NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans are wide open at kick returner, where they’ve moved on from Leon Washington.
Monday night was the first time special teams did any kickoff return work.
Four guys got turns: Jacoby Ford, Bishop Sankey, Tre McBride and Deon Long.
Ford is a good returner, but he’d rank as the seventh receiver at best right now, and it’s a long shot that Tennessee keeps that many. He returned 75 kicks in his career in Oakland, for 1,874 yards, a 25-yard average and four touchdowns.
Sankey brought seven kicks out of the end zone as a rookie, for 198 yards and a 28.3-yard average.
McBride and Long (a longer shot than Ford) are rookies.
McBride was a solid return man at William & Mary with 56 for 1,294 yards (23.1-yard average).
He seems like a logical choice for the job to me. Sankey needs to be a prime player on offense and you don’t want to risk injury for him there or add wear and tear.
A seventh-round pick, McBride is probably going to rank near the bottom of the receiver depth chart if he wins a spot. Winning the return job could enhance his value and ensure he sticks.
“I love it, I did kick return all thoughout college and I actually think I can be a useful tool in that area of the game," McBride said. "I believe I’ve got big-play ability and open-field is one of my specialties.
"I’ve got a chance to run as fast as I can to the end zone. And that’s what I am doing, I’m fighting every day so I can get on all special teams, including and especially the kick return role.”
