Punt returner/kick returner question

[spiketex]

I grew up in another country and never played american football but since coming to the USA I have become an NFL enthusiast - and yes I'm a fanatical Dolphin fan.
My question is probably obvious to anyone who played the game - but I don't understand why different skills and different types of players are required for the punt return and the kick return duties. In both cases the goal is to catch the ball and run as far as you can and not turn over the ball.
I know that Davone Bess is well regarded for the kick return tasks and Ted Ginn for the other (but we don't want to risk getting them injured). Why do we need different players performing these tasks that on the surface seem similar?

 

[cafinfan408]

The blocking sets up way different. When a player catches a kickoff he gets to catch it in no traffic and see blocked develop and read the field. On a punt most of the time the play must make a catch in traffic and make quick decisions on where to go. A lot of teams will use the same guy for both.

 

[Cali Finfan]

Another big reason is, that in football you try to put as many playmakers on the field as possible. If you are able to utilize two players who excell at returning but approach their duties differently, then the opposite team has to spend time preparing for both rather then just one of them.

 

[McGaniel]

This year kickoffs will be intresting to watch. The league felt the three-man wedge was causing too many injuries, so starting this fall, there will be a 15-yard penalty called if more than two receiving-team players line up within 2 yards of each other to lead the blocking. The rules change will be difficult for both kick return and kick coverage teams. The personnel also will likely change because it. The league is used to having guys in the same position because they knew they were going to be taking on the wedge. But now you might find teams going to smaller, quicker, faster guys because there will be more single blocks. Therefore, teams may have to throw a bigger guy in spaces to contend with a more athletic kid. I personaly think that this is going to cause way more high speed collisions due to the open holes in the blocking.

 

[nosleep]

In terms of running style there's not much of a difference; you want someone who can run fast and change direction fast to make people miss in the open field. You want someone who can house it every time if given a lane. Ginn can do this but there were some worries about his ball protection and avoiding contact by running out of bounds. It seems the front office wants to boot Ginn off duties for a more sure handed albeit slower returner in Bess. While we gain some ball protection in Bess we lose the touchdown threat with Ginn.

 

[FinsFan24]

Our team is a great example of the difference in punt return and kick return duties. Bess is more suited for punt return because he doesnt need a lot of space to get up to full speed and he is probably the quickest, not fastest, guy on the team. He is a good decision maker and can also protect the ball. Ginn is more suited to return kickoffs because he is a strider. He has that top gear that few people can match in the NFL. All he has to do is hit the right hole and he is going for 6. That is the main difference between the two, quickness and speed.