Putting the Special in Special Teams

It’s been a while since the Eagles had a game-changing return man. The last return for a touchdown came from Brian Westbrook against the Giants, but using Westbrook to return punts is like playing with fire, he’s too valuable.

Last year, the Eagles took a flyer in the fifth round, drafting Jeremy Bloom, an olympic freestyle skier, and explosive return man. He tore his hamstring and missed the entire year, but this year, he’s back and looking to make a difference, and the team.

Steve King has a long write-up on Bloom today over at Philly.com, and it’s worth a read if you need an Iggles’ fix. I remember when the Eagles drafted him, I had visions of big plays flipping the battle for field position, easy 40–yard scoring drives, and basically free points. Those dreams may be alive again, although I highly doubt Bloom will see any time at WR this year, but you never know.

Here’s some YouTube footage of Bloom at the NFL combine.