10 Burning Questions for Camp: Who will handle returns?

[Miles]

The first task for the returners, of course, is the field the football cleanly and avoid a field-flipping fumble. But if there is no potential for an explosive return, McMahon will keep looking.


"You have to catch the football, but I'm going to be honest with you: We need speed. We need guys that can hit a home run," he said. "You have to put fear into that group over there [the opposing coverage team], because if you don't put any fear into them, it makes it real, real hard to return now. It's very, very difficult.


"So we need that speed. We need that home run. And we need the guys that have that to catch the darn ball. [The] bottom line is they have to catch it every single rep."


That's why Langley could be an intriguing option. His regular-season returning stats are not notable; he has a 24.4-yard average on 10 career returns and one punt return for 6 yards.


But now that Langley is playing wide receiver, he is doing one thing more than he has in his pro career: catch the football. That can help him on special teams.


"I think there's no question, because I'm a personal believer that you catch a ball with your eyes," McMahon said. "If you just shut your eyes and catch anything, you can't. So it's one of those [things] where he's getting great eye work. Everybody says, 'Catch a ball with your hands!' Well, if your eyes are closed, you're not going to catch it.


"The more he catches footballs, the better it's going to be for all of us, and he's doing a good job out here right now."


Langley, like the others in the mix, desires the job. The reason is obvious: For nearly all of the players in the return mix, the most reliable path on the roster is to win a return job -- even though it will require emerging from a crowded field to do so.


"It’s good competition, I’ll tell you that," McMahon said.