Ouch.

by John Morgan on Sep 24, 2009 4:38 PM PDT

Think Seattle's starters shouldn't be returning kicks? Think valuable players at positions without depth especially should not be returning kick? I think we can add Josh Wilson to the list of players injured while returning. Marques Harris ankle tackled Wilson and Wilson did not return for the second half.

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I was wondering which play he was hurt. It’s really too bad that Butler completely sucks at returning.

by m_b on Sep 24, 2009 4:44 PM PDT reply actions

It's weird.

Some players are projected and drafted to be good return me in addition to playing WR, but often times a player does just plain suck at returning. Not sure why that is. Dexter Jackson drafted last year for TB comes immediately to mind.

I have to say that I do like a ‘speed guy’ at KR especially. Wilson was the best man for the job barring return duties by Burleson, but I can totally see the logic behind not wanting Wilson to risk injury due to our CB situation. Hmm….I wonder if Fisher can return?

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevan Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Sep 24, 2009 5:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Return skills are one of the few that translates almost directly from college to pro

So if a guy could do it in college he generally can do it in the pros. Butler was held out of KR duties at Penn State, where Paterno has not traditionally been bashful about putting starters on special teams. I’m not surprised he isn’t great at it. He can probably be decent in that he has the tools, but he seems to lack the “knack” for it.

"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin

by dcrockett17 on Sep 25, 2009 5:05 AM PDT up reply actions

John...

Am I to read behind the lines and assume you don’t think Wilson should have been returning kicks?

I don’t really know where I stand on the issue. I know it was talked about a lot last year after Nate got hurt but I’m still pretty much on the fence.

Part of me says special teams is huge and you want to utilize the best man for the job, especially when he is the guy with the ball.

Another part of me says “just how much more dangerous is it to return kicks than it is to do his normal job?” It’s just a matter of time before a guy gets hurt playing football. Is returning kicks that much more dangerous than playing corner? Is it just bad luck that this injury happened while returning a kick vs. making a tackle or cutting to cover a WR? That’s not to say this specific injury, but rather, an injury that makes him miss games.

Should we not get the most out of EVERY player while they are healthy?

I think I just made it sound like I’m pro- best player returns kicks… but I’m not sure I believe that.

I’m sure some stat-nut could determine how much more likely a guy is to get hurt returning kicks. Then you have to look at the added value vs the risk. I’m starting to lose interest in what I’m talking about.

Thoughts?

I saw a Kelly Jennings INT.......really....

by The Manchild on Sep 24, 2009 5:22 PM PDT reply actions

Nate got hurt on a catch

But he was committing suicide with the returns he was trying to make.

May the Forsett be with you.

by SSreporters on Sep 24, 2009 5:39 PM PDT up reply actions

As I remember he limped off after returning the kick...

and then blew out his knee on the same possession.

Anyone else remember that or am I crazy?

entirely possible…..

I saw a Kelly Jennings INT.......really....

by The Manchild on Sep 24, 2009 5:40 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't remember him limping

And he asked for it anyway if he did.

May the Forsett be with you.

by SSreporters on Sep 24, 2009 5:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Who would return kicks anyway?

I hope everyone remembers the pain we went through with Josh Scobey (returning…otherwise he was great), Willie Ponder, and Jimmy Williams getting maybe 20 yards per return.

Williams just fumbled anything he could.

May the Forsett be with you.

by SSreporters on Sep 24, 2009 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions

Obomanu.

by John Morgan on Sep 24, 2009 5:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Forgot Obo returns punts

I saw the Saints pbp chart for my fanpost and noticed Courtney Taylor returned kicks alongside Burly.

May the Forsett be with you.

by SSreporters on Sep 24, 2009 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions

It was the first quarter that he hurt his knee on the kick return.

Burleson’s loss was particularly stinging because after Sunday’s game he said the injury was minor and he would play against the 49ers. He first felt instability in the knee during the first quarter, but put a protective sleeve on it and kept playing.

here is the article on the game

I saw a Kelly Jennings INT.......really....

by The Manchild on Sep 24, 2009 5:49 PM PDT up reply actions

Burly tries to kill himself

He either fumbles the ball or acrobatically gets tackled to the point where he can get hurt.

But when he’s loose….he’s loose. See 2007.

May the Forsett be with you.

by SSreporters on Sep 24, 2009 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions

That was one of the more acrobatic tacklings I've seen in quite a while.

by thebyron on Sep 24, 2009 8:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I was thinking something similar,

I don’t remember him limping off, but I remember on a return in that game (I don’t know which one it was) that he jumped up into the air to try and hurdle someone and may have gotten hit, and came down on his feet before droping to the ground in a way that made me think that he might have injured his knee, but he was back on the field that drive so I figured he was okay. After he got hurt I remember wondering if he might have done something to it on the return and then it completely gave out later.

by Mind of no mind on Sep 24, 2009 11:13 PM PDT up reply actions

I do not have a strong opinion on starters returning kicks in general,

but Seattle was too thin at corner to put Wilson in that position. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

by John Morgan on Sep 24, 2009 5:49 PM PDT up reply actions

In half fairness, Wilson is not supposed to be the starter (Trufant)

And he is a very dangerous kick return man, and by far our best, so I can see why they would want him in there.

You make an interesting point though, and perhaps as soon as he became the starter, he shouldn’t be returning kicks. Who do you use instead though? Forsett, obviously, and he’s OK, but then who? You need two back there. Butler can’t seem to figure it out. The only other person I can think of is Obomanu. It’s just that Wilson is so much more explosive then these other guys.

by B.B.Finnegan on Sep 24, 2009 5:25 PM PDT reply actions

Wilson is a dangerous returner

But he’s less likely to score because he gasses at the end very badly. He’s got a great burst of speed and then boom it’s gone.

The 49ers have now injured Logan Payne, Matt Hasselbeck, Sean Locklear, Josh Wilson, Justin Griffith, and Lofa Tatupu in the past 3 games.

Is this payback for walloping Alex Smith?

May the Forsett be with you.

by SSreporters on Sep 24, 2009 5:58 PM PDT up reply actions

They should be happy with us walloping Alex Smith.

He stinks.

by djafrot on Sep 24, 2009 6:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah but if Alex Smith had stayed healthy

Maybe he would’ve sucked long enough to get the ax.

May the Forsett be with you.

by SSreporters on Sep 24, 2009 6:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Wes Welker

This is why it always blows my mind to see Wes Welker returning kicks for New England. Gee, ya think maybe the guy you’re counting on to catch 100+ catches should be watching from the sidelines as the guy returning the kick is sandwiched between 4 defenders?

by Keasley on Sep 24, 2009 5:59 PM PDT reply actions

Bring Moore Up and give him the rock on KR/PR

Yeah…if he goes down it wouldn’t impact us as much. I wouldn’t want Obo out there since he’s a valuable 4th WR that we may need just in case.

Moore isn’t the best canidate right now…but he has the best potential and least impact if he gets hurt

I Bleed Blue and Green

by DSAhawker on Sep 24, 2009 10:59 PM PDT reply actions

I'd like that.

But who’s roster spot?

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevan Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Sep 24, 2009 11:01 PM PDT up reply actions

It Would Be Nice

If they were two or three Forsetts deep in the kick and punt return game, but we all know that they had to keep the three dozen defensive linemen who looked good against fourth stringers in preseason, so there we are. It would also be nice if Butler could reliably get you past the fifteen on a kick return, but since he can’t you do a little risk-reward calculation on the back of an envelope and you throw Wilson or Burleson out there. It would also be nice if there were no injuries and rosters were unlimited and coaches didn’t have to make these kinds of decisions in the middle of tough road games, but there we are.

by Santolina chamaecyparissus on Sep 25, 2009 8:38 AM PDT reply actions