T-Rob leading for Punt Returner - Nice!
I hope he stays on top of the PR depth chart for the following reasons:
1) UM's has Zero depth at CB this year, and seeing Warren (potential all conference selection) returning punts would scare the hell out of me (and seeing Cissoko leading for the KR spot does too). No staring CB should play any special teams this year. Period.
2) He can concentrate on being a "Return Specialist" this year. Kelvin Grady's apparent spot in the 2-deep means Robinson will see limited action on offense. But this gets him on the field as a playmaker to get the ball 5-8 times a game.
3) Allows Odoms to concentrate solely as a SR, allowing for fresh legs at Slot and PR.
4) The more the merrier... as many slot-type-guys that get the ball in different facets of the game... the better. Last year was all Odoms all the time. This year we'll have at least three 5'9" guys getting the chance to score.
EDIT: 5) Maybe this quashes the "T-Rob potential transfer" rumors
August 28th, 2009 at 12:32 PM ^
...Kindly hold onto the ball, please!
August 28th, 2009 at 12:33 PM ^
As long as he can catch that ball, it's okay with me.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:34 PM ^
and once again please hold on to the ball. I cannot see another game like last year against ND
August 28th, 2009 at 1:24 PM ^
Wow. I don't know why I haven't seen this before. But wow.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:11 PM ^
That defender must still feel worthless.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:39 PM ^
Good for TRob, I just hope his hands aren't also covered in several layers of Crisco.
August 28th, 2009 at 2:25 PM ^
doesn't put it on the ground the way Odoms did last year, I'm good. If he breaks one here or there, thats a bonus.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:41 PM ^
Returning kicks really isn't all that risky. It's not very often that they get completely clobbered.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:56 PM ^
Honestly I dont think starters at depth starved positions should ever be returning kicks. Unless the player is very special. One only has to remember Tripp Welborne and his devastating knee injury...In general I dont mind when our WR/RBs are doing it, as we usually have fantastic depth in these areas, I almost always cringe when we send starting DBs out there as our depth in this area has been brutal for some time.
Aug
August 28th, 2009 at 12:58 PM ^
you're also forgetting all the times where players don't get hurt on kick returns.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:55 PM ^
Woodsson is going down the sideline no one is gonna catch him touchdown Michigan!!!!!!! I agree in principle with what you say and I don't think Warren is a game breaker from what limited action we have seen of him, but it is a very important position so if he's the best he can play, the risks of getting hurt are very similar to his own position.
August 28th, 2009 at 2:38 PM ^
Yes, but the point is that returning kicks isn't really all that dangerous. If you're holding a guy out because you're afraid he'll get injured, that's fine . . . but you should also hold him out of playing offense/defense . . . being in tackling drills . . . etc.
These guys are football players. They should be playing football, not hidden in bubble wrap on the sideline. I agree that if Donovan Warren and J.T. Floyd would both average 20 yards on kick returns, I'd rather have Floyd out there. But if Warren is going to get you 25 yards instead of 20, then he should be out there.
August 28th, 2009 at 2:16 PM ^
Not McGuffie. He got clobbered a lot.
August 28th, 2009 at 2:39 PM ^
I'll probably get negged for this, but McGuffie just wasn't that good. He should have been a slot receiver from the beginning.
August 28th, 2009 at 2:50 PM ^
After the first game, I agreed with you. He was not that great.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:10 PM ^
I disagree, but I do think his vision was a bit lacking and his ability to break tackles was not very good -- he managed to get caught by quite a few shoelace tackles because he ran with his knees so low. From the standpoint of YPC, Shaw had a superior season.
However, I think in the long run, McGuffie had/has the potential to be a very good player, as he is still clearly shifty and has excellent acceleration -- so long as he stays healthy, anyway.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:14 PM ^
Do you mean he "just wasn't that good" as a RB, or as a football player?
August 29th, 2009 at 10:54 AM ^
I mean as a running back.
If he had played slot receiver, I think he would have been neck-and-neck with or ahead of Odoms.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:55 PM ^
Well let's just start from the top, TRob leads for PR...where did this come from??
August 28th, 2009 at 1:00 PM ^
I wondered about this as well. Where was this reported? I thought that I read a few days ago that Odoms was in line to return punts.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:03 PM ^
Go to the left and click on "Big House Blog". I found it there. Only assumed it was common knowledge based on the various reports out of this week's practices.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:57 PM ^
I thought during the last practice TRob caught 2 difficult punts. Not sure that puts him in the lead. I will agree with you that that is the guy I want to win the job.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:58 PM ^
into a yelling match about the information found on the Big House Blog.....
.....but I have read that he's in a rotation with Mathews and Odoms to return punts. Let's hold off on making determinative conclusions and rationale about who's returning punts, until we actually see who is returning punts against the Broncos.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:56 PM ^
His kind of speed generally doesn't suck on kickoff returns, especially if it's coupled with the ability to make the first couple of tacklers miss. He seems to have that, too, if practice is any indication.
I can understand a coach's intense desire to not subject a possible starting QB to all that mayhem, though.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:59 PM ^
I know Denard is fast, but PLEASE do not put our backup QB (or starter maybe) on special teams.
We don't need to do that like John L Smith did with Stanton.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:05 PM ^
That was one of my favorite John L. Moments.
It's up there with the time he slapped himself in a press conference, only using Stanton on special teams was actually devastating for the on-field success of the team.
I miss that dude. He kind of reminded me of R. Lee Ermey in Saving Silverman.
"There's two things you need to remember, men. First: stay away from women. They're only after your man juice. Any urges that can't be taken care of with hard liquor, use this [hand.] And second: sportsmanship. Sportsmanship."
August 28th, 2009 at 2:42 PM ^
Yes, Yes and YES.
I wish people would write the word quarterback (starting, backup, whatever you like)instead of Denard, and think about the impact of that.
We need to get our back up quarterback on the field in plays with our starter!
We need to have our quarterback return kick offs!
We need to use our back up quarter back as a decoy and lead blocker for Vincent Smith!
You get the idea....
A speedy punt returner would be great. I think the impact of special teams play is actually under rated by everyone not named Frank Beamer.
Unless someone can tell me that:
- Tate will perform s significantly better than Denard, AND
- Tate won't get hurt (e.g. we won't see "death")
AND
- Denard is the second coming of Devin Hester
I am comfortable with someone who won't turn it over, and will make sound decisions. If that's T-Rob... great! If not find a capable Ninja, or other position where there is depth that can.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:25 PM ^
I like this idea a lot. I don't think he will ever be a suitable QB, I like the idea of Forcier and Sheridan. Move Denard to a different position and let him return some kicks this year.
Everyone is so obsessed w/ getting another Pat White, not me. I am hoping for a guy that can throw, maybe scramble a little and run if necessary, but someone that can throw first. I am looking forward to seeing what Tate can do this year.
August 29th, 2009 at 10:55 AM ^
And what if Tate gets hurt? Then the battle is between Nick Sheridan and Jack Kennedy.
Robinson learning another position this year is a dumb idea. It doesn't make any sense, and it won't happen.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:10 PM ^
I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. The word from practice was that he was dropping ball after ball that was thrown to him. Unless somehow receiving the ball from high in the air is easier than receiving it coming at you like a bullet, I have to be a little skeptical.
But I hope that I'm wrong. I wish him all well, and if he can make plays there, then put him where he will succeed.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:00 PM ^
I also remember this being of concern with him. Robinson was told 3 minutes in the cage with Barwis the next time the ball hits the ground...he has since been simply amazing. All he needed was the right motivation.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:25 PM ^
I wouldn't think a punt is easier to catch than a pass. Then again, he's practicing fielding punts off the foot of the Space Emperor. Maybe the football is easier to see when it's on fire after re-entry.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:38 PM ^
This kid needs an opportunity to show what he can do, so I'm all for it.
Step 1: Catch the damn ball and secure it.
Step 2: Run forward
August 28th, 2009 at 2:16 PM ^
Was the coaching staff really considering putting Warren back at punt returner? That was a colossal waste of time last time we tried it.
I know we don't have much depth at CB, but I'm still a big fan of Cissoko @ kick returner -- so long as he can hold onto the damn ball.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:11 PM ^
Warren experiment from last year.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:20 PM ^
didn't I hear something a few weeks ago that T-Rob had trouble holding onto passes?
EDIT: sorry for the double post. I saw the same comment below.
August 29th, 2009 at 3:02 PM ^
Catching a pass and catching a punt/kick are two entirely different things.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:09 PM ^
I know this would never work at the college level, but if TRob did the Dreamshake just once during a KR when we were up by 21, the stadium would go crazy.
August 29th, 2009 at 3:19 PM ^
I like the reasons for T-Rob being our main PR...thought we would go with Odoms, but it'd be better to let him concentrate on being our #1 SR. It'd be nice to get T-Rob at WR or SR a few times a game but being a PR would be a nice way to make him a playmaker!!