FanPost

Something thats been bothering me....

I bet a bunch of you thought that this would be another "FO sucks" post, and to that I say "no sir".  I actually want to break up the monotonous and redundant free agency talk by talking about something that we won't have to worry about until September.  I'm sorry if this is off topic, but I have to think about something other than free agency for a few minutes or I'm going to go crazy. 

Is anyone else bothered by the idea of DeSean Jackson returning punts this season?  I understand that we drafted him primarily to return punts, but he has grown into a major asset since then.  I mean seriously, I cringe every time he lines up to receive a punt.  He isn't exactly built to take a hit, so it's a real possibility that he could get injured. 

Last season, DeSean averaged 8.8 yards per punt return, and got 1 return TD.  I think he has a strong upside as a return man (5 returns of 20+ yards), but I don't think his contributions as a return man should jeopardize his bright future as a receiver.  This past season, he was able to rack up 912 yards, which is astonishing for an NFL rookie.  I feel that if he were to get injured on a punt return, it could possibly stunt his growth as a receiver, which we just can't afford to happen.  Aside from Stewart Bradley, I think DeSean Jackson is the most important young talent we have on the roster, so he should be protected.

Why not promote another young player from special teams into our designated punt returner?  While DeSean did a good job last season as a return man, I'm not afraid to admit that he wasn't amazing by any means.  In fact, compared to DeSean's 8.8 yards per return, Reno Mahe produced 9 yards per return over his entire career.  I just thought that was funny for some reason. 

Sorry if the post is too long, but like I said I need to get my mind off free agency for a while.  Does anyone have the same concerns as me?  Has the organization already addressed this without me knowing it?  Anyone disagree?