When we ranked the 49ers position groups, it was easy to put their special teams’ unit last. San Francisco has struggled in the third phase of the game, from the kicking game to the return units.
Injuries haven’t helped, as the 49ers have struggled to field units that aren’t littered with practice squad players as the domino effect has taken its toll.
For today, let’s concentrate on the kick and punt return units. Cordarrelle Patterson is a free agent and one of the best return men in NFL history. In theory, the 49ers could solve all of their return problems by adding Patterson.