Back before the Patriots made their final cuts this year, Belichick explained that while it's necessary for offensive and defensive players to have special teams ability, it's also vital that some elite special teamers -- guys like Ebner and Matthew Slater -- have the ability to chip in on offense or defense.
"If a guy’s major role on the team is the kicking game, then any role that he can handle on offense or defense just helps your team, gives that player more value and gives your team more depth," Belichick said in late August. "It’s the reverse of the offensive and defensive players who have significant roles, but can give you a role in the kicking game, that can do something in the kicking game that can help the team. Those are valuable on special teams as well, to have somebody step in and do something for you there when they also have a big role on offense and defense. That just gives your team more depth.
"And particularly for special teams players, and we’ve seen so many examples of it through the years: guys that start off on the kicking team end up developing into good offensive or defensive players, and the offensive and defensive coaches are able to start using those players in roles and expanding their roles because they know that those guys are going to be there every week."
As Belichick pointed out, part of the reason Ebner has been able to expand his duties on defense is that he's on the 46-man game-day roster every week due to his special teams value.
For example, someone like Kenbrell Thompkins has the ability to contribute on offense, but because he does not play on special teams, he was inactive in Week 2. Instead, receiver Brandon LaFell was active thanks in part to the fact that he plays in the kicking game.
"Really the guy that kind of is a tough fit on the roster on game day is the player who has a role on offense or defense -- not a major role but a role -- but has a small role in the kicking game or maybe in some cases doesn’t have a role in the kicking game," Belichick said. "If it’s not a big enough role offensively or defensively, whatever the case might be, then it’s hard to get that player to the game if he doesn’t have a role in the kicking game. You end up usually, often times going with a player who has a big role in the kicking game and maybe not so much of a role on offense and defense, just because that role in the kicking game is bigger.
"It’s interesting how it works out. In my experience, I’d say that guys who are good in the kicking game actually have the chance to get a bigger role on offense and defense than some players who might be ahead of them on offense and defense but don’t play in the kicking game, because the coaches just can’t count on them being there on game day."
And when it comes to Ebner, Belichick believes he's made the most of his chances.
"He’s a good example," Belichick said, "of the player that I was talking about whose role expands on defense because of his role in the kicking game."
