Patriots' Slater 'Disappointed' About Talks Of NFL Eliminating Kickoffs
BOSTON (CBS) -- Speaking at Patriots organized team activities Thursday, Patriots special teams ace Matthew Slater spoke at length about the league's recent rule changes regarding kickoffs and the big-picture discussions of whether the NFL may one day eliminate kickoffs from the game entirely. Slater made his disappointment in those talks very clear and laid out several reasons why he wants to keep it a part of the game.
Mainly, because it creates jobs.
"The kicking game has meant a lot to the game of football and a lot of players, individually," Slater told reporters at Gillette Stadium. "It has enabled guys to have careers. ... You think of [former Patriot] Larry Izzo, you think of myself. Without the kicking game, we don't have a career."
The NFL decided to move touchbacks from the 20-yard line to the 25 in an effort to discourage kick returns. It is primarily an issue of player safety, but Slater, the Patriots' representative for the NFL player's union, doesn't see it as more of an issue to safety as any other play.
"I think that there's nothing more important than the health and safety of our players," said Slater, "but I do not think the kickoff is a hazard that we need to be thinking about getting rid of."
Slater also delved into the strategic aspect of moving touchbacks forward by five yards. Although it appears to be a safety measure, it could lead to higher scoring games with offenses getting shorter fields. Slater derided it as "handing an additional five percent of the field to the offense." And this is coming from a guy whose team employs Tom Brady.
"Football ... is a game of field position," said Slater. "If you're just handing some of the great quarterbacks in this league an extra five yards, I think it certainly changes the game.
"I certainly don't want to give Tom Brady the ball on the 25. I'd rather him have it on the 20 if I'm playing against him."
Do you think football would be better off in the long run getting rid of kickoffs?
