Skills and Drills: Carolina Panthers return route drill for wide receivers

By Frank Bartscheck | Posted 7/29/2016

Football has changed tremendously in the past few decades. The size, speed and technique of players have been meticulously refined at every position on the field.

Wide receiver is a prime example.

In the early days of the sport, wide receivers only needed to be fast. If they were tall or had the size to block well, that was an added bonus. As the game has progressed, there is more attention paid to the minute details of this position.

Footwork and route running have become among the most import aspects of any wide receiver trying to make the jump to the next level.

Amari Cooper, the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and a wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders, was asked what makes him better than other receivers at the NFL Combine.

“I take good pride in the way I release off the line and come out of my breaks,” Cooper said at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine. “Those are really the only two ways you can get open. I think that’s probably what would separate me from someone else.”

One drill to practice footwork and route running utilized by the Carolina Panthers is the return route drill. It is a simple drill that can be run at any level of the game.

If your receivers get lackadaisical or don’t seem committed to the drill with effort and precision, remind them of a quote from the greatest of all time. 

Drill setup

Align wide receivers in a normal alignment, either on or off the ball based on your playbook.

Key coaching points

Wide receivers first sell the slant route in order to effectively run the return route. Upon release, a receiver takes three steps and plants his outside foot to cut inside. The receiver immediately turns his head and eyes to face the quarterback, a key to selling the route.

After three more steps, the receiver plants his inside foot while squaring his shoulders to the quarterback and immediately breaks back toward the sideline. When executed properly, this should be a smooth and quick 180-degree break.

Directly after the break, as the receiver nears the sideline, he should be immediately ready to receive the pass. The receiver should reach out for the ball with his hands up, make a soft catch, secure the ball and immediately turn up-field to gain positive yardage.

SEE ALSO: Click here to see all of USA Football’s Skills and Drills videos

SEE ALSO: 3 drills to reinforce wider receiver catching technique

SEE ALSO: 4 skills wide receivers need to create separation at the line of scrimmage

 

Photo courtesy of Panthers.com

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