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Wade as the return man?


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5 minutes ago, buffalojedwardo said:

I know we have Roberts but why not let the guy compete back there? 


I've been saying this since he got here.

The odds of him truly contributing on offense enough to gain a roster spot for that reason seems incredibly low.

As such, and given the skillset needed to be a successful rugby player, why has he never been given a shot as a returner?

It seems like it would be VASTLY easier to learn than the entire offensive playbook, and it would give him a better chance of actually making the roster.

The only thing I can think of is that maybe he's not good at fielding kicks. Otherwise, it seems like a real waste to not let him try his hand as a returner.

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We have one of the best, if not THE best KRs in the league. But let’s replace him with a guy that has barely even played football. I don’t understand why Bills fans, are always obsessed with these underdog stories. Like Duke Williams. The guy isn’t even going to make the team. We have awesome WRs now, but there will be 20 threads this offseason about a player that’s on the fringe of making the league. A guy like John Brown that had an incredible season last year...no talk. Duke Williams, hero. We have 2 young RBs that could easily be the strength of the offense going forward...nobody talks about them. Rugby player that might not even understand the rules of Football: savior. Now our all pro return guy needs to be replaced by him. 

Edited by Brianmoorman4jesus
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It would be difficult to have a roster spot used just for a kickoff returner.  We had 32 returns last season. 2 per game isn't enough for 1 roster spot. Roberts returns punts and can play WR, plus he's an pro bowl caliber returner throughout his career, so his spot can be justified.

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1 hour ago, Logic said:


I've been saying this since he got here.

The odds of him truly contributing on offense enough to gain a roster spot for that reason seems incredibly low.

As such, and given the skillset needed to be a successful rugby player, why has he never been given a shot as a returner?

It seems like it would be VASTLY easier to learn than the entire offensive playbook, and it would give him a better chance of actually making the roster.

The only thing I can think of is that maybe he's not good at fielding kicks. Otherwise, it seems like a real waste to not let him try his hand as a returner.

 

I bet they give him a chance. I played rugby in college, and a back had better be competent fielding kicks, albeit with a bigger ball and different surroundings.

 

My son forgot to call a fair catch once in high school. He held onto the ball, but I figured he’d learned his lesson. The next (and LAST) time he did it, I figured he had dain bramage from all those long headers in soccer! He’s much better now, he just loved contact!  The kid got a free shot on him, my son was up first standing over him saying “a free shot and that’s all you got?” Hysterical! 

 

 

.

Edited by Augie
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19 minutes ago, Logic said:


I've been saying this since he got here.

The odds of him truly contributing on offense enough to gain a roster spot for that reason seems incredibly low.

As such, and given the skillset needed to be a successful rugby player, why has he never been given a shot as a returner?

It seems like it would be VASTLY easier to learn than the entire offensive playbook, and it would give him a better chance of actually making the roster.

The only thing I can think of is that maybe he's not good at fielding kicks. Otherwise, it seems like a real waste to not let him try his hand as a returner.


Even if he can return kicks - there is no way he can do punts - so you would have to keep Roberts for Punts anyways.

 

so you are logically proposing that we keep a second guy that can not really contribute on offense and keep him just as a Kick returner and a second guy (who made the pro bowl multiple times) as a punt returner only.

 

No way.

 

Wade still has an exempt spot - he either improves as a RB or he sits another year on the PS.  

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11 minutes ago, Rochesterfan said:


Even if he can return kicks - there is no way he can do punts - so you would have to keep Roberts for Punts anyways.

 

so you are logically proposing that we keep a second guy that can not really contribute on offense and keep him just as a Kick returner and a second guy (who made the pro bowl multiple times) as a punt returner only.

 

No way.

 

Wade still has an exempt spot - he either improves as a RB or he sits another year on the PS.  

 

Let Wade compete for both. If he beats out Roberts on both, you give him the job. If he doesn't, you keep Roberts and Wade goes to the practice squad or is cut. Simple.

 

I don't see why he could return kickoffs but not punts. Let the coaches decide what he can and can't do.

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11 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Now that is a great idea!  
 

catch ball and run 

 

don’t catch it and toss it to a ref before taking a knee.  
 

 

Nothing wrong with that....as long as it was clearly his INTENT. 

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Tracking a punt and fielding it is hard to do, esp for a player who hasn't been playing football for long. Roberts was an All-Pro at it and I never have to doubt his ability to field the ball. I would rather a guy not have any muffs and just make solid returns like Roberts over someone who might make more big plays but also is a liability to have a few muffs. 

Edited by billsfan89
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3 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

Tracking a punt and fielding it is hard to do, esp for a player who hasn't been playing football for long. Roberts was an All-Pro at it and I never have to doubt his ability to field the ball. I would rather a guy not have any muffs and just make solid returns like Roberts over someone who might make more big plays but also is a liability to have a few muffs. 

You mean like a McLovin?:cry:

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48 minutes ago, Rochesterfan said:


Even if he can return kicks - there is no way he can do punts - so you would have to keep Roberts for Punts anyways.

 

so you are logically proposing that we keep a second guy that can not really contribute on offense and keep him just as a Kick returner and a second guy (who made the pro bowl multiple times) as a punt returner only.

 

No way.

 

Wade still has an exempt spot - he either improves as a RB or he sits another year on the PS.  


Pardon my ignorance, but....WHY exactly is there "no way" he can return punts?

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33 minutes ago, MJS said:

 

Let Wade compete for both. If he beats out Roberts on both, you give him the job. If he doesn't, you keep Roberts and Wade goes to the practice squad or is cut. Simple.

 

I don't see why he could return kickoffs but not punts. Let the coaches decide what he can and can't do.

Punt and kick returns are totally different. The blocking schemes and the way the ball comes off the foot

 

Not too mention the time it takes the gunners to get down the field is way faster

 

I did both and KR is 100x easier than punt returning, not even close. leodis mckelvin was one of the best punt returners in the league and he couldn't handle punt returning without putting it on the carpet

 

It's tough

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4 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Punt and kick returns are totally different. The blocking schemes and the way the ball comes off the foot

 

Not too mention the time it takes the gunners to get down the field is way faster

 

I did both and KR is 100x easier than punt returning, not even close. leodis mckelvin was one of the best punt returners in the league and he couldn't handle punt returning without putting it on the carpet

 

It's tough

Well yeah, of course it's tough. Doesn't mean he can't do it. He's a professional athlete.

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Just now, MJS said:

Well yeah, of course it's tough. Doesn't mean he can't do it. He's a professional athlete.

I'm not going to say he can't do it but the probability isn't high

 

KR and the space involved actually may feel more like Rugby to him but PR will feel like a foreign object 

 

Dudes screaming down on you at 20mph and you need to catch it and make the first guy miss who is probably within 3-5 feet of you running 20 mph when you field it

 

You honestly gotta be a bit nuts to do it in the NFL

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