I think we need to balance the gain against the loss. I heard there were only three "surprise" onside kicks last season, while with over 4,000 kickoffs less than 20% had a return. Yes, the new rule eliminates the "surprise" onside, but the team can still attempt one using the old configuration by informing the refs. What is gained is that the fair catch is eliminated and with the marking of the ball at the 30 on a kick into or through the end zone, returns will become the norm as opposed to the rare exception that they had become.