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Steelers Film Room: Ryan Switzer’s return

    • 130 posts
    September 16, 2019 6:13 AM EEST

     ability was on display in Week 1 Ryan Switzer had to call a moving company for the second time in less than four months due to being traded twice during the offseason. The former North Carolina Tarheel was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in 2017 and then traded to the Oakland Raiders this past April. Switzer didn’t last long on the Raiders’ roster as he was traded on August 27 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The trade was a 2019 fifth-rounder from Pittsburgh in exchange for Switzer and a 2019 sixth-rounder. In a perfect scenario Javon Hargrave Jersey , the Steelers would pick No. 32 and the Raiders No. 1 in the sixth round. The Steelers have used a smattering of players on both kick and punt returns the past few years, with limited success. The knee-jerk reaction after one game — the solution is Switzer.Steelers fans have been clamoring for the team to relieve wideout Antonio Brown from his punt-return duties. Brown, a once talented punt returner, has seen his productivity decline. (I opined about this two years ago.) During this past preseason, Pittsburgh tried out two camp bodies along with cornerback Cameron Sutton in hopes one of them would take the job and flourish. Sutton’s shot at punt-return duties ended against the Tennessee Titans when he fumbled a return. None of the camp bodies shined. The Steelers’ 2017 primary punt returner, Eli Rogers (PUP list) is still recovering from a torn ACL and is unavailable — forcing the Steelers to look elsewhere. Over the past two seasons, the Black-and-gold used seven different kick returners — only JuJu Smith-Schuster remains on the roster. While JuJu was effective in 2017 (26.7 YPR), the Steelers seem to prefer keeping him strictly on offense and handing the kick-return duties to another player. Steelers fans hope that this never-ending carousel ends with Switzer.Video evidence shows that Switzer just might be the remedy the Steelers have been searching for. Switzer’s first punt return had Steelers fans on their feet cheering with a 22-yard effort. The third punt he returned was only for four yards but Sean Davis Jersey , due to his eagerness and not letting the ball bounce — this ensured the Steelers better field position. This punt shows Switzer flipping field position with the Browns. Britton Colquitt boots a punt 45 yards but Switzer returns it for 20 to the Cleveland 39.Was it the rush against Colquitt or the presence of Switzer that led to a brutal 29-yard shank deep into overtime?Two of his kickoff returns show his elusiveness but also his field vision where others failed.Switzer’s 4.51 speed won’t exactly blow the doors off of opponents. But pairing that with his vision and sure-handedness — the Steelers have the makings of the returner they’ve been searching for. So far in this young season, Switzer is seventh in punt return average (11.2 yards) and tenth in kickoffs average (23 yards). Will Switzer be able to maintain or build on those numbers? Steelers Nation remains cautiously optimistic. ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Trey Flowers‘ 6-year old daughter has already experienced plenty of success during her father’s NFL career.“She’s been fortunate to be at three Super Bowls. She has known that her daddy played for the Patriots,” Flowers said. “I just kind of hinted it to her: ‘What if daddy is a Lion? Do you like lions?’ “Flowers’ daughter Skyler was apparently a bit skeptical, but the 25-year-old defensive end says her favorite color is blue. So that’s a start. The big question is whether there will be any more Super Bowls in Flowers’ future. The Detroit Lions have never been to one, but they can hope that the three free agents they introduced Thursday will bring them a step closer.The Lions introduced Flowers, cornerback Justin Coleman and tight end Jesse James at their practice facility on Thursday. Detroit needed an edge rusher like Flowers because the oft-injured Ziggy Ansah was on the open market after playing with the Lions on the franchise tag last year.Later Thursday, Detroit announced it had signed offensive lineman Oday Aboushi and safety Andrew Adams.Like a lot of Lions Artie Burns Jersey , Flowers and Coleman have ties to the New England Patriots. Flowers had a career-high 7 ½ sacks last season for the Super Bowl champions and 21 over the last three years in New England. The Patriots drafted him in the fourth round out of Arkansas in 2015.Flowers joins a defensive line that got a boost in the middle of last season when Detroit traded for tackle Damon Harrison . Flowers says he hopes he can blend in and be a good teammate.“I think that’s very important — a new guy coming in, to just kind of gain the trust from his teammates and things before he kind of just comes in and acts like he knows it all,” Flowers said.Coleman started his career in New England in 2015, when Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia — the Lions’ current general manager and coach — worked for the Patriots. Coleman became a standout nickel cornerback over the last two seasons in Seattle.Coleman went to Brunswick High School in Georgia, the same school as Detroit cornerback Darius Slay and Lions defensive back Tracy Walker. Slay turned 28 in January. Coleman is 25 and Walker is 24.“I got a couple years with Darius. It was great playing with him,” Coleman said. “We never knew that we were both going to get to this point, but in high school he was one of the best players that was on the field. He kind of just motivated me to get on the field and play a lot more. He kind of helped me along the way, just being the leader that he is. I tried to just compete with him Joshua Dobbs Jersey , just so I could get better myself.”The Lions were looking to upgrade their options at tight end a year after releasing Eric Ebron. James had 120 receptions for 1,189 yards and nine touchdowns in four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.“Offensively, I wasn’t used the way that I feel like I could be used here. I feel like my ceiling here is going to be much higher than it was in the past,” James said. “I feel like I’m coming here, I’m going to be a key part of this offense. In Pittsburgh, I was a key part, but I think my role here could be greater.”Although James is hopeful this move will be good for his career, he’s leaving his home state. He was born in Pennsylvania and went to Penn State.“It’s a hard place to leave James Conner Jersey ,” James said. “I grew up in Pittsburgh. My dream was to be a Steeler. I got to do that for four years. Didn’t get the job done — never got to bring a Super Bowl to Pittsburgh — but my time there was a success. I’ve gotten a lot better, grew as a football player.”Aboushi spent the 2018 season with the Arizona Cardinals, playing in eight games and making six starts. He’s entering his sixth NFL season.Adams spent the 2018 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, playing in 13 games and making four starts. He played in two seasons for the New York Giants prior to that.