Yep just like the Dolphins to use Waddle on returns now when that's dumbest thing you can do with a guy you just spent 2 first round picks on. I'm really wondering why i even bother watching anymore at least leave Grant to do returns only.
I’ve seen that guy drop one too many passes and of course the fumble last weekend to ever need to see him in a Dolphins uniform again.
There's other options besides Waddle for returning kicks, but I think he's the best of the bunch. Also, I hate to see Grant go....but he just had to go. Wish the little scrappy fella luck on his next team!
Holland can do return duties as well. Plenty of options, though even with injury risk, I want Waddle if he is the best. Get the ball in his hands, don't coddle him. As for Grant, it was an error to bring him back. This was a move that should have been made in the offseason. He had no business coming back after his poor WR offerings.
And it begins. If we continue to lose, I can see us selling a few others off as well. Howard, Jones, Wilkins, even Parker could be gone by the deadline.
I wouldn't use Waddle. He's already had a punt return fumble and you can't afford those kinds of mistakes. Whoever is our kick/punt returner needs to basically never fumble in that role. As far as the value of an explosive kick returner, it's gone way down ever since the NFL changed the rules, first in 2011 where they moved the kick up to the 35 yard line and then in 2016 when they made touchbacks result in the offense starting at the 25 instead of the 20. Statistically the best thing to do is to NOT return the ball, unless you have someone like Dante Hall or the ball doesn't go into the endzone and you're forced to return it. The average length of a return has been in the low 20's since the mid-1990's and was worse before that. In 2020 the average return was 22.5 yards, and NEVER in NFL history has it been as high as even 24 yards (highest ever was 23.8). Teams have learned this, with the average number of kicks that are returned halving from 4 per game in 2010 to 1.9 per game in 2020. So Grant is not a big loss. He was averaging 24.8 Y/R so not even a touchback. Most important is making sure you don't fumble the ball, and while I think Waddle will be a good WR, I don't want to ever see a fumble like his on that punt return changing the outcome of a game. Just put someone back there with sure hands who can return it to the 20 or so if the kick is not in the endzone.
When Shula was coaching. he wouldn't tolerate drops and turnovers by returners. He once benched his returner for a guy who was terrible at running with the ball, but would never drop it. Forge the name.
I know it was mentioned that Noah Ig can return punts, so I'm hoping it's him just to make use of the roster spot he's taking up. But if the ultimate goal is 'sure hands', then I'd take a look at Gisecki. His role has been limited by needing a blocking TE on the field and he rarely drops anything in his general vicinity.
We better not be using Waddle as a return man. That's just plain stupid. It's also why I could see us doing this. Seriously though...Noah Ignoagbsadjhewfrhee is just about worthless. Why not let him return the punts? Or Albert Wilson for that matter?
Thanks for a handful of electric moments Grant, but it was past time to part ways. As for this being an example to the rest of the team, well, as long as they keep Brissett around? The supposed lesson of 'do your job, to keep it' will just ring hollow.
This move just feels like a sacrifice to me. Somebody's head had to roll after the last few games and they choose mighty mouse. Flores still won't admit to who's calling plays so this is the best answer they got for now.
Has Wilson ever returned punts? I don’t think he has for us and I cannot remember if he did for the Chiefs, I feel like he could be a good return man edit: looked it up, he returned 3 career kickoffs for KC, no punts
Good to see someone held accountable. Now if he would just fire the offensive coordinator and Ross would fire Grier, we'd be set.
If Grant doesn't fumble, it would have been a three-point game. But then again , Indy fumbled one too on a punt so that basically evened out (except I don't think we scored a TD on that drive? can't remember). So I guess it was easy to point the finger his way.
See ya! Go drop easy passes and run backwards on punt returns elsewhere. A 6th is useless, but so was he this year thus far. Iggy and Waddle can likely take over these duties. Maybe even Wilson. Makes sense to move him if you can.