The Los Angeles Rams moved on from punt and kick returner JoJo Natson on Tuesday, waiving him a week before he was set to become a restricted free agent. That leaves a vacancy on special teams, where John Bonamego is taking over as the coordinator.
So who could replace Natson as the primary return specialist? There will be a lot of options available for the Rams, including a pair already on the roster.
Here are five potential replacements for Natson.
Nsimba Webster
When Natson missed time last season with a hamstring injury, it was Webster who took over punt return duties. He took back seven punts for only 18 yards, fumbling one of his attempts. He also returned two kickoffs for 57 yards, including a long of 30 yards.
Webster had experience as a return specialist at Eastern Washington, primarily on kickoffs. He’s an obvious candidate to replace Natson on punt returns, given his low cost and the Rams’ apparent confidence in him down the stretch last season.
Darrell Henderson
Henderson got a chance on kick returns after Natson went down, but his opportunities were limited. He returned three kickoffs for 58 yards, but his longest was just 23 yards. At Memphis, Henderson returned 25 kicks for 487 yards, including a touchdown as a freshman in 2016.
Henderson’s explosiveness, speed and elusiveness were apparent in college, as well as last season when he was a rookie. He boasts a great combination of speed and power, using a stronger lower half to shake off tacklers. Though he’s never returned punts, he could factor in on kickoffs.
De’Anthony Thomas
Thomas was the primary return specialist for the Chiefs and Ravens at points last season, though he didn’t have a wildly successful year. He returned 26 punts for 148 yards, averaging only 5.7 yards per return. On kickoffs, he gained 321 yards on 17 attempts, a terrible average of 18.9 yards.
Thomas has blazing speed and was an impact player on special teams for the Chiefs in the past, but he’s had little success in the last two seasons. The Rams could take a low-risk chance on him in free agency this offseason, seeing a need for speed in the return game.
Tyler Ervin
Ervin played 10 games last season, four with Green Bay and six with the Jaguars. In total, he returned 16 punts for 115 yards and 11 kickoffs for a respectable 267 yards. He ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash in 2016, so he’s got plenty of speed to make things happen in the return game.
Ervin is a shifty running back and a capable receiver, too, which only adds to the value he brings. Again, he’d come at a very low cost in free agency and wouldn’t be handed the primary return job, but he could at least compete if the Rams brought him in.
Trevor Davis
Davis made stops in Green Bay, Miami and Oakland last season. He wasn’t great on punt returns, averaging just 6.6 yards per return on 22 attempts, but he did take back 23 kickoffs for 506 yards, including a 52-yarder.
Davis doesn’t contribute much on offense as a wide receiver, but he does have good speed to break away from defenders in the open field; he ran a 4.42 40 at the 2016 combine. He’s also a free agent and someone the Rams could sign for a small price.
