Cliff wrote:
I think we should leave Patterson on the bench. Playing football is just inviting injury. We want to keep this guy in mint condition.
On the bench? Are you serious? You've never sprained a knee sitting on a bench? Far too dangerous. He needs to be carried in a hammock and preserved in a sarcophagus lined with hypoallergenic yak fur.
Maybe he can just be a mobile virtual presence device:
I'd just as soon see Patterson returning only kickoffs if he doesn't have the experience as a punt returner. I watched a brief press conference the other day with Mike Priefer, and the feeling of the coaching staff is that Marcus Sherels is far and away the most sure-handed of their punt returners. IMO, a lack of turnovers on punt returns far outweighs the possibility of Patterson breaking one or averaging a couple more yards per return.
Marcus Sherels is a very good punt returner with a nice set of wheels. If he can actually get some good blocks, I bet he can take a few kicks back for a TD. As for Joe Webb, it looks like it will be between him and Stephon Burton for that last spot. Even though Burton has had a good camp, I think his days are numbered and Joe Webb will take his spot.
Cliff wrote:
I think we should leave Patterson on the bench. Playing football is just inviting injury. We want to keep this guy in mint condition.
He's a big dude, probably less injury prone than Percy.
But you have to admit that returning punts is pretty wicked at times. If anything, PR and KR is the ONE area over the years that I wish the Vikes would be a bit more conservative. I remember they have had AD back there and he gets absolutely hammered... It's just not worth it IMO.
Then again...
The junior [Patterson] returned four punts for 101 yards and a touchdown. However, Patterson did most of his damage as a kick returner, compiling 671 yards and another touchdown on 24 attempts. He set an SEC single-season record with a combined kickoff and punt-return average of 27.6 yards, and a school record of 1,858 all-purpose yards.
If anything, PR and KR is the ONE area over the years that I wish the Vikes would be a bit more conservative.
I agree...*if* they're going to use him on offense enough to make a difference. If they're going to work him in slowly I can understand using him more on special teams. If he ends up starting in the base sets then to be honest I'd hope they'd take him off special teams altogether. Harvin was on the sideline too often catching his breath after returns. Is the downgrade really enough to risk a starting wideout? For what, a touchdown in an entire season? Or a few bigger returns now and then? If he's not starting I can understand, but otherwise let someone more expendable do it.
With talent like that it would be criminal not to use him as a kickoff returner, especially this season when he may actually have as much value in that role as he does as a receiver.
Eli wrote:
But the thinking has always been that there's very little difference between FS and SS in the Vikings' scheme. And that all of the LBs are expected to learn each job and be interchangeable.
You're right, I'd forgotten about that. I guess the reason it stood out in the depth chart was because there's always been rumblings about Smith and Blanton starting alongside each other, so I was kinda surprised to see Blanton as #2 FS. But those rumors/hopes are probably more to do with fans connecting the dots instead of real info from the coaching staff, no?
And Demi pretty much nailed it about CP84 doing returns. It all depends on how big a part of the offense he's going to play. So we might see him do it early in the season but taper off towards the end of the season when he acclimates himself to the offense.
JEC334 wrote:Marcus Sherels is a very good punt returner with a nice set of wheels. If he can actually get some good blocks, I bet he can take a few kicks back for a TD. As for Joe Webb, it looks like it will be between him and Stephon Burton for that last spot. Even though Burton has had a good camp, I think his days are numbered and Joe Webb will take his spot.
Webb is is, you can almost mark it down now.
A successful coach needs a patient wife, loyal dog, and great quarterback - and not necessarily in that order.
Demi wrote:
I agree...*if* they're going to use him on offense enough to make a difference. If they're going to work him in slowly I can understand using him more on special teams. If he ends up starting in the base sets then to be honest I'd hope they'd take him off special teams altogether. Harvin was on the sideline too often catching his breath after returns. Is the downgrade really enough to risk a starting wideout? For what, a touchdown in an entire season? Or a few bigger returns now and then? If he's not starting I can understand, but otherwise let someone more expendable do it.
