What are Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone's thoughts on NFL kickoff rule?

BEREA — The most talked-about rule in the NFL's offseason has been the new kickoff rule. There's not even a real question about that fact.

There's also not been much question from any NFL coach that the new rule will fundamentally change the game. Just how much change it will bring remains to be seen.

The Browns have spent the last six weeks working on the field during the second and third phases of the voluntary offseason program. That has given special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone an opportunity to see with players in a controlled setting what the new rule may or may not do once it's actually utilized in a game.

"So we drilled a lot of things in phase two, on-air, drops, get-offs, tracking the football, catching the ball, fly-foot with the returners," Ventrone said Thursday. "And then obviously, as we transitioned into phase three, which is OTAs, and you can actually have somebody line up against you, we've done more things there in I would say more of a team environment to try to fill out the spacing, the timing, and how that play is going to look on both sides."

Ventrone spent much of his pre-practice availability on Thursday talking about the new rule. Here's what the former special teams ace-turned-special teams coach had to say about the rule and its various aspects.

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What is the new NFL kickoff rule?

The 10 players who aren't the kicker on the kickoff team must line up on the return team's 40, while the nine or 10 non-return men will be aligned between their 30 and the 35, with at least seven required to be along the 35. The kicker will kick off from his own 35, while the return men will line up in the "landing zone," which is a newly conceived area between the goal line and the return team's 20.

Other aspects include:

• Kickoffs must be returned if they hit the landing zone;
• Kickoffs that hit in the landing zone and go into the end zone must be returned or downed. If downed, the ball is marked at the return team's 20-yard line.
• Kickoffs that go into the end zone, either by being downed or by going out the back out of the end zone, for touchbacks would go out to the return team's 30-yard line, which was modified on Sunday by the committee
• Kickoffs that come up short of the landing zone would be treated like it went out of bounds and the return team would get the ball at its own 40-yard line.

"I know that throughout training camp once we get the pads on, there's definitely going to be some trial-and-error things that we're going to mess around with," Ventrone said. "I know to your point, like the preseason you're not going to want to show too much, but you're still going to have to see things and I think you're going to see more than you think in the preseason. I do. And I think for us ... being able to have the joint practice against Minnesota (Aug. 14-15) will be really helpful for us. And when we practice it and I plan on going at it a good bit in training camp, we're going to have to practice hard and we're going to practice it a lot. So, we have to be on top of it and be ready for it."

How much will the new kickoff rule change who is utilized on special teams?

Ventrone believes there's a strong chance the new alignment alters who is on the kickoff and return teams. Specifically, it could trend to a completely different type of player.

"Yeah, so what we've done is we've repped quite a bit of skill players as far as the body types," Ventrone said. "We've repped pretty much all of our skill players back there, receivers, even some of the tight ends. We've repped a good bit of the running backs. Everyone has really gotten more ball handling than we've had in the past. And I think on the flip side of it, on the coverage aspect of it, you are going to see more, you know, defensive players, and I think that you're going to see some bigger body types on that unit."

Could the Cleveland Browns utilize star players such as Amari Cooper or Nick Chubb on returns?

Don't laugh at the notion. Ventrone believes the sky's the limit.

"I would say to a degree, yeah," Ventrone said. "... And I think across the league you're going to see more high-profile players back there. I think just guys that are good with the ball in their hands because there's elements of this play that play like a kickoff play, there's like a true kickoff kick return play. There's elements of the play that could look like more of a punt return, and I think you're going to see a variety of schemes in that sense.

"I think you're going to see some schemes that you're going to try to get on guys quicker, and it's going to look more like a punt return. I think you're going to see some teams that will have schemes and plays that look like the old kickoff return where you're going to retreat and you're blocking techniques. ... I think you're going to see a variety of things, and you're going to see a lot of different body types back there."

Does this mean there's a chance a kicker like Dustin Hopkins may have to make more tackles?

The Browns famously lost kicker Dustin Hopkins for the remainder of the season when he suffered a hamstring injury trying to tackle the Houston Texans' Dameon Pierce on a kickoff return in Week 16. The kicker may find himself even more exposed with the new rule.

"Yeah, I think you're going to have to spend more time with the kickers on true tackling technique," Ventrone said. "And we've actually talked to the defensive secondary coaches about getting with our guys on some of the drills that they do. So, yeah, I think that you're going to have to anticipate that those guys are going to have to make a few more tackles."

How do the Browns plan on practicing it in the preseason?

What about the worry of giving away secrets in the preseason? Ventrone addressed that concern.

"What I think is beneficial for the play overall is compared to how the kickoff and kickoff return play was in the past," Ventrone said. "So now, obviously with the play, you eliminate the speed and the space on the rep. So, in the past, you wouldn't be able to rep as many kickoff and kickoff return plays within a special teams period. Now you have eliminated the running portion, really.

"That's why you wanted to have less reps back in when it was normal back with the older kickoff. Now you can probably get more reps because you're eliminating the speed. You're not taking as much; you're taking more off of their legs. So, I think that definitely plays a factor."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ