Frisco, Texas — This is not the first year the NFL has chosen to change the kickoff structure and rules, but this is arguably the most drastic change any of us have seen in a very long time. Yes, and that will immediately impact players like Cavonte Turpin and CJ Goodwin.
After years of tweaking that aspect of the game as a concern for player safety, the league has seen a drastic drop in returns and a significant removal of the electronic element of kickoffs across the board. The spark of 2024.
That being said, it's reasonable to think there would be a clear positive impact for a dynamic returner like Turpin, who has made his intentions clear several times since joining as the ace returner in 2022. Dew.
“I don’t care because I’m not a fair catch.” [anything]” he repeated matter-of-factly in May 2023.
Either way, fair catches are no longer allowed in the NFL, so there's no need to worry. Onside kicks are also not allowed unless they occur in the fourth quarter, in which case officials must be notified. Former Pro Bowlers like Turpin have been given near-freedom to demonstrate what they can really do on special teams.
But what about the other players who went on to become (or in Williams' case, become) ace gunners, such as defensive back Goodwin and up-and-coming defensive end Sam Williams?
Remember, the gunner's job is to recklessly jump down the sideline and try to finish off the returner.
Things will get very interesting for them under the new kickoff guidelines.
On the one hand, the NFL is effectively guaranteed more returns going forward, meaning more opportunities to contribute to control of field position or provide takeaways to get the ball back into the field, so is good news for Goodwin and others. The Cowboys' offense. And considering how well Goodwin has excelled in his role as a gunner since landing in Dallas in 2018.
But on the other hand, there are additional challenges here as well.
The new rules say: There are no players The kicking team can move until the ball touches the returner or hits the ground, and remains stationary until one of two things happens. This meant that the gunner's ability to take advantage of gaining full speed while the ball was in the air was eliminated. This was no coincidence, as the league tries to hold firm on its views on player safety.
Goodwin gave his take on the change, leaning on the optimistic side of the coin as well as saying that Cowboys special teams coordinator John “Bones” Fassel has been preparing for the change for a long time. It was also revealed that
“Honestly, I like the rule changes,” Goodwin told DallasCowboys.com. “I know Bones is very excited about this rule being changed. We actually conducted drills at training camp in anticipation of this rule being changed at some point. And , speed is important, but there was a lot of wasted time when running down the field.''Kicking the ball out of the end zone adds a lot of action to the game.
“We're expecting more returns this year. It's more plays for everyone and we can force fumbles on kickoffs. So it can change the game on that front for us. I’m looking forward to it, it’s going to be fun.”
While the NFL enjoyed seeing players like Devin Hester and Dante Hall light up the field on kickoffs, players like Matthew Slater (and to a notable degree Goodwin) shut down games. It feels like a long time ago when players had a huge impact on the game through their abilities. More dangerous returnees. And the league may continue to enjoy that nostalgia.
At least that's the hope, but there's no doubt that the returning players will be happy with the news this offseason, and the gunners should be too, but the latter can only be happy to a certain extent — they'll stay put until the former makes a decision. Because it is fixed in . He wants to do it when the ball is in the air.
Returners may become less naturally afraid of the Gunner after 2024, as they will be less likely to fire at the Gunner or invade his personal space while the Gunner is trying to catch the ball. .
And that literally means the onus is on the gunner to deliver more impact when he gets a chance to impact.
