
This season the staff needs to pick a young guy, and tell him that the only reason he’s making 40K a week, is because he can return kicks. Then stand aside and let that man earn a larger contract.
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