With that, guys like Devin Hester, remember him- record holder for most punt returns, broke it in a Atlanta Falcons uniform, became useless.
The league effectively took the excitement out of kickoffs by allowing them to happen at the 35-yard-line. And unless wind is blowing in the face of the kicker, a professional should be able to put it out the endzone quite easily.
But what hasn’t lost value is the need for a reliable kicker. Playoff dreams have ended on the shaky foot of a kicker and teams have also vaulted to the Super Bowl on superior legs.