The NFL's new kickoff rules have jump-started a lot of discussion around the league. The new rule moves kickoffs up to the 35-yard line from the 30-yard line. When a question was posed saying, "If the intention of the league is to almost eliminate kickoffs ..." "That's what they told us," Patriots coach Bill Belichick interrupted. "I'm not speaking for anyone else. That's what they told us, that they want to eliminate the play." NFL spokesman Greg Aiello responded to Belichick's comments. "(Chairman of the Competition Committee) Rich McKay and (NFL Vice President) Ray Anderson say that's not accurate," Aiello said. "They said the Competition Committee's position was that they wanted to 'shorten the field" and that the movement of the kickoff line would potentially reduce the number of kickoffs to be returned. They said they are unaware of anyone saying that it was intended to 'eliminate' the kickoff return." Belichick predicted that the expected reduction in returned kicks will make teams mull their roster decisions differently. "If, instead of covering 60 kickoffs in a year you think you're only gonna be covering 30, then is that coverage player as important, or -- on the flip side of it -- is the return game?" he asked. "If you're going to be returning 30 instead of 60, are the guys who block on the kickoff return (as important). If you think you're gonna be returning more punts than kickoffs (there's a decision to weigh). Usually you're going to be returning more kickoffs than punts but if you think you'll be returning more punts than kickoffs, then maybe you put more of a priority on your punt returner than your kickoff returner."