Following the Colts’ second training camp practice on Saturday, special teams coordinator Brian Mason spoke with the media.
In case you missed it, here are the highlights from that conversation. To watch the full interview, click here.
– Mason on having a number of different players handling kick return duties so far in training camp: Players with ball handling experience the Colts want to get them returning kicks and punts to see how they each handle the different situations. There’s still some unknowns on how things will play out with the new kick return rules, so Mason wants to find out who is a trustworthy ball handler that can handle kicks on the ground, get vertical and make defenders miss.”That’s not something we’ve evaluated in the past,” so Mason wants a bigger pool of players to evaluate.
– The timing and spacing of the kick return is very different under these new rules. The timing specifically is something they are still working through and Mason notes the timing changes depending on the type of kickoff.
– Mason said they were eased into the new kickoff rules. He says back in February there were meetings with all 32 special teams coordinators, well before the ruling became official, explaining what would be changing. Mason adds that there have been adjustments throughout this process. “It’s just going to be something that we have to constantly grow and adapt with as we get more experience once the pads come on.”
– Mason says the joint practices the Colts have will be the No. 1 tool to see how the new kickoff rules apply. The preseason will be beneficial as well and once getting through the summer, he’ll have a better feel of how this will unfold.
– Mason says to prepare for this rule during the offseason, they studied all of the XFL film. The kickoff isn’t exactly as the XFL played it, Mason notes that the timing and the spacing will be different, along with another major difference being that in the NFL the play begins once the ball hits the ground. The Colts worked with Sam Schwartzstein, who worked with the XFL on creating this kickoff rule, and the team worked with XFL coaches as well.
– Under the new rule, with less running required and more returns happening, on the coverage unit, the Colts are looking for really good defensive players who can tackle and shed blocks.