San Francisco 49ers: Creating the Ideal Roster in 2017

Dec 20, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) celebrates after the 49ers recovered an onside kick during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the San Francisco 49ers 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

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Oct 18, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers punter Bradley Pinion (5) punts the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Special Teams

Kicker: Adam Griffith, (UDFA, Alabama)

Punter: Bradley Pinion

Long-Snapper: Kyle Nelson

Kick Returner: JaCorey Shepherd

Punt Returner: Jeremy Kerley

Special teams rarely get a lot of love, but they are no less important.

Most of the list includes holdovers from 2016, and punter Bradley Pinion isn’t going to go anywhere even if he has been a downgrade to former Niners punter Andy Lee.

No one knows long-snapper Kyle Nelson’s name, and that’s a good thing.

And we’ll stick with both JaCorey Shepherd and Jeremy Kerley in the return game. Let’s worry about problems elsewhere, not here.

There is one change though. Gone is 41-year-old veteran Phil Dawson — if he doesn’t retire anyway — and he’s replaced with Alabama kicker Adam Griffin, whom the Niners pick up as an undrafted free agent in 2017.