Andre Roberts is gone, off to Atlanta on a one-year deal. What that does for the Detroit Lions is it once again reopens the franchise’s return game.
As they’ve had during the last few years, there are multiple options for Detroit to consider when replacing Roberts, who averaged 22.64 yards per kick return and 12.3 yards per punt return last season. What has typically been a wide open competition during training camp will likely be that again when the franchise begins real preparation for the 2017 season.
The most intriguing route the Lions could go would be to put Ameer Abdullah back on kick returns and use Golden Tate on punt returns. Abdullah led the league in return yardage (1,077) and was second in average (29.11) as a rookie in 2015. He was dynamic as a returner and always had the chance to be a field-flipper. Meanwhile, Tate was a strong punt returner when he was in Seattle, but has only returned 20 punts since signing with Detroit -- all in 2015. For his career, he’s returned 88 punts for 936 yards -- a 10.64 average.
The danger with using Abdullah and Tate is extra wear and injury risk to the team’s likely starting running back and No. 1 receiver. Considering Abdullah’s injury questions -- he’s had shoulder and foot injuries requiring surgeries since he came into the league -- the extra punishment might not be worth the risk. Tate has shown to be durable, but the risk/reward of using him on punt returns might not be worth it for an offense that has questions at receiver beyond Tate and Marvin Jones.
The old incumbent option would be receiver TJ Jones, who held punt and kick return roles for part of 2015, where he averaged 21.2 yards per kick return and 8.43 yards per punt return. Considering he’ll be competing for the No. 3 or No. 4 receiving spot this fall, this could be a way he forces his way onto the team.
Likewise, running back Dwayne Washington showed promise as a return man during training camp last season. He wasn’t used there in the regular season, but he has the size-speed-athleticism you’d like in a returner. Plus, that’s potentially a better role for him than what he was doing at running back, where he struggled with vision. As a returner, he just hits holes as fast as he can and tries to power through him. Since he’s likely going to be the No. 4 running back at this point, he has to have special-teams value. If he can win the kick or punt return jobs, he becomes increasingly valuable while he develops as a running back.
Jace Billingsley is another potential in-house option. Like Washington, he showed some return promise in the preseason. He didn’t play in the regular season as he was on the practice squad much of the year but he’ll be in the middle of the competition for the No. 3 and No. 4 receiver spots. Like Jones and Washington, this could be his way to lock up a roster spot. There is a lot of potential there from the Nevada prep wrestling legend.
Detroit also brought in a receiver -- its only receiver signing of free agency -- with legitimate return capability. It’s actually what Keshawn Martin does best. As a return man in Houston, New England and briefly in San Francisco, he averaged 25.01 yards per kick return and 9.13 yards per punt return. He is a player who could be a depth slot receiver while holding return duties. He’s in a similar situation to Jones and Billingsley.
There’s also a chance, of course, the Lions returner isn’t on the roster yet. That happened last year, when the Lions signed Roberts after the draft and he won the job. So with any running back, defensive back or receiver signing or draft pick from here on out, gauge their return abilities as well. There’s at least a decent chance Detroit’s 2017 return man isn’t on the Lions yet. If you really want to get bold, drafting Jabrill Peppers at No. 21 as a safety would also shore up the Lions’ return issues because he’s a dynamic, game-changing player there.
Not saying that’s likely, but it’s something to consider.
The Lions could miss Roberts as a receiver as well, but as the No. 4 receiver he didn’t get a ton of work. He had a penchant for making big catches in critical times, but his role is one that could be filled by a number of different people, with the on-roster favorite now Jones.
It’s clear the return game is where the Lions will miss Roberts the most.
