The New Orleans Saints correctly diagnosed punt returner as an area of weakness on their team, and took action to address it this offseason. They poached longtime Minnesota Vikings return specialist Marcus Sherels in free agency. After the 2019 draft, they added rookie Deonte Harris, the NCAA record-holder in return touchdowns. Either of those prospects could be an upgrade over the mediocrity the Saints had in that area of the game not just last year, but for several years.
In 2018, four different Saints fielded 24 punts to gain 157 yards. Alvin Kamara led the group with 12 returns, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt. Tommylee Lewis (now with the Detroit Lions) was the runner-up with eight attempts, averaging 7.5 yards per return. Veteran Brandon Tate (cut after just one game) and Taysom Hill made up the difference. The group combined for just 10 punt returns of 10 or more yards, none of them meeting the 20-yard mark. Their restults were mediocre at best.
Sherels experienced a totally different 2018 season, returning 23 punts for 276 yards (an average of 12.0 yards per attempt). 11 of his returns gained 10 or more yards, and six of them went further for 20 or more yards — flipping field position is nothing new to him. That’s exactly what the Saints need at the position.
On the other hand, Harris has all the makings of a big-time rookie signing. He was prolific at Assumption College in Division II football, setting the NCAA All-Division record for return touchdowns (14) with his abilities on both punts and kickoffs. As a senior in 2018, he fielded 10 punts for 190 yards (19.0 per attempt) and scored a touchdown return. In his career, he’s brought back 48 punts and gained 981 yards (a ridiculous-to-type 20.4 yards per return), eight of them ending in the end zone.
The Saints could very well not go wrong with either option. Sherels is the proven veteran, while Harris is the intriguing rookie. It should be an intense contest throughout the season to see which of them wins the job.
Finally resolving the punt return problem is probably a big reason why the Saints hired new special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi. They’ve done well limiting opposing teams on punt returns, thanks to the efforts of punter Thomas Morstead and gunners like Chris Banjo and Justin Hardee. With NFL rules changes diminishing the impact of kickoff returns, big punt returns are one of the few ways special teams units can impact field position.
