I want Dri Archer back.

And BTW, nobody wants Archer. He doesn't fit into any offensive positions because he isn't an NFL RB or WR. He is no more than a KR.

 

Wheaton for kickoffs and Brown for punts for the remaining games. This is a no brainier as Wheaton did fine when he was back there last year. Let's not experiment now, that should be done in pre season. Is Tomlin just being slow in reacting to this like with Boykin. I am glad he pulled the plug with Jacoby during the game. He now needs to take it a step further.

Can't understand why he just dosen't read this board and do what we say. lol

 

Yeah, no kidding! Maybe he does and that's why Boykin saw increased playing time last night.

 

I'd put both Samie coats and Wheaton back there. No reason to have a dedicated spot for a returner unless said person is a game changer and those are very hard to find.

 

Agreed. And furthermore, if you look back at the real 'gamechanger' -type returners, they usually were players that pulled double-duty elsewhere (CB, WR, RB, etc)

 

It's gotten to the point. I just want somebody to be put back on Kickoffs and told to take a knee every time. Nobody is running kickoffs anymore since it was moved up. Not to mention more times then not we end up just getting a penalty. Same could be said about punts. Yeah, ABs last night was nice but lets be real if the game was close and we needed it they probably throw a phantom flag or it never happens. If Tomlin is really a man of the numbers just settle with giving our O the ball at where ever it is, 20 or fair catch at the 15.

 

Cut Jones, Sign Ventrone. Helps special teams. Which we let a bad kick return last night, poor tackling on special teams.

Wheaton for kickoffs, Brown for punts.

There is 4 games left you have to play your best players.

 

I dunno. Naturallly, all returners have a 'regular' position and one can debate how much efficacy they had at whatever that was, but many dynamic returners of the last 15 or so years have not been major contributors at their home position. Some of this can be attributed to injury protection as they became impact players there (Westbrook), others just never had a major impact (Hester, Hall.. Jones had one so-so year at WR).

Brown is a bit of an exception as a guy who was doing dual duty and continued on punts after he broke out as a WR. It used to seem the guys most likely to be significant contributors to both would be CB's (Sanders, Woodson) - I'm guessing teams figured since their day job was tackling a ball carrier it was less overall wear and tear on them versus, say, a WR.

 

We already replaced a bad return guy (Archer) with a bad return guy (Jones). Cutting Jones & getting Archer back would be the same thing all over again.
I agree that we should use someone we already have on the roster. There's no reason to go out & get a return guy when he's not the only problem. He has to have the blockers too.

 

Just to clarify, I do agree with this. Unless the returner in question is a recent draftee who has yet to make his mark at his home position, it's not an effective use of a roster spot. I know it could be argued that Archer was still 'developing' with regard to that, but I don't think there was a place for him in the offense. They didn't seem to be working him anywhere, at least.

 

First things first Jones has to go, how he is still on the team as of right now is mind boggling. I will admit that I was a fan of the Archer pick and I would still right at this moment send Jones packing and give Archer another chance. I know,I know but hear me out......first off he was/is better than Jones. Second when Bell was still playing I could see not wanting to take not even one touch away from him and having D Will as a back up meant you had a great guy behind him to give Bell a breather but now things have changed and we have to be seriously concerned about running D Will into the ground. Judging from last nite it doesn't look like we have anything behind him,maybe Todman but he doesn't seem to be getting any trust from the coaches.
With that being said I still feel that Archer was misused and a little under used in our O. I really don't think it would be the worst thing to bring him back and get him a few touches in space if we did. One way or the other Williams needs a break so the coaches better find some trust in somebody real quick. I have to admit I always have a soft spot for our own draft picks and to give up on Archer and bring in the Rat turd trash that is Jacoby Jones just doesn't sit right with me....either way Jones is a bigger wasted roster spot then Archer would ever be.

 

I can see the sense to cutting Archer if they truly felt they were not going to be able to develop him into a useful cog in the offense - but bringing Jones in to replace him was plain stupid. Jones is done as a premiere returner, which should have been evident with his time in SD. Further, he wasn't going to contribute anything at any other position either.

Archer, at least, was still young enough that (though I had my doubts) the possibility still existed for him to be developed into something of use as a tweener type scat-back. Speed alone, however, doesn't cut it; he'd have to have the vision to read the defense and make appropriate cuts, as well as the ability to take the punishment that comes with being slammed to the ground by a 265lb LB. The list is short of RB/WR types Archer's size who have made a substantial impact at the pro level. This, in part, is what made the spend of a third round pick difficult for me to comprehend.

In the end, it is highly unlikely Archer would have become anything of note in the NFL - despite how attractive his speed at the combine may have been. That all said, I would have kept him over Jacoby Jones anyday - at least with Archer there was a slight chance of upsiide.

 

I can be argued that holding on to archer has cost you defensive line depth this year. On the other hand maybe if Mauro stays they don't have Tuitt?

 

Since you planted a sucky earworm in my head in the Jesse James thread, I respond in kind with my own crappy earworm in for this thread. May you not be able to unhear this and may everyone suffer....

 

Agreed. Todman has some moves and can fly. It's worth a shot.

 

Yeah you're right nobody is returning kickoffs anymore.

 

Wouldn't mind seeing what Todman could do either but would also like to see what he could do with a few carries in the backfield. Somebody needs to step up to spell D Will.

 

I'm embarrassed for you that you know this song exists.

 

Really? You are one of those people. Sorry, there's only been 7 kickoffs returned for touchdowns this year. Looking at stats before the rule change there was 14. Odds are cut almost in half from already impossible. Yes, technical thorn I know there's still games left but still. When is the last time the Steelers ran a kickoff back? When is the last time special teams won the Steelers a game for a matter of fact? Lost them a few this year. Point is they are suppose to have one of the best offenses in the league. Just give them the ball. It's not worth the penalties and risk of fumbles.

 

I think AB ran a kickoff back his rookie year against the Titans, first time he ever touched a ball in an NFL game.

That is the last time I ever remember us running one back on a kickoff.

 

Our situation is so bad this year at kickoff returns that I'd be will to bet that if the opposing team ONLY had the place kicker on the entire field against our whole ST that Dri Archer would be tripped up by the guy from the wind direction as he passed him by and Jones would fumble it away trying to field it.

This begs the question. Why is Danny Smith still here? Outside of an incredibly talented AB returning punts our ST's unit has been terrible during his tenure.

 

If by one of those people you mean someone who doesn't use exaggeration and hyperbole as facts then yeah I am.

 

He hasn't been cut but he did get demoted today. That's not enough in my opinion. That dude should NEVER catch another kick for us even if it means putting Marcus Gilbert back there to return kicks.

 

That could injure our starting RT. Let Mike Adams get back there and earn his keep.