In a New York Minute: Vote Hakeem Nicks! League Looking to Help Out the Giants Special Teams?
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Well, they’re not specifically looking to help out the Giants Special teams, but there’s a growing movement to move the kickoff up to the 35 line as opposed to the 30 yard line, a distance which almost guarantees that a large percentage of kickoffs will end up as touchbacks.
To which I say, Hoorah! For the New York Giants and their awful special teams coverage, but overall it could hurt the game of football, but worse it could roster sports for a lot of players in the league. Players like the Redskins Brandon Banks who are on a team just to return kickoffs would have a more difficult time making rosters if there were going to be a propensity for kickoffs. It also could cost guys who are wedge busters their jobs in favor of backup offensive and defensive line help, or rotational players.
With the proposed rule change, the league is also conceding that a touchback will now put the team at the 25 yard line instead of the 20 yard line.
There’s an old addage if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Which is clearly something the N.F.L. has never heard, despite how old most of the people who run teams are.
What do you guys think?
I think, clearly this would not be a bad thing for teams like the Giants and Colts who suck on Kickoff returns and coverage (and touchbacks so Tynes is rooting for this, I think), but it could be a bad thing for some other teams and their players (the Chicago Bears is one that comes immediately to mind).
Other Giants news is few and far between right now
Not specifically Giants news, but the league has said that teams may trade for future draft picks “at their own risk” according to profootballtalk. Basically, if a team trades this year’s second for next year’s first (a practice that occurs often), but the lockout continues and there is no draft in 2012, that team will not be rewarded a 2013 draft pick, they will just lose the pick.
Also, Hakeem Nicks is the Giants representative for the Madden Cover Bracket Challenge right now he’s up vs Brian Orakpo.
Did Madden get it right, Should it be Nicks, Eli Manning, Justin Tuck?