the only reason i would be in favor of this is because Rex plans to use him alot more on offense and they dont want to tire him out, he is an animal punt returner
He keeps hold of the ball, so why not, gives Leon a rest for his increase in touches on offence this season.
This is a good move...but I don't like him giving out guaranteed roles before camp and preseason even started, a chance for others to prove themselves.
Agreed, that and personally I didnt think leon was even a good PR guy. He is one of the best in the NFL at KR, but as far as his PR skills, they just arent nearly as good. So I am in favor of the move, but rather than just handing it to Leonhard, i would love to see some competition for who gets it...
This means Leon should see at least 15 touches a game this year (run and catch). Smart move by the coaching staff. Not to mention if Leonhard turns out to be a good PR.
Somewhat off topic but is there any speculation as to whether we'll keep Eric Smith on the squad? We all know that he's useless and Eric Smith certainly doesn't deserve his own thread.
If Leon will get the ball more on offense it's a good move. Punt returns are much harder to break than KO returns and much easier to get killed on.
Exactly, that's why we need someone who is going to hang onto the ball first, and get any yardage possible 2nd, that is Leonhard.
Yeah, you've got at least a 20-yard buffer and running start on most KO returns, on punt returns you can get whacked the instant you catch the ball.
KRs and PRs are 2 very different positions. Leon was much better as a PR last year but overall he's not great at it like he is at returning kicks. Last year Leon was much better and averaged 10.4 per PR while Leonard averaged 11.6. This is a no brainer move, it saves Leon from another responsibility and we don't lose anything going from leon to Leonard- we might even gain.
Leonard probably received more punts, too, based on the play of their defense which amplifies the extra yards in the average as being significant.
he had 31, Leon had 29 another factor is their D probably forced better PR position so Leonard had more room to work w/.
