At the league’s annual meeting in New Orleans earlier this offseason, the owners passed a proposed rule change that moves kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line.

Talking with Broncos TV, Special Teams Coordinator Jeff Rodgers said he knows how the rule will affect his kickoff and return teams, but the problem lies in figuring out how other teams will react to the change.

“You’re projecting a little bit when you’re watching tape,” he said. “As far as your opponent — how are they going to feel about it? There are some teams who aren’t going to take advantage of the fact that they can get more touchbacks — some teams are just going to kick it as high as they can and try to cover and get you inside the 20(-yard line) since their cover guys are 5 yards closer.”

Rodgers said that until games are played with the rule in place, there’s no way to tell for sure how teams will attack it.

“There’s still more things to think about and I’m sure that there are some things that will come up in the preseason that somebody will try,” he said. “That’s usually what happens with rule changes with regards to the kicking game. You’ve kind of got to scour the league and watch how everybody’s doing stuff so you can get a general sense of how your next opponent might try a certain thing.”

-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com