At the beginning of the decade, the Buffalo Bills had a different player return the majority of the team's punts in every season from 2000 to 2005. Needless to say, the cream shall rise on this particular vote. The closer vote might be which one of these guys was the worst.
Chris Watson
After a successful rookie season in Denver following his selection in the third round, Watson was traded to Buffalo when he was no longer needed in Denver's CB rotation prior to the 2000 season. In 2000, he returned 33 punts for 163 yards, an average of 4.9 yards per return, and had a long of 20 yards playing the role of "punt catcher" on Wade Phillips' special teams unit.
Peerless Price
Also a member of our nominee list for wide receiver of the decade, Price was Buffalo's primary punt returner in 2001. In total, he returned 25 punts for 153 yards at an average of 6.1 yards per return during his time in Buffalo. His longest return was for 24 yards.
Charlie Rogers
Rogers continued the one and done rule that applied to Buffalo's punt returners in the beginning of the decade when he was the Bills' primary punt returner in 2002. In his lone year in Buffalo, he returned 26 punts for 137 yards, an average of 5.3 yards per return.
Antonio Brown
Brown was undrafted from the University of West Virginia, but was the Bills' primary punt returner in the 2004 season. He had 25 returns for 111 yards and a 4.4 yard per return average. His longest return was 18 yards.
Nate Clements
Clements took the majority of punt returns in 2005. He earned a Pro Bowl berth that year after bringing back 35 punts for 325 yards and a touchdown. In total, Clements returned 65 punts for the Bills for 617 yards at an average of 9.5 yards per return, with two touchdowns. His long return of 86 yards is the longest punt return of the decade and second-longest in team history.
Roscoe Parrish
Since joining the Bills as their first selection in the 2005 NFL Draft, Parrish quickly established himself as a long-term answer at this position. Parrish is Buffalo's career leader in punt returns (118), punt return yards (1,445), punt return touchdowns (three - tied with Keith Moody), and yards per return (12.2 with a minimum of 20 returns). In the decade, he has more than fifty punt returns more than any other player, and averaged more than 2.5 yards per return more than any player on this list of nominees. He is the NFL's active leader in yards per punt return, and in 2007 and 2008 led the league in that statistic.
Leave your voting rationale in the comments section. The kick returner will be the last spot on the team before we move on to select the coach, team, and player of the decade.
Previous Installments: QB, RB 1, RB 2, WR 1, WR 2, TE, OT 1, OT 2, OG 1, OG 2, OC, P/K, DT 1, DT 2, DE 1, DE 2, OLB 1, OLB 2, MLB, CB 1, CB 2, SS, FS