Miami Dolphins special teams coordinator Danny Crossman was recently asked about the new kickoff rules and whether or not he would use someone else to kick the ball. He said, in a nutshell, "No."
Crossman believes that the best option to get the kicks right is to use the kicker. He was asked about trying out other players in an effort to give the team another defensive player that could stop a big return. The fact that Crossman seems to have no interest in that option says a lot. It is expected that other teams will look into that option.
Will the Dolphins change things up on special teams next season?
When the NFL changed the rules a few years back, Bill Belichick immediately began working with his special teams players and coaches to kick the ball short of the goal line forcing the opposing team to field the ball. His philosophy seemed to indicate he wasn't willing to just give up yards for free with a touchback. He forced teams to return the ball and trusted his special teams' defenders to stop them. For the most part, it would work.
Crossman hasn't shown much change or even the ability to change his approach to special teams. He is a holdover coach from the Brian Flores regime, and many fans are still wondering why he is with the Dolphins. Miami's special teams units haven't been all that special, and let us be honest, Jason Sanders wasn't thriving under Crossman either. Last year was the best year he had under Crossman.
The new rules are outlined pretty well here by Kyle Crabbs on the Locked on Dolphins podcast. There are some clips of Crossman talking about the changes that he and the other coaches around the league will be going through.
What's interesting is that, as far as we know, the Dolphins haven't talked with any of the XFL coaches who have seen almost this exact type of kickoff. It would make sense for Crossman to reach out and get an idea of what might work and what definitely doesn't work.
The Dolphins, for their part, will need to utilize more practice time to get the kickoffs and returns down better. The Dolphins can't simply run out on the field and line up the players. They need to have a game plan and they need to work the shortened field.
Speedy teams should benefit early from these changes. With 10 players within 20 yards or so of the ball carrier, breaking a few tackles and making defenders miss could spring guys for deep runs. Crossman has to figure out how to do this, how to coach it, and how to implement it, and that means he has to change the way he coaches and change his philosophy.