ARIZONA CARDINALS

Cardinals’ return game back to square one after injury to T.J. Logan

Aug 7, 2017, 10:54 AM | Updated: 4:48 pm

Arizona Cardinals running back Kerwynn Williams (33) is among those who could replace injured retur...

Arizona Cardinals running back Kerwynn Williams (33) is among those who could replace injured return man T.J. Logan. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

GLENDALE, Ariz. — One game. That’s all it took for Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians to conclude that he had found his return specialist for 2017.

Yes, rookie running back T.J. Logan was that impressive Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys in the Hall of Fame Game. Unfortunately, that’s the last anyone will see of Logan until at least midway through the season after he suffered a dislocated left wrist in the preseason opener.

“It’s a shame,” Arians said.

So now what do the Cardinals do?

Arians listed three players — running back Kerwynn Williams plus rookies Chad Williams and Rudy Ford — who will attempt to fill the role of kickoff and punt returner.

Kerwynn Williams will get the first crack at it.

“It’s definitely exciting,” he said. “They always say the more you can do — any way that you can contribute to the team, if you can find a way to make yourself more valuable, that’s always a smart thing to do.”

Going into his fifth NFL season, Williams last was positioned deep to receive kickoffs in 2015. That year he averaged 15.8 yards a return.

Williams, however, has never returned punts on the pro level.

“It’s not new to me,” he said, referring to his four years at Utah State, where he returned 11 punts for a total of 135 yards. “Returning punts is definitely a little bit tougher than returning kicks. (When returning) kicks there’s not really anyone right now in your face at the time. You have a lot of time to make decisions and stuff like that. But, I feel like if you stay fundamentally sound in catching your punts and you trust your teammates, I think, that makes it a lot easier to stand back there and catch those punts.”

Chad Williams, the Cardinals’ third-round pick out of Grambling State, returned punts in college but not kickoffs. He’s been working on the latter though post-practice here in training camp, getting pointers from some of the veterans like “squaring your body and squaring the ball before it actually gets there.”

Regardless of whether it’s returning kickoffs or punts, the key is “you have to look (the ball) in” to your hands, according to Williams, who likely will make his most immediate impact on special teams given the depth of wide receivers.

“I’m willing to play any special teams so it don’t really matter to me,” he said, smiling.

The third player, Ford, already has a lot on his plate. Drafted as a corner in the sixth round out of Auburn, the 22-year-old has found himself playing more safety in recent weeks — and playing well, according to Arians.

Still, Ford will be given an opportunity to be a return specialist. His experience, however, only includes kickoffs. He did not return punts in college.

Arians also mentioned John Brown, when healthy, and J.J. Nelson (only if “we need him”) as potential other options. Both Brown and Nelson have been back on kickoffs and punts in the past.

Last season, the Cardinals used four and three different players on kickoff and punt returns, respectively.

“Any time that you have an opportunity to help change the game for a positive, that’s always something that you want to do,” Kerwynn Williams said, “so if you got an opportunity to do that, you definitely take that very serious.”

The Cardinals’ return game has been a source of angst in recent years. Field position is always critical, and a better starting point can do wonders for an offense. It’s why the Cardinals believed they had found their answer in Logan.

“Somebody else is just going to have to step up and do it,” Arians said.

Follow Craig Grialou on Twitter

Presented By
Western Governors University

Arizona Cardinals

Desmond Ridder runs the rock against Houston...

Tyler Drake

Desmond Ridder eager to remind fellow Cardinals QB Clayton Tune about college wins

Cardinals quarterback Desmond Ridder may not know Kyler Murray just yet, but he and Clayton Tune go way back.

2 days ago

LSU's Malik Nabers, a top NFL Draft prospect...

Kevin Zimmerman

NFL Draft: Malik Nabers to visit Arizona Cardinals after LSU pro day, per report

Top NFL Draft receiver prospect Malik Nabers will reportedly visit with the Arizona Cardinals after the LSU Tigers' pro day.

2 days ago

Desmond Ridder looks to pass...

Tyler Drake

QB1 or not, Desmond Ridder keeping starter mentality with Cardinals

New Cardinals QB Desmond Ridder is focused on using the good and the bad from his first two seasons rather than listening to outside chatter.

2 days ago

Jonathan Gannon and Kyler Murray look on...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon: Kyler Murray’s ‘best football is ahead of him’

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon believes Kyler Murray will continue taking the necessary steps forward with a full offseason of work.

3 days ago

Kyler Murray chats with Jonathan Gannon...

Arizona Sports

Arizona Cardinals will face ‘really good’ AFC opponent for joint preseason practices

The Arizona Cardinals expect to hold joint practices in the preseason against a really good AFC opponent, in the words of Jonathan Gannon.

3 days ago

Patriots and Cardinals kick off return in 2020...

Associated Press

NFL owners approve new kickoff rules for 2024

NFL kickoff rules will take on a hybrid approach similar to the XFL. League owners approved the new measures Tuesday.

3 days ago

Cardinals’ return game back to square one after injury to T.J. Logan