Smoke Signals: Rock Cartwright needs to get over it edition

Rock should embrace his role and work to be the best Special Teams player (overall special teams, not just as a returner) in the league and solidify his reputation as one of the best in franchise history. He should remember that he was a seventh round pick that has been able to play more games in the NFL than many first round picks, and be proud of that accomplishment.

Plus, what kind of message is he sending as a team captain?

Good question. I don't get why a 7th round RB who has never been a major contributor on offense gets his jock strap in a wad that he's been bumped from the zero carry 3rd RB to the zero carry 4th RB.

Rock Cartwright.........BLEH. Even on ST's he is average. I think we should let Mason try and return kickoffs. More speed, plus, he hasnt shown he has fumblitis yet.

And what is it with the skins having players named "Rock, or Rocky"?

You'd think they'd at least be Italian........

Guess you forgot last preseason when Mason was returning kicks, he coughed it up on one of his attempts, just sayin'.

I can understand why Rock is pissed off. Your 3rd or 4th string rb MUST play teams yet Mason doesn't? Guys like Mason are a dime a dozen and you can find guys like him in the 7th round of the draft. But Rock needs to realize his role and that's special teams player, not an NFL RB. It's very apparent that the coaches don't like Rock at RB.

Keeping Mason over Dorsey or Aldridge still doesn't make sense to me. He's not a change of pace, he doesn't play teams, Betts is the 3rd down back, so when is Mason going to see the field??

Rock should be a "Special Teams Specialist" not a 3rd string RB. I've been a supporter of his for a while and am glad he's still on the team, but he looks BAD when he gets carries out of the backfield. Like was said before, he's had a great career for a late round pick and he should be happy with the role give to him.

Hopefully he was just having a bad day? If it continues........SEE YA!

Rock has been pissed ever since they brought Mason on this team and rightfully so. He's worked hard to get where he's at and he gets no appreciation for it. I mean, seriously, would you guys really want Antonio Brown back on this team returning kicks? You know, the guy that would blow kisses at his defenders while running down the field?

Rock has been steady at returning for us for three years now. We didn't have a good kick returner for a while once we cut Brian Mitchell. The guys that took his place f'ed it all up! Like the ball hitting Deon Sanders in the head! Or averaging 20-23 yards a return with four different guys returning kicks. Or the fumbles.

Rock has averaged 25+ returning kicks with NO fumbles. He has made our once unstable kick returns stable. He's been at the top of the returners list for three straight years. People should recognize that and appreicate it. Its hard to get a good solid return guy. But we got one in Rock. I don't understand what is so bad about that. I mean, how bad would it suck if we let Alridge return a kick for us during an actual game? Geez, That guy doesn't even know which arm to carry the ball with OR to take a knee when you catch a ball FIVE YARDS DEEP IN THE END ZONE!!! Letting him do something like that would be even worse than benching Jason Campbell in favor of Brett Favre.

I'm not understanding this notion that he should just sit back and be happy with what he's got. He was a 7th rounder so he should be happy with simply being on the team.

Shouldn't we expect all of our players to strive to be better, to want the ball more, to want more playing time, to want a bigger role??

Not saying that complaining in the paper is the best route to go, but hey, the guy is upset and he is free to voice his opinion. If I recall he's been upset in the past over not having a bigger role, but in the end he sucks it up and goes out there and plays hard no matter what. I highly doubt this turns into a lingering issue.

Do you're job. Special Teams has made you a very wealthy man.

I mean, seriously, would you guys really want Antonio Brown back on this team returning kicks? You know, the guy that would blow kisses at his defenders while running down the field?


lol that brought back memories

Like Matty said though, he's gonna work hard and get his job done regardless of how he might feel right now. It's also nice to know that he actually believes in himself just in case there is a time when he needs to be running the ball.

He should strive to be better (regardless of where he was drafted), but that could simply mean being better at special teams. He's free to voice his opinion, but I thought he took an unnecessary, back-handed slap at Mason in doing so. Which wasn't right.