49ers roster: 5 new faces who make biggest impact in 2022
By Peter Panacy
New 49ers player No. 3: Wide receiver/return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud
Much of what the 49ers did during the offseason was to improve a glaring phase weakness, special teams, a group Football Outsiders ranked 26th in the league in 2021.
In addition to bringing in new special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, another key pickup in NFL free agency was to lure in former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud.
This matters in more ways than one.
For starters, the Niners offense averaged a starting spot on its own 26.9-yard line last season, good for 29th in the league and suggesting the return game was nowhere close to what it needed to be.
McCloud, who led the NFL in both punt returns (38) and punt-return yards (367), going along with 776 kick-return yards, is expected to change that.
Plus, McCloud was regularly seen during offseason workouts getting behind San Francisco’s defense, suggesting Kyle Shanahan could use him as a deep threat on offense, too:
Trey Lance threw a perfect dime to Ray Ray McCloud III today at #49ers’ practice on a deep ball. The downfield passing attack has a chance to be dynamic. McCloud has been electrifying during these practices. His explosion at the catch point is impressive.
— Larry Krueger (@sportslarryk) June 8, 2022
It’s easy to overlook special teams aces and deep-threat wide receivers who aren’t starting. But when those weaknesses are noticeably apparent, having a player like McCloud who can address both might substantially impact the 49ers in so many different phases of the game for all the right reasons.