What is it they say about those who dont learn from history? They are doomed to repeat it?
If you are an Eagles fan, you have to hope Andy Reid does not repeat the same mistake he made in 2007 when he went into the regular season without an experienced punt returner.
In the opener at Green Bay, the Eagles used wide receiver Greg Lewis, who never had returned punts before, to handle that dicey task. On his first try, Lewis fumbled the ball into the end zone where it was recovered by the Packers Tracy White for a touchdown.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
In the fourth quarter, Reid sent J.R. Reed, another inexperienced punt returner, back to field a kick in Eagles territory. He, too, fumbled, and the Packers recovered to set up the game-winning field goal by Mason Crosby.
Two botched punt returns led directly to a 16-13 season opening loss.
The Eagles cannot allow themselves to be in the same position Sunday when they open the regular season in St. Louis. They need to find someone who has experience fielding puntsunless they want to put DeSean Jackson in that position which is unlikely.
On Saturday, the Eagles cut all three punt returners as they trimmed their roster to 53. They waived Sinorice Moss, Chad Hall and Johnnie Lee Higgins and left themselves naked at that position one week before the opener.
News
All three had their chances in the pre-season and none stepped up to claim the job. Hall sealed his fate with two fumbled punts (one lost) on Thursday. Higgins, a former Oakland Raider, didnt show much. Moss probably was the best bet, but there are always concerns about his injury history.
So at the moment, the Eagles dont have anyone on the roster other than the too-valuable-to-risk and still-woefully-underpaid Jackson, who has proven they can catch a punt in live action.
This really does bring back memories of 07 when the coaches decided at the end of the pre-season that Jeremy Bloom was better suited for the ski slopes than the NFL. They cut Bloom and figured they would just plug in someone else. Reid told Lewis he was the guy and next thing you know the Packers were celebrating in the end zone with a 7-0 lead.
The following week, the Eagles brought back Reno Mahe and he was the punt returner for the rest of that season.
The question is who do the Eagles reach out to now? Maybe they just needed to clear a roster spot for now and they are planning to bring one of the other guysMoss, Hall or Higginsback later in the week. With all the shuffling that goes on, it is possible, but I doubt it.
More likely, they are scanning the waiver wire to see if there is another punt returner on the street looking for work. At a glance, I saw one possibility: David Gilreath.
Gilreath was released Saturday by Indianapolis. He is a wispy 5-9 and 170 pound receiver and kick returner who set records at the University of Wisconsin. He is too frail to make it as a receiver in the NFL -- the Eagles have enough talent there anywaybut he could make it as a return specialist.
Gilreath set the Big Ten record for career return yards (3,025) and last season he returned the opening kickoff against Ohio State for a touchdown setting the stage for Wisconsins upset of the No. 1 ranked Buckeyes. He ran a 4.4 40 in pre-draft workouts so he has speed and he has experience fielding both kickoffs and punts. He might be worth a call.
E-mail Ray Didinger at viewfromthehall@comcast.net.