Offseason news around the NFL thread

Mike Evans stay in Tampa Bay

 

Sneed gets tagged

 

What is quietly being pushed around is changes to the onside kick. One of the new ideas is that teams are only allowed to onside kick in the 4th QTR and must first notify the opposing team.

NFL kickoff rule changes: Special teams coordinators to propose major onside kick, touchback revisions (msn.com)
Most notably, the changes would affect onside kicks. Teams would only be allowed to attempt them while trailing in the fourth quarter, and they would have to announce the onside kick ahead of time.

 

The number of times it was tried and the low success rate is the reason behind this, with this proposal the team can also shift and load more players on one side of the ball. It's not something that excites me either way, but actually could bring more excitement in the last minutes of close games.

The kickoff is another proposal, I'm torn on this. Basically pooching a kick between the goal line and whatever or get penalized??? KO's are pretty boring now, but the whole reason was player safety and concussions reduction. The thought is the pooch kick will reduce speed, but I'm still wondering if injuries will increase.

 

I didn't know this was going to allow teams to go back t loading up on one side, like they used to do in the old days.

It is Funny, I was watching the 30 for 30 on the XFL, and they were talking about the Kickoff Scramble or what ever they called how they handled the coin toss and they said that 60% of the players involved in it were injured.

 

Yea, I understand the bottom line is money, they can scream all they want about player safety, but when KO's are out of the end zone..or you can fair catch it and start at the 25, then those watching are not going to sit around for the 5 minute +/- break and watch advertisements. I just think the way they are proposing this really has little to do with injury thought and trying to keep people interested. I have no data either way, but by rule getting the ball in a tighter area means more bodies converging in that area. Perhaps the squib slows them down, but you still have a lot of bodies pounding it out, lol.

 

They’ve completely ruined the excitement of kickoffs over the last decade or even more. Imagine not having that surprise onside kick back in SB XXX. While it may not have amounted to much it sure was an adrenaline shot if nothing else to the team and the fan base. Sooner or later they are going to eliminate it altogether then flag football will be next on the agenda.

 

I remember a discussion in a recent offseason. The ‘kicking team’ can choose to run an untimed down, basically equivalent to a 4th and 15. If they convert, their ball 1st and 10. If they fail it’s the other team’s ball. No more onside kicks. Could be done at any time in the game too I believe.

 

They had that in the XFL

 

Thanks man! I knew I had seen that somewhere.

 

If they get to cute it becomes a CFL clone.

They have some unusual rules, one is the 'rouge rule"

In Canadian football, players can punt at any time, which is defined as “letting the ball fall from the hands and kicking it with the foot before it touches the ground”1. As per CFL rouge rules, a team will get 1 point if they either punt the ball or miss a field goal and the opponents can't make it out of the end zone. The single is again allocated if the ball passes the end zone and the bounds without touching the ground or striking any player except during the kickoffs2.

Maybe it works there, only 3 downs, larger field etc, and I get the experimentation with PAT's, but it's hard to grasp a lot of this stuff.

 

Obviously my take comes from a long ago discussion about the rule, rather than from the actual rule. But, I like the idea of it. At any time, a team that is kicking off can choose to run a 4th and 15 play. Make it and keep the ball. 1st and 10.
Onside kicks are pointless anymore. Use the 4th qtr only rule and I think it’s still better and more entertaining. Just my thoughts.

 

I get it with the 4th qtr and behind, but I think you have to make it more difficult, from your own 40 4th and 20?? You create the realistic possibility, but I think you also do not make it 'kind of easy', you make it more than extremely difficult.

 

Bills released many starters today, the QB salaries are ruining the team game.

 

Bills agree to terms with QB Mitch Trubisky.

 

His luggage will probably get intercepted on the way there.

 

Simmons released today from Broncos. Interesting player.

 

I want a 2-year $100M contract fully guaranteed.

Just throwing that out to the universe.

 

How about 2 years 100 bucks?

 

Deal!

 

Saw earlier that DJ is linked to Buffalo as in a possible trade

 

For Mitch Trubisky!!!!

 

I will send over the papers for your signature!