Rules changes aimed at safety have made kickoff returns almost a rarity in the NFL.

Punters have gotten better each year at placing their kicks in spots that make it harder and harder to run back.Despite all that's stacked up against them Infant Isaiah Prince Jersey , there are still a few returners who can turn the sometimes mundane kicking plays into breathtaking ones.Miami's Jakeem Grant beat out Kansas City‘s Tyreek Hill as the NFL's top returner in 2018 in voting released Friday by a panel of 10 football writers for The Associated Press.Grant received the honor the same week he was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a leg injury."Grant has a touchdown on a punt return and a kickoff return. Such a distinction is almost extinct thanks to the rule changes," said Dallas-based Schuyler Dixon.Grant has excelled as an all-around returner, ranking fourth in kick return average (29.7 yards) and first on punts (16.3) before his injury. Only six players have enough returns to qualify for the league leaders in both categories.The return game is growing less important by the year. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of all kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks, the most in NFL history, and there have been fewer punt returns through 12 weeks than at any point since the merger. Grant has two of the league's seven return touchdowns so far this season, the fewest through 12 weeks in a non-strike year and down from a high of 31 at this point just 11 years ago.Hill, who returned a punt for a score in Week 1, received five first-place votes to the four for Grant, even though he is not used on kicks and has just 17 punt returns as he plays a bigger role on offense."Punts against the Chiefs are the wrong time for a bathroom break, with Hill and his five career return touchdowns in three NFL seasons waiting to catch them Football Isaiah Prince Jersey ," Minneapolis-based Dave Campbell said. "Wait until the commercial."More Miami Dolphins newsMaking it official: Dolphins hire Super Bowl-winning Patriots assistant Brian Flores as 13th head coach in franchise historyJaguars CB Jalen Ramsey catches a TD on offense as AFC thumps NFC in rainy Pro Bowl in OrlandoDolphins meet again with Patriots assistant Brian FloresDolphins must wait until after Super Bowl to seal deal with Patriots LB coach Brian FloresFormer Dolphins six-time Pro Bowl selection Bob Kuechenberg dies at age 71In all, 21 players received at least one vote, with only Grant, Hill, Andre Roberts of the Jets and New England's Cordarrelle Patterson appearing on all 10 ballots.Like Grant, Roberts is one of the handful of players to excel at both kicks and punts and finished third, one spot ahead of Patterson."Roberts has been one of the few bright spots this season for a struggling Jets team," New York-based Dennis Waszak said. "He has re-established himself as a dangerous dual threat in the return game, highlighted by a 78-yard punt return for a TD. Roberts also leads the NFL with three punt returns of 40 or more yards."The other first-place vote went to Tennessee's kick return specialist Darius Jennings, who ranked fifth overall and also has a return for a score."Who? Yes Isaiah Prince Miami Dolphins Jerseys , someone who came into the NFL as a rookie free agent out of Virginia and now is with his fourth different team is leading the league, averaging 34.8 yards per kickoff return," said Nashville-based Teresa Walker, who voted Jennings first.Rounding out the top 10 were Chicago's Tarik Cohen, Desmond King of the Chargers, Cincinnati's Alex Erickson, Kansas City's kick returner Tremon Smith, and JoJo Natson of the Rams."Almost as exciting a player as Tyreek Hill, Cohen will get more touches on offense as his career moves along," New York-based Barry Wilner said of Cohen Miami Dolphins Jerseys Stitched , who was named on nine ballots. "That's kind of disappointing because it means fewer opportunities to show his stuff on returns."___The rankings:1. Jakeem Grant, Dolphins2. Tyreek Hill, Chiefs3. Andre Roberts, Jets4. Cordarrelle Patterson, Patriots5. Darius Jennings, Titans6. Tarik Cohen, Bears7. Desmond King, Chargers8. Alex Erickson, Bengals9. Tremon Smith, Chiefs10. JoJo Natson Super Bowl Isaiah Prince Jersey , Rams A year ago, the Cardinals packaged their first-round pick, third-round pick and fifth-round pick to move up in the draft and get quarterback Josh Rosen. His rookie year did not go well. But could things get even worse by the Cardinals trading him for far, far less draft capital than they paid to get him?If the Cardinals select Kyler Murray with the first overall pick, that obviously means they believe Murray is their quarterback of the future, and Rosen is not. Which would presumably put Rosen on the trade block, where there’s no way the Cardinals would get back the value of picks they traded away for him last year.Peter King suggests today that the Cardinals may settle for a third-round pick for Rosen, perhaps No. 78 overall from the Dolphins. Having to settle for just a third after spending a first, a third and a fifth on him last year would not reflect well on Cardinals General Manager Steve Keim’s decision-making.However, a previous report from Joel Klatt of FOX said that the Cardinals have already turned down a second-round pick and are holding out for a first. If that’s the case Football Isaiah Prince Jersey , there’s no way they’ll take a third.The best option for the Cardinals, assuming they take Murray may be just to keep Rosen as Murray’s backup. He’s due only $6.19 million over the next three years, which makes him cheap by backup quarterback standards. And it would be easier for Keim to spin his decision as, “Now we’ve got two talented young quarterbacks” than, “Last year I traded away a one, a three and a 5, and this year I’m getting only a three back.” Rosen and Murray may just be teammates this year.