Chicago Bears Position Battles: Kick/Punt Returner

Projected Winners:

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Kick Returner – Michael Ford

Ford doesn’t have as much kick return experience as Spurlock or Edwards, but has more upside. Both of those veterans have had shots with multiple teams and haven’t been able to produce, so I don’t think this opportunity will be any different. Williams is the most dynamic option but he couldn’t win the kick return job in Canada. Ford was a good kick returner at LSU (27.5) and in a limited audition last preseason (33.5 ypr) and I think he is the Bears best option in 2014.

Punt Returner – Chris Williams

If you watched the Williams highlight reel I posted on the first page, you can see that this kid has some talent. Expectations need to be lowered a bit because he’s not going to be Devin Hester, but of the choices on the Bears roster Williams has the best chance to be close. Williams dominated in the CFL, which is a far cry from the NFL, but with the recent success of CFL transplants like Cameron Wake, Brandon Browner, Jerrell Freeman and Andrew Hawkins the talent differential between the two leagues seems to be shrinking. Williams doesn’t have much kick return experience and has been far more effective as a punt returner, so that’s where I think the Bears will use him.