Why is Ryan Switzer on the roster?

[Chieferific]

15 minutes ago, warfelg said:

That's terrible logic.  Lets cut Rudolph then.  Or anyone we know won't dress.

No. Not quite. They use a QB every play. So if one goes down, you need another. They didn't use the FB. With that said, I think they will in the future. 

[Lambert44]

Thank Chief. Exactly what I meant. Alot better athletes out there for ST's if we are not going to use a fullback.

 

 

[MOSteelers56]

11 minutes ago, Chieferific said:

No. Not quite. They use a QB every play. So if one goes down, you need another. They didn't use the FB. With that said, I think they will in the future. 

I think you're right on this one. The problem our offense faced Sunday was we became one dimensional almost immediately. I think we'll look to get physical early and stick with it as much as possible. Our offense was humming last year when we established Conner/Samuels. We need to do that. Ben can carry games, but he can't carry all the games.

[warfelg]

13 minutes ago, Chieferific said:

No. Not quite. They use a QB every play. So if one goes down, you need another. They didn't use the FB. With that said, I think they will in the future. 

I was being a bit absurd on purpose. Like I said, Nixs lack of plays is not a skill thing. It’s a coaching. 

[Chieferific]

Just now, warfelg said:

I was being a bit absurd on purpose. Like I said, Nixs lack of plays is not a skill thing. It’s a coaching. 

Agreed but if they aren't gonna use him then cut him was the point. 

[warfelg]

1 minute ago, Chieferific said:

Agreed but if they aren't gonna use him then cut him was the point. 

Disagree. Hard. Fire the coach that doesn’t use him. 

[Steeler Hitman]

13 hours ago, armsteeld said:

Seriously. Why? He is force fed the ball and produces jack ****. He's cool with Bug Ben and likes to kiss fans' butts by acting goody goody but he's awful as a football player.

He has the best hands on the team of any punt returner.  Everyone else who has been tried there has been inconsistent in terms of fielding punts and making good decisions on when to catch or fair catch.  Special teams can change a game.  The Steelers once lost a game to the Chiefs that they dominated statistically. This was during the Chuck Noll era. Noll once believed that special teams weren't that big a deal and did not even have a special teams coach on his staff for much of his coaching tenure. The Steelers lost to KC who couldn't do much offensively or defensively to stop the Steelers, but outscored the Steelers based on a blocked punt, blocked FG, KO Return for a TD and I believe a Punt Return for a TD. The special teams were really special that game.

While Switzer is not flashy, fast or as fleet a foot as we would like, he is consistent and doesn't turn the ball over on returns.  I do agree that his time as an offensive player needs to be cut and some of those plays could be better distributed to James Washington, Dionte Johnson or Jalen Samuels.  Both Switzer and Snell seem like snails moving around.  It is very odd that a smallish return guy has no wiggle or ability to make defenders miss.  Remember Dre Archer? Mr. Superfast Forty.  I think he ran a 4.24 or 4.25 and this guy had no wiggle.

To sum it up, based on his special teams, he deserves to be on the roster. He also needs to have less offensive plays and be less involved in the offense. Switzer got more passes targeted at him than Vance McDonald.  Something is wrong with that picture. Vance is more consistent and thorough as a receiving TE and I would rather have him or the others that I mentioned with the ball in their hands on offense than Switzer.

11 hours ago, Dcash4 said:

He’s not really the first look on anything, so it’s not a huge deal. He is consistent and reliable. 

I do have a problem with them seeming to want to get him MORE work (aka, his backfield stuff). I don’t think he has earned more looks. But so much of the stuff people complain about he isn’t the primary. He’s a checkdown and a hot and that’s about it. Just wish he could make 1 person miss. 

Agree 100%.

11 hours ago, Livewire said:

I understood why they traded for him last year with Rogers hurt and needing someone to take over the return duties. However, I much rather have had Spencer make the teams this season over him.  Even though it was a small sample Spencer looked electric with the ball in his hands. Switzer never makes me think he is going to break off a big return or do something after the catch. He's a safety valve.

You just can't afford to have game changing turnovers on punt or kick off returns.  It flips the field position and you are almost certainly giving up points there (usually a TD).  While there are other guys who are more electric and explosive, I think you have to pick your times to do that. I wouldn't mind seeing Holton field some KO's and Johnson "occasionally" field some punts.  Both of these faster and more explosive guys had some problems fielding punts and holding onto the ball in practice and pre-season.  A short return or no return is far better than a turnover.

[warfelg]

59 minutes ago, Chieferific said:

Agreed but if they aren't gonna use him then cut him was the point. 

 

[Chieferific]

Just now, warfelg said:

 

And this is why you don't jump to conclusions. 

[Dcash4]

I have no real problem with a team not using a full back. 

I do have a problem just in the fact that I think Rosie could be used as an H-back of sorts in more traditional “2 tight” looks. 

I think Rosie could be useful as an offensive tool, not necessarily as just a FB in the backfield with his hand in the dirt. 

[warfelg]

4 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

I have no real problem with a team not using a full back. 

I do have a problem just in the fact that I think Rosie could be used as an H-back of sorts in more traditional “2 tight” looks. 

I think Rosie could be useful as an offensive tool, not necessarily as just a FB in the backfield with his hand in the dirt. 

I do have a slight issue with not using a FB from the simple fact that Conner’s numbers dunking behind a lead blocker (FB) were damn amazing. Fichtner tried to use him like Bell Sunday and he’s not Bell. 

[Dcash4]

2 minutes ago, warfelg said:

I do have a slight issue with not using a FB from the simple fact that Conner’s numbers dunking behind a lead blocker (FB) were damn amazing. Fichtner tried to use him like Bell Sunday and he’s not Bell. 

I tend to agree, but he did have good success running out of the gun last year too. I just wished they had a better plan. Fitchner calls plays, he doesn’t run an offense. Makes it hard to get any sort of flow when things go wrong. 

[MOSteelers56]

Maybe we'll see some Samuels as the h-back. 

[armsteeld]

@Steeler Hitman of course I understand the importance of a surehanded punt Returner but if it's simply for ST value then no way would I have let Spencer go. I guarantee that Spencer will score a ST touchdown before the season is over. Switzer is very media/fan friendly and that guy that goes out of his way to being a nice guy but I want a better football player than what he has been.

[Steeler Hitman]

1 minute ago, armsteeld said:

@Steeler Hitman of course I understand the importance of a surehanded punt Returner but if it's simply for ST value then no way would I have let Spencer go. I guarantee that Spencer will score a ST touchdown before the season is over. Switzer is very media/fan friendly and that guy that goes out of his way to being a nice guy but I want a better football player than what he has been.

No doubt that Spencer is dynamic and electric and if given enough chances would probably take one to the house before Switzer. However,  I would also be willing to bet that Spencer also muffs a punt, fumbles and makes other special teams related mistakes before and more than Switzer will.  Will that one PR TD help you win more games (games not a game) or the player that consistently fields punts cleanly, makes intelligent decisions fielding the ball inside of the 10 yard line, will give you 5 - 10 extra yards consistently and most improtantly, put the ball back in the offenses hands?  I value the sure handed guy over the potential big play wildcard. Here's why:

You get one or two TD's on PR's a season if you are lucky.  You will consistently field 4 - 8 punts per game (if your defense makes stops).  That's more opportunity to muff than what history has shown me I would get in terms of TD's or long returns from a PR (not named Devin Hester who could catch punts and return with the best of them). 

Spencer is not Hester in either category, so give me the guy who will put the ball back in our offenses hands and not have a high probability of making a game changing mistake via a muff or fumble. Call me conservative. Holton, Eli, Spencer and Johnson can all be far more dynamic with the ball in their hands and in space on a PR.  They also are more likely to make a mistake.  Not a fan of Switzer getting six pass targets a games. i would rather see our TE's, WR's and RB's with the ball in their hands on offense before Switzer.