JUST IN: Bucs Head Coach Todd Bowles Has Name Buccaneers Most Important Player After kickoff Rule Change As He Set To Build His Team Around Him.

Over the last five seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had some of the finest offenses and defenses in the NFL at various times. When these two matched up, the Bucs won the Super Bowl.

However, Tampa has not been a perfect team, and one major concern that lingered even during those successful years was a special teams squad that has been below average for more than a decade.

Coverage has never been excellent, but the Bucs’ status as one of the league’s worst return teams is clear, as the fanbase longs for a return guy who can finally break the jinx of no return touchdowns that has plagued the team since 2010.

Perhaps the new kickoff rules will result in a much-needed shift.

Deven Thompkins recently became one of the most significant Buccaneers.
In recent years, the kick returner’s task has essentially been one: catch the football and take a knee. More often than not, that role entailed taking a step forward as the ball flew past the endzone for a touchback.

The return became an afterthought in the current NFL experience. Teams would watch their players bring the ball out once or twice a game, but the kickoff was usually a test of kicker leg power that eliminated a significant chunk of the game. Not anymore.

Kick returns will now occur on every kickoff, and a position that was previously underutilized is going to become much more crucial as players are pushed to field the ball and create plays.

Deven Thompkins has been the Bucs’ guy over the last few years and should start as the KR1 based on what we’ve seen, but you can bet that this competition will be much fiercer as teams realize these guys will get the ball at an exponentially higher rate and have more opportunities than in previous years.

With the receiving room mostly locked up, a player like Thompkins will have a chance to make a significant impact for the Buccaneers, as opposing defenses struggle to keep the ball away from him 4-6 times per week. This is a significantly larger spotlight than in previous years.

In fact, depending on the game, Thompkins (as it stands) may receive more touches than players like Mike Evans or Chris Godwin. That’s how important this new rule is.

If you missed the days when kick returns were important, you should be pleased with this new change. And, if you’re a Bucs fan hoping to see a return touchdown happen again, this should help your odds.