For most teams in the NFL, the kick-and-punt return positions are just a formality. Returners have one main job: catch the football. The recent pattern for teams without an All-Star return playmaker is for coaches to either toss out a rising player with potential who they don’t want to lose to the practice squad or a reliable veteran who knows how to avoid mistakes when it matters the most. The sole expectation is that they will successfully make fair catches and smart, situational touchbacks with each kickoff. Each returner knows there is the chance they may take a dirty hit and draw a penalty or have the potential to run it back for a couple yards and the occasional touchdown (hey, Siri, show me Devin Hester’s career stats), but the job is fairly one-dimensional.
The Minnesota Vikings had a rather solid return game in recent history, with the legendary kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson and the dynamic Percy Harvin leading the way, ready to put on a show on any given play. Accompanying this crew of special teams royalty was Marcus Sherels, the king of warm-weather long sleeves, who may not have been the highlight-reel player that the others were but served as a consistent workhorse fielding punts and kicks during his stay with the team.
The current situation presents the Vikings with Ihmir Smith-Marsette, K.J. Osborn, and Dede Westbrook, who are the frontrunners for the return positions, with Kene Nwangwu in the mix as a potential wildcard. This position battle represents more than just another player on the field. It represents a battle of recent additions who are all in similar positions to prove themselves to the rest of the team. It’s likely that whoever is chosen for the return position will be the only player who will start for the team from this bunch. Every play this preseason will be crucial to their future places on the team, as none of them have established a starting position at this point.
Experience, or lack thereof, will play a role as the front office closes in on its final decision. Dede Westbrook comes to the team with roughly two seasons of NFL return experience. He doesn’t have the greatest track record as a returner, with a number of fumbles on his scant record, but we will see how much the team values NFL experience and his potential for improving on his mistakes. On the other hand, Ihmir Smith-Marsette was a significant piece of the kick-return game during his time at the University of Iowa and would dovetail with the other pieces of the offense. Similar to ISM, Kene Nwangwu brings an even deeper amount of college kick-return experience, mixed with some flashy pieces in his skill set; however, critics may view him as the least polished of the bunch, and developing players fit less into the win-now mentality of this year’s Vikings.
K.J. Osborn may be the player with the most to prove out of the bunch, coming off a season where he only played nine games as a returner, fumbled twice, and had few notable returns. However, reports out of camp indicate that the second-year player has greatly improved in the offseason and is looking to make a new impression both as a returner and a wide receiver.
The box score from the first preseason game against the Denver Broncos only solidified how tight this battle is. With the exception of Westbrook, who is still tending to previous injuries, each player saw at least a little playing time and took a kick return out for some yardage. Osborne and ISM were both able to break off 30-plus-yard returns, and Nwangwu was able to muster a reasonable 18-yard return.
These stats rolled over to the offense as well, where Osborne and ISM were given a handful of catches each, while Nwangwu was unable to provide any insight into his playmaking ability. Given that it’s the preseason, we know that the outcome of the game isn’t usually too important– you can ask the 0-16 Detroit Lions how their preseason went as proof. But at this point, these specific players need to prove themselves before the opportunity is lost.
The decision will come down to what the coaches and management see in terms of team balance.
- Does Westbrook’s NFL experience mean more than college experience, even if his NFL seasons fell rather flat?
- Is Kene Nwangwu going to be able to shine enough in training camp and preseason to move up the depth chart?
- Can ISM balance both the battle for the third-string wide receiver spot and get plenty of reps in as a kick returner?
- Will K.J. Osborne be able to shed the image of a very mild rookie season and come back with a significant leap in performance?
The potential for each of these players to make the starting roster will make this kick-return battle one for the ages. Each player brings a dynamic aspect to the game, whether it be from their skill set, experience, or motivation, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
