Grantland Article on Possibly Doing Away with Kickoffs

[Senser81]

Tl:dr all of it.

Did the article touch on any union issues? For instance, removing kick offs greatly reduces the value of kickers and could also possibly eliminate roster spots for guys who only play special teams. Despite the increased safety for players, I would think the union would be opposed to anything that takes kickoffs out of the game mainly because there is the indirect possibility that these changes could shrink the union.

I think that putting the kickoffs at the 35 greatly reduced the value of kickers. I remember a few years ago, teams would carry a "kickoff specialist", a guy whose only job was to kick the ball off into the endzone. The Colts had this guy named Danny Kight, and he would do the kickoffs instead of Vanderjagt, and he would always kick the ball out-of-bounds.

Anyway, the point is that now even guys like Paul Edinger and Ryan Longwell can boot the ball through the endzone with regularity, so removing kickoffs isn't going to change a kicker's value to the team. They are all purely "placekickers" now, anyways.

As for affecting players who are solely special teams guys, I see some merit to that argument, but those are fringe guys anyways. The only team it would really affect is the Chicago Bears, since half their roster is "special teams guys".

[FirstTimer]

I think that putting the kickoffs at the 35 greatly reduced the value of kickers. I remember a few years ago, teams would carry a "kickoff specialist", a guy whose only job was to kick the ball off into the endzone. The Colts had this guy named Danny Kight, and he would do the kickoffs instead of Vanderjagt, and he would always kick the ball out-of-bounds.

Anyway, the point is that now even guys like Paul Edinger and Ryan Longwell can boot the ball through the endzone with regularity, so removing kickoffs isn't going to change a kicker's value to the team. They are all purely "placekickers" now, anyways.

As for affecting players who are solely special teams guys, I see some merit to that argument, but those are fringe guys anyways. The only team it would really affect is the Chicago Bears, since half their roster is "special teams guys".

Stole my thought on the Bears on this one. Lovie Smith is in love with trying to have like 7 ST aces it seems. Lose Rashied Davis, panic and sign Sam Hurd. Is there seriously no one on the team that can take the place of a gunner on the damn punt team that you need to sign Hurd's clown ass?