The Chicago Bears have an interesting dilemma heading into training camp: what to do with Garrett Wolfe?
http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4665283/wolfes-new-role-hasnt-materialized-yet
Wolfe has not seen extended time in the backfield but has excelled as a member of the special teams punting unit. Now that the Bears have acquired Chester Taylor from Minnesota, they have a logjam at running back. Do they keep Wolfe on the roster for his special teams contributions? Do they keep Khalil Bell, who is likely a better running back than Wolfe?
Here’s an answer from outside the box: keep both. Cut punter Brad Maynard.
During training camp, bring in a retired Australian football player to teach Wolfe how to drop punt and torpedo punt while moving behind the line of scrimmage. The emphasis here would be on the ability to get punts away quickly and accurately, with less of a focus on distance.
Every punt situation becomes the special teams version of the Wildcat formation: Wolfe catches the snap and can…
- Punt directly
- Take a few quick steps in any direction to draw defenders in before drop punting
- Make a run for it
- Throw a short pass
By having Garrett Wolfe handle punting duties, the Bears would gain the following advantages:
- Opposing teams would have to keep more players near the line of scrimmage to prevent Wolfe from scrambling for the first down. A quick, evasive running back has a much better chance of picking up a few yards over a comparatively slow and clumsy punter. This would translate to worse protection for the punt returner, possibly negating any lost punting distance.
- 11 guys on the punt coverage team who have a legitimate chance at tackling the punt returner, instead of only 10.
- Added roster depth at an important roster position that is prone to injury.
- Organizational Huevos – instant credibility as a team not afraid to try something different. Remember when the Dolphins debuted the Wildcat formation in 2008 and stunned the Patriots 38-13? Being unpredictable counts for a lot in the NFL, at least in the short term.
I am admittedly something of a football idiot when it comes to the tactical X and O part of the game…can someone with more football knowledge explain why this wouldn’t work?
