NFL 2006 Season Thread

[AlphaBean]

Originally Posted by DrA Why don't they have a Special Teams Player of a Year anyway? They have the Special Teams Player of the Month and all that.

Because "player of the month" is meaningless, and a "player of the year" would be, too. Except they'd expect some kind of ceremony about it, and in a year where nobody makes big returns, who wins? Rob Bironas? Special Teams Ace Larry Izzo? Or the first-ever linebacker Punt Coverage gunner, Leon Joe?

It's nice in theory, but the last three years, there has been Eddie Drummond and that Bills guy... and while they were the best, it's not like they had a lot of competition.

In the future, I think it will change. I think Hester has shown the NFL that you NEED a return man, even if you have to reach to get him. It will open the door for more pure athletes to enter the draft, and saturate the market for returners. Hester to me seems like the next Antonio Gates, completely changing the game. In turn, that will force teams to spend a lot more money on special teams, and keep their starters in on ST coverage.