Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has big plans for wide receiver Henry Ruggs III and running back Lynn Bowden Jr. in their rookie seasons this year. Those plans extend beyond their roles in the offense. Gruden also would like for Ruggs III to handle kick-return duties, at least initially, and Bowden Jr. to take over
Secondary ways that Henry Ruggs III, Lynn Bowden Jr. can help Raiders right away
I don’t want Ruggs returning kicks. My rationale is the season ending injury to Tim Brown, in the Raiders 1989 season opener. Brown tore ligaments while returning a kick off.
Yes, Ruggs could get injured playing WR but returning kicks/punts is higher risk. No thanks.
Correct. Allowing Tim Brown to return kicks cost him almost all of one season and forced Al Davis to reconsider how he wanted Brown to be used. Worked out pretty well in the end, eh?
I’d love to see the return game make plays more often, but I’m with Ghost, not sure I like the idea of having Ruggs do it. Although, I don’t recall Desean Jackson sustaining a big injury or Tyreek Hill doing so that cost them time away from their WR duties.
Put your best players on the field every chance you get. That’s how you win football games in the NFL. Injuries can happen on any play at any time. You can try to avoid them by spending more time on the sidelines, but then that just plays into the hands of the opponent. Think how often Tyreek Hill is back there to return, forcing teams to kick out of bounds or into the end zone to avoid another opportunity for him to touch the ball. That’s what we want.