The National Football League made a drastic rule change this offseason to the kickoff. In doing so, it makes things very interesting when it comes to roster building.
- Kickoff remains at the 35-yard line normally and the 20-yard line for safeties
- Remaining players on the kicking team will need to have one foot on the opposing 40-yard line
- The receiving team will line up between their 30 and 35-yard line
- The kick needs to land between the goal line and the 20-yard line.
- All kicks that land in the landing zone must be returned. The only exception is if the ball rolls into the end zone (can be downed) or out of bounds.
How will teams handle the new kickoff rule? It's quite the difference and it could change how the back end of the roster is constructed. Will speed be the priority or will size be preferred on kick returns?
Vikings RB/KR Kene Nwangwu could be replaced
The differences in the kickoff rule could spell the end for Nwangwu, who was a second-team All-Pro in 2022 as a kick returner. He also has three kick returns for touchdowns on his resume, but the style of kick return changing could spell the end for him on the Minnesota Vikings roster.
On the latest episode of Purple Daily on Draft, I talked about how I believe he is firmly on the roster bubble because of the kickoff rule.
"I'll give this caveat because we really don't know 100% how the NFL is going to handle this new kickoff rule, but based on my understanding what the kickoff rule is going to be and how it's going to be utilized by the returner, I think Kene Nwangwu is firmly on the roster bubble. And it's really frustrating because one of the better kick returners in the entire National Football League, but you're looking at a different style of kick return where this is going to feel more like a wide zone play where it's going to be that style blocking. And you're going to have to be able to really see and react in a different facet than you would have with everybody running downhill at you. So, becuase Nwangwu struggles massively seeing in zone concepts, which is one of the main reasons why he isn't getting on the field as a running back, I wonder if they're going to want to keep him for this kickoff beecause you're going to completely shift how you have to see the field how it's blocked and how you attack.
"I'm genuinely concerned that he's just not going to be good enough in some of those facets because I think the wide Zone concepts are going to translate one to one to how this new kickoff rule is going to be applied and if that's the case, I think he needs to be worried for a roster spot because I don't think you keep him. You could you could put Ty Chandler back there where Chandler is much more as far as vision."
Now, it's not written in stone that Nwangwu is going to be a surprise cut come August. We won't know how things are going to shake out because of the kickoff rule, but it's a real possibility. We will learn more when the preseason games are played, but it will be something to watch moving forward.
