Cowboys special teams coach drops detailed and honest take on new NFL kickoff rules

One of the biggest storylines to follow once OTAs kick off on Tuesday will be how the Dallas Cowboys go about practicing for the new kickoff rules that will take over the NFL world in 2024. 

With the new rules incentivizing returns while removing ground between the kicking and returning team to remove high-speed collisions, many have wondered how will special teams units will look different.

"Absolutely," Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters when asked if the new kickoff rules would could change the makeup of the roster earlier this month. "I think the key to the answer to your question, is body types. What body types are the teams going to use? That's what the special teams coaches are kicking around right now. That's what they're working through. Those are the conversations you're having in a draft room during a draft process because it's new and everybody has good ideas. I think it's going to be exciting, but the body type strategy is going to be critical to me to the success of the coverage and the blocking units on the kickoff phase."

Although the rule is approved for 2024 and 2024 only for now, McCarthy expects the rule to stick around, which means even the build of the team's 53-man roster could change depending on the bodies they want to get on the field for such a crucial play.

"I know we've really fast-paced this and put it in without a try-and-error phase, which is the norm, but gosh, I'd be shocked if it wasn't successful. Now, unfortunately, the success of it could mean some teams may be on the other side of it, but it was needed. I just think it was such a wasted play."

Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel chimes in on new rule's impact on roster

In Fassel's view, although the play will be somewhat different, he disagrees with those claiming it'll be almost like an offensive run. Fassel was one of three special teams coordinators that helped the NFL implement this year's overhauled version of the play while taking inspiration from the XFL rule in 2021. 

"I think there's a lot of people speculating it's going to be more like an offense or defensive outside zone running play," Fassel told reporters ahead of OTAs. "I still feel like it's a kickoff return play where once the ball's caught, (...) It's just the start that looks different, but once the ball's caught, it's a pretty similar play in my opinion. I know there's been some disagreements with that feeling I have, but I don't think there's going to be a lot of new blocking techniques or cover techniques. It's just getting right to it a lot faster and taking all the running out."

That doesn't mean Fassel isn't expecting different body types, however, as he understands why you might want bigger guys on the field in these reps:

"When we're running, there's a lot more possibly weaving and avoiding and penetrating. You might not get that as much, so maybe that's why the big bodies come a little bit more into play."

Fassel even singled out a few Cowboys players that could see a bigger role than they would've in recent years: 

"I'm talking about the blockers and the tacklers," he explained. "You can see the bigger bodies maybe being a little bit more - I don't know if valuable is the right (word), but (second-round draft pick Marshawn) Kneeland, (DL Viliami) Fehoko, or (DT) Chauncey Golston, you know, maybe you see (TE Luke) Schoonmaker. Maybe you see those guys on kickoff and kickoff return where they maybe didn't find their way on it before because there was a speed element that maybe was lacking. But now, with the power element maybe coming into play, maybe they find themselves on it."

Although he envisions different body times in kickoff returns, Fassel downplays the idea of the change making a significant impact on the makeup of the gameday roster.

"The other thing that people have disagreed with me on, which is totally fine because again we don't really know, is I don't see the 48-man roster really changing because you're still going to address the same third or fourth back, the same third or fourth tight end, the same backup linebackers because of their value as backup offensive and defensive players," he explains. "So I think I'm still going to get the same bodies, but maybe it expands. Maybe someone like Asim Richards, as a backup offensive lineman, finds a spot on kickoff return where last year it just wasn't happening."

In summary, Fassel is honest about the fact that he isn't sure what to expect. But for now, we've got four names to keep in mind in Kneeland, Fehoko, Golston, and Richards as they were all mentioned by the coach when discussing the rule change.