Special Teams

Originally posted by dirtysouthniner:

Originally posted by redrathman:

Originally posted by dirtysouthniner:

Originally posted by valrod33:
are you guys happy with out kick/punt returner Rossum
If not who on the team do you suggest?

I think we should let Crabtree do it!

Right. Hasn't signed yet, hasn't returned punts and kicks on a regular basis since high school and missed all of training camp.

If he does even sign, he'll be inactive for at least three weeks.

Crabtree can do all. In fact he is playing on tv right now!

CrabWho?

Can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on with Special Teams?
It all started with cutting Rossum and now we have Josh Morgan returning kicks and Reggie Smith returning punts???????

What happened to Robinson returning kick offs? He didn't return the first kick off from GB before he got hurt, Battle did. Then Reggie Smith returning punts and finally Morgan on kick offs?

in our case, "Special" had a different meaning.

Reggie Smith almost lost a punt. We use to have a real good special teams unit. Singletary has made some stupid decisions with it.

I don't get why big time guys on our squad like Goldson and Walker have prominent special teams roles. For example, on the punt coverage unit, obviously Jennings and Lee are gonna be on the field. But we have plenty of guys to fill out the other 9- Dixon, Miller, Swain, Grant, Gooden, Costanzo, Culliver, C. Jones, Spillman, M. Williams, Brock. For punt/kick return, you need 10 of those guys (Ginn being the 11th) and same with kick coverage (Akers being the 11th). So any idea why we still see Walker, Goldson, even R. Smith on special teams? Granted, there's a numbers game with only being able to dress 46 guys, but even when everybody is healthy, Dixon, Miller, Grant, Gooden, Costanzo, Culliver, C. Jones, Spillman, and M. Williams are always active.

Originally posted by andes14:
I don't get why big time guys on our squad like Goldson and Walker have prominent special teams roles. For example, on the punt coverage unit, obviously Jennings and Lee are gonna be on the field. But we have plenty of guys to fill out the other 9- Dixon, Miller, Swain, Grant, Gooden, Costanzo, Culliver, C. Jones, Spillman, M. Williams, Brock. For punt/kick return, you need 10 of those guys (Ginn being the 11th) and same with kick coverage (Akers being the 11th). So any idea why we still see Walker, Goldson, even R. Smith on special teams?

cus they being paid by the team to play football and the coaches requested they be out on those particular phases of the game

Originally posted by crabman82:
cus they being paid by the team to play football and the coaches requested they be out on those particular phases of the game

But why have a guy that we rely on for offense or defense on the field then while maybe a Colin Jones or Anthony Dixon is on the sideline?

So we can have awesome special teams??? You also could make the argument that having better field position is worth it because the guy who is playing defense will have an easier go of it. This whole notion that somehow athletes in the prime of their lives with more training, nutrition, and abilities than anyone on the planet can't go a few extra plays when there are high school kids who play every down of offense and defense and special teams for the whole game without a break and no T.V. timeouts, or replays, or any number of other breaks. Also you put your best players in. Maybe we should quit lining up Soapoaga in the backfield because he is playing nose tackle. He sure looked winded on his 19 yard catch and run.

Originally posted by VA49er:
So we can have awesome special teams??? You also could make the argument that having better field position is worth it because the guy who is playing defense will have an easier go of it. This whole notion that somehow athletes in the prime of their lives with more training, nutrition, and abilities than anyone on the planet can't go a few extra plays when there are high school kids who play every down of offense and defense and special teams for the whole game without a break and no T.V. timeouts, or replays, or any number of other breaks. Also you put your best players in. Maybe we should quit lining up Soapoaga in the backfield because he is playing nose tackle. He sure looked winded on his 19 yard catch and run.

Well if you wanna go by that logic, why not have Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, Vernon Davis, Donte Whitner, etc. on special teams then?

Originally posted by andes14:
Well if you wanna go by that logic, why not have Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, Vernon Davis, Donte Whitner, etc. on special teams then?

I think both bowman and whitner have played some ST this year. I could be wrong. Davis isn't exactly a tackler. I don't have a good answer for Willis other than, well he's willis and the other guys are not. I just don't think it's a big deal. I trust Seally and Harbaugh to make the right calls on this. I am not concerned about guys being winded or tired because of it. I also don't think you are any more likely to be injured on special teams than on any other play.

Originally posted by andes14:

Originally posted by VA49er:
So we can have awesome special teams??? You also could make the argument that having better field position is worth it because the guy who is playing defense will have an easier go of it. This whole notion that somehow athletes in the prime of their lives with more training, nutrition, and abilities than anyone on the planet can't go a few extra plays when there are high school kids who play every down of offense and defense and special teams for the whole game without a break and no T.V. timeouts, or replays, or any number of other breaks. Also you put your best players in. Maybe we should quit lining up Soapoaga in the backfield because he is playing nose tackle. He sure looked winded on his 19 yard catch and run.

Well if you wanna go by that logic, why not have Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, Vernon Davis, Donte Whitner, etc. on special teams then?

Because that would be nuts. You have certain guys that are untouchable. IMO the key skill position guys obviously like Gore, Crab, Edwards, Vernon plus the O-line and on D you have Justin Smith, RayMac, Willis and some of the older players that would be untouchable.

After that you take what's left and make the best units possible based on the skill sets available . . . and I believe Bowman is still on the punt and/or punt coverage unit.

Originally posted by SonocoNinerFan:
Because that would be nuts. You have certain guys that are untouchable. IMO the key skill position guys obviously like Gore, Crab, Edwards, Vernon plus the O-line and on D you have Justin Smith, RayMac, Willis and some of the older players that would be untouchable.

After that you take what's left and make the best units possible based on the skill sets available . . . and I believe Bowman is still on the punt and/or punt coverage unit.

Bowman is not on special teams. The bottom line is you're supposed to have all back-up linebackers, most back-up DB's, and some back-ups on offense (excluding o-line and QB). The reason isn't even because of being winded or whatever. It's because you don't want to risk key guys getting injured when a much less important player can pretty much do the job just as well. That's why it's surprising to see Goldson/Walker and even Reggie Smith on special teams.

have you seen walker on ST?

who f**king cares

Originally posted by lyer:
have you seen walker on ST?

Ya, he's good. So what. Pat Willis would be a savage on ST too. Doesn't mean it's worth the injury risk. The 9 guys that cover punts hands down should be Dixon, Miller, Grant, Gooden, Costanzo, Culliver, Spillman, Jones, and M. Williams. If Swain and/or Brock are active, they can maybe replace 1 or 2 of those guys. As for the other 3 special teams units, IF both Swain AND Brock aren't dressed, THEN maybe throw like a Reggie Smith or something on those units as the 10th guy. Hell, for kick return, we could have like a Snyder or a Dobbs on that unit. We'd done that before with Wragge and,, Kentwan Balmer.