Despite the differing opinions within the NFL coaching community regarding the implementation of the league’s new kickoff rules, there at least appears to be a consensus among teams.
It’s the new law of the land, so it’s time to start looking for competitive advantages. At this early stage of the offseason, it’s more about roster construction than anything else.
“That’s the discussion now,” said one head coach, who was granted anonymity so he could speak candidly. “That is the question.”
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Making sense of the NFL’s new kickoff rule and what it means for next season
Limits of 90 players are still in place until training camp, and teams will not have the opportunity to practice kickoff lineups until on-field work is permitted later as part of organized team activities. So there are a lot of logistics to sort out in the coming months, but coaches and front offices have all been discussing the best ways to handle the new rules.
A handful of teams acknowledged discussing kickoff strategies as part of their pre-draft meetings, with one noting that it directly affected at least one of their draft selections.
Running backs Isaac Guerendo (fourth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers), Tyrone Tracy Jr. (fifth-round pick of the New York Giants), Dylan Laube (sixth-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders) and Keilan Robinson (fifth round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars). round pick) are examples of draft picks that also bring with them an upside kick return.
A few team managers said they were aware of potential new strategies when making their picks, but didn’t necessarily have the ability to select someone who would be better suited to the new rules than the old ones. . That’s not too surprising. Given that the rules are only in effect through the 2024 season, some teams acknowledged they still have time to understand the variables while being hesitant to make longer-term commitments during the testing phase and of errors.
“Changes probably won’t be as drastic until the first year, because so much remains unknown,” one executive said.
A chief executive added: “They can still change the rules, so we’ll see.” »
As a reminder, teams will always kick off from their own 35 yard line, with 10 coverage players standing at the receiving team’s 40 yard line until the kick lands or be picked up by the returning team. The receiving team must have nine players in the set-up zone, which extends from their own 30 to 35 yard line, and they also cannot move until the kick reaches or is not recovered. The home team also has a maximum of two players who can line up in the touchdown zone, which extends from the goal line to the 20.
(Drew Jordan / Athleticism)
The rules will essentially create a trench style battle between teams. Lack of a head start will prioritize manual techniques for blocking and clearing blockages, and speed may not be as important.
“They’re bulls…” said one longtime special teams coach. “This is what the league has wanted for years. But you can either complain or adapt and find a solution.
Most coaches and executives believed that teams would draft fewer players exclusive to special teams. Since punt coverage won’t change, they’ll still need top-notch shooters, so the Matthew Slaters of the world won’t necessarily be affected. But there shouldn’t be as much need for five or six such players – maybe just two or three.
Therefore, teams could employ an additional tight end, linebacker, and offensive and defensive linemen. Additionally, it is believed that kick returners will be more about power than speed in breaking arm tackles in these trench battles – something that is not typically a strength of the burner receiver.
Sure, that top speed would be an asset if the returner could get over the line and get away, but the special teams coach didn’t envision that becoming a common occurrence. The coach studied that comeback model in the XFL and said explosive comebacks weren’t the norm. The NFL said the XFL’s average field position on returns was the 29.1 yard line.
“The new kickoff rules teach a valuable lesson to the player who will primarily be a special teams contributor,” one executive said. “I think it also hurts smaller skill positions whose role might not translate to the new kickoff, thereby reducing their value.”
A few teams believed that kickoffs would begin to involve more starters, as they would bear similarities to trench play on first downs. If these players are already well equipped to handle comparable fundamentals, it would make sense to give them a few extra snaps per game when crucial field position is on the line.
“I think you might be more willing to play starters from the kickoff,” one executive said. “It’s a real football game now, so it might minimize the specialists.”
Of course, some wondered how many teams would simply opt for the touchback that had become so prevalent under previous rules. With the new guidelines, any kick that lands outside the landing zone (the 40-yard line) will be blown and spotted at 40 yards, just as if it landed out of bounds.
To address the lowest kickoff return rate in @NFL history during the 2023 season and concern for player health and safety, the NFL competition committee proposed a new kickoff rule.
If adopted by NFL clubs, the new rule will keep the excitement of kickoff returns in the… pic.twitter.com/0ltQpSrAvC
– NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) March 22, 2024
But strategic touchback could simply involve getting the ball out of the end zone to be spotted at 30 yards. If teams struggle to adjust to the new rules to prevent most returns from reaching the 30-yard line anyway, they could figure out the risk. it is not worth the trouble.
“More teams will probably settle for 30,” one executive said with a sigh.
But for the teams ready to take advantage? They’re already looking at possibilities, determining how to field the best teams when they’re able to emphasize kickoff practices later this summer.
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(Tyrone Tracy Jr photo: Steven King / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)