Elam enjoying best ever training camp  Updated: August 22, 2003,
1:56 PM ET By By Darrell Trimble | NFL Insider There once was a
time when people who kicked a football for a living were
considered second-class citizens in the NFL -- a nuisance, a
necessary evil. But now that the salary cap has eaten away at
teams' depth, the importance of good special teams has elevated
their importance.  Games have always been won or lost by
kickers, but teams like the Dallas Cowboys under Jimmy Johnson
were so good that they could win with poor production from the
position. Coaches are now more aware that having bad special
teams can cost them a job.  That's why the Carolina Panthers
tagged punter Todd Sauerbrun as their franchise player and why
the New England Patriots signed Adam Vinatieri to a three-year
$5.3 million deal that is one of the rare guaranteed deals in
the league.  To continue reading this article you must be an
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