The Merry-Go-Round Effect

The last time I heard the name Reno Mahe it was after the Eagles' 2007 salary cap had been released to the public through the NFL.  The Eagles were able to take advantage of loopholes in the NFL's salary cap structure and carried over $4 million into the 2008 season through Mahe.  Mahe was given a "Likely to be Earned" bonus of the previously mentioned $4 million in his contract - he didn't earn it.  After the 2007 season, Mahe didn't return to the Eagles and his status as the team's starting punt and kick returner ended.  

Prior to Mahe's stint as a kick returner for the team in 2007, the Eagles had used five different starters at the kick return position after 2000.  Since 2000, the Eagles have used 8 different starters at kick returner. Those former kick returners were Brian Mitchell, James Thrash, J.R. Reed, Roderick Hood, Reno Mahe, Correll Buckhalter, Quintin Demps and Ellis Hobbs.  Of that list, only one returner started for more than a year - Mitchell - and he was also the only returner to have started consecutive years.  

From 2000-2002, Mitchell continued his long time success as a kick returner.  He had three straight years of 1,000 plus kick return yards and recorded 2 touchdowns in the same stretch.  Mitchell was named as the second best kick returner of all time by NFL Films and the Eagles were lucky to obtain his services for the three years they had them on the roster.  But for the Eagles, he was the last case of sustained success at the kick return position.

After Mitchell moved on to the New York Giants, and eventually retired, the Eagles seemed to lose the ability to either retain a returner or have a proper starter on roster.  The Eagles entrusted the leading role to James Thrash come 2003 and promptly removed him from the role after drafting safety J.R. Reed in 2004.  Reed tore ligaments after trying to jump over a fence during the off-season and his role was handed to Roderick Hood, who the Eagles signed as an un-drafted free agent that off-season.  Hood lost the job to Reno Mahe, who became the first Eagles player since Mitchell to double as both the punt and kick returner for the team.  Mahe gave forth to Correll Buckhalter.  Buckhalter.  Buckhalter shared most of the time with Reed, who returned to the Eagles to return 31 kicks in 2007.  In 2008, Quintin Demps was drafted and obtained the status as starting kick returner.  However, the signing of free agent Ellis Hobbs removed Demps from the starting role.  Even after Hobbs went down for the season with a neck injury, Demps was not able to retake his starting role because of his own injuries.  

That long cast of characters leads me to the following conclusions:

(1) Other than established returners, Reid has had little success in cultivating a long time successful kick returner.  The question is, will new Special Teams Coordinator Bobby April be able to find a gem?  Or will he have enough impact to continue the carousel?

(2) Injuries limited the ability of a couple of the returners on the list.  J.R. Reed had an above average return season in 2004, but injuries kept him from playing in 2005.  His ability to return the ball led Reid to being him back to the team in 2007.  Buckhalter's knees were always a concern to the Eagles and Quintin Demps was not able to retain his starting role, in 2009, due to injuries.

(3) Hobbs is not likely to (a) return most of next year's kicks and (b) put up the same kind of numbers in 2010.  It hasn't happened since Mitchell, and Hobbs is coming off a season ending neck injury.  

(4) Demps should be considered for the starting role.  His numbers are gaudy compared to all of his competitors currently on the roster.  At this point, Hobbs is being looked at to start at corner back and I'd rather not have him returning kicks because of corner back depth.

(5) Chad Hall should be looked at to return.  He did it in college, he's fast and agile - why not?

(6) Can Trevard Lindley return?  He hasn't done so since his days in high school, but he has back end speed (his 40 was faster during the last 20) and is agile.  Perhaps the Eagles use him as the nickel corner and returner, ala Ellis Hobbs last season (kinda).

This is a subject I will definitely be covering as it changes.  Returning cost the Eagles a couple of games over the past couple of years, through lack of sufficient return yards or fumbles lost.