Whether some fans and media want to acknowledge it or not, the kicking game is a key part of football, especially under Bill Belichick’s watch in New England.
As such, players from the third phase are also a key part of roster construction.
As Belichick, Matt Groh and the rest of the Patriots brain trust cut the roster down to 53 players, special teams will be a significant consideration for many of those guys on the back end of the roster. After all, if you’re not a starter or key backup on offense or defense, you sure as heck better fill out a valuable role in the kicking game.
During his morning Zoom call with local reporters, eight hours before he must pare down his roster to 53 men, Belichick discussed the role that special teams plays in those decisions.
While he noted the value of the specialists in the kicking game – long snapper Joe Cardona, punter Jake Bailey, kicker Nick Folk and the return men – Belichick then referenced the “impact” guys that the rest of the special teams will be built around.
“The impact players that affect those units. So Matt Slater in coverage. Cody Davis in coverage. People like that, that are, that’s where it all starts. Then you obviously fill in after that. But you have to have those players to work around and that impact the game first,” Belichick said.
While it’s not surprising to hear Belichick’s praise for Slater – he is a 15-year veteran and 10-time special teams Pro Bowler who some believe will end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday – seeing Davis put on such a pedestal is a bit more notable. Given the arrival of undrafted rookie Brenden Schooler to the special teams mix this summer, some have wondered if Davis and his $2.3 million cap number might be in jeopardy as cutdowns approach. But based on Belichick’s answer, Davis sounds like a key cog that the coach plans on keeping at the core of his special teams units. Davis led the Patriots with 15 special teams tackles last fall, tied for third-most in the NFL.
Belichick’s roster decisions in the kicking game go well beyond the specialists and even “impact” players. As he noted, within the confines of a 53-man roster he must find 66 guys to fill out the roles on the necessary special teams units: field goal, field goal block, punt, punt return, kickoff and kickoff return.
“So you are talking about a lot of people that are involved there. Certainly some people have multiple roles, some of the impact special team players like a Matt Slater as an example would have roles on five of the six teams. So one guy knocks out five of those 66 spots,” Belichick said. “But then there are other players who only have one spot. Whether that’s one of the specialists or another player who takes his offensive or defensive role and also subsidizes the roles in the kicking game that we need filled. So again combination of players who will get more playing time in the kicking game than they probably will on offense or defense with some players who are let’s call it backup players that will be involved in the kicking game to players who will have a lot of offensive or defensive playing time that will also have some role in the kicking game as well.”
As the Patriots finalize their initial 53-man roster heading toward the Sept. 11 regular season opener in Miami, Belichick made it clear that roles on special team will certainly factor into the decision for guys like Schooler, Justin Bethel, DaMarcus Mitchell and countless others.
