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Will sproles get returns?

Posted on 7/14/13 at 9:15 am
Posted by mooseknuckle
Hill country
Member since Aug 2006
4435 posts
Posted on 7/14/13 at 9:15 am
If not, who does? I think he's our best bet for punts and kick offs. He's not an every down back so he shouldn't be gassed when it comes time for special teams.
Posted by 1SaintsFan
Wichita, Kansas
Member since Oct 2007
1406 posts
Posted on 7/14/13 at 10:14 am to
I'd like to see Cadet fill the role of KR/PR. No need to put Sproles in and risk injury.
Posted by bonethug0108
Avondale
Member since Mar 2013
12690 posts
Posted on 7/14/13 at 11:25 am to
I've not been impressed by his kickoffs, especially when he brings it out from 8 yards deep, but he is pretty great on punts.

Being that there are less injuries on punts and we have other guys that could do about the same on kickoffs, I'd say keep him on punt returns but not kick returns.
Posted by goatmilker
Castle Anthrax
Member since Feb 2009
64332 posts
Posted on 7/14/13 at 11:42 am to
Hope not.
KO returns are done now as maybe is Roby.
Hopefully a 3rd to 5th recv will get the call on punt returns.
Posted by mooseknuckle
Hill country
Member since Aug 2006
4435 posts
Posted on 7/14/13 at 11:47 am to
You're right about KO as he comes out so fast but seems easier to tackle than on PR. I am worried about injury too.
Posted by Believer504
Harvey, LA
Member since Dec 2011
379 posts
Posted on 7/14/13 at 2:21 pm to
I would like to see Kenny Stills on PR
Posted by bonethug0108
Avondale
Member since Mar 2013
12690 posts
Posted on 7/14/13 at 2:24 pm to
quote:

You're right about KO as he comes out so fast but seems easier to tackle than on PR. I am worried about injury too.


He is pretty easy to tackle whether running or returning if you can get a hand on him.

Why he is so good at outside runs, short passes to the flats or over the middle, and punt returns is he is able to use his speed and quickness in space to avoid and he is in less traffic.

On kickoffs, EVERYONE'S job is to come down the field and hit you if you go in their lane. You usually hit a "wall" of defenders and only have a tiny window to shoot through. Going through that hole you will often get grabbed or bumped and that's when Sproles goes down.

I'd like to see him do more cutbacks on kickoffs as even though most of the time he will lose a few yards, his potential to get around and speed off greatly outweighs his potential to break through a small hole.

This is pretty much the same in the run game when going up the middle. If he has a decent hole and gets through untouched it's an easy 5-6 yards at least because of his speed. If the line isn't making holes(see first 4 games last year for all our RBs) he usually only gains 1-2 yards strictly because of his momentum and speed.

On punt returns you usually have only 2 guys coming straight of the snap to tackle you and their job is mostly to contain you to the middle of the field where the help comes from the guys that were initially blocking. This is where Sproles excels because he has a ton of space to do what he does and he often breaks the contain.

So with the de-emphasis on kickoffs, his stubbornness of trying to return even deep kicks, higher injury risk, and what is likely the coaching of not cutting back on a kick return, I'd like to get a bigger(but still fast) body that can break some tackles to return kicks.

I definitely still want to see him on punt returns because that role is perfectly suited to his skills and the injury risk is much lower(about as high as an average run play; maybe less) while the rewards can be great.
Posted by Melvin
Member since Apr 2011
23535 posts
Posted on 7/14/13 at 2:48 pm to
I hope not on kickoffs at least. He can break one every once in a while but I cringe every time he takes it out from 9 yards back and gets popped at the 15. And I don't think its worth the injury risk. He's a big part of our offense
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