A problem for which we currently have no answer...

....Punt returns.
according to

http://www.ninersnation.com/2009/12/21/1211272/josh-morgan-punt-returner

"It's no mystery that since releasing Allen Rossum, and losing Nate Clements to injury, the 49ers punt return options have been somewhere between awful and abysmal. You know what, I think I'll just stick with abysmal because they honestly don't qualify to be as good as "awful." The 49ers as a team rank 31st in the NFL in punt returns with a 3.8 yard average. Brandon Jones ranks 73rd in the NFL among all players to return a punt with a 2.9 yard average. Arnaz Battle ranks 81st with a return average of .7 yards. Yes you read that right. Oh and that is good enough for dead last among any player to return a punt, so congratulations Arnaz."

I'm fairly certain that Arnaz's mighty .7 yards per return does not include yards lost by failing to simply field the punt in the first place. Which IMO should be a measurable statistic. He probably would have had negative yards even with his mighty 18 yard return vs. the lambs. There doesn't seem to be anyone on the team capable of doing this asside from clements but he probably isn't a realistic option given his roll on the team. To me this is something we should address in the draft. Maybe we can find ourselves a miniature wes welker out there in the late rounds.

Thats sad alright! .7 I had no idea it was that bad!

I think it's pretty safe to say that one thing we will go into next season with is options at KR/PR. McCloughan will make sure of it.

I am sure this will be addressed in free agency or in the draft.

but we will in the future..

-9fA

Originally posted by MadMartz:
Thats sad alright! .7 I had no idea it was that bad!

I really think this was the biggest problem with the team. Handing a struggling offense terrible field position time and again was disastrous when you consider that we lost 6 of our games by a TD or less.

Oh and as per my comments above, if you factor in all the lost yardage from all the punts Battle let hit the ground it is even worse. Realistically we probably had negative punt return yardage this year.

Gimme Brandon Williams back

Yeah it was a bad, bad, awful year for us in the PR game. The question is do we sign a vetran or draft a kid to return punts for us next season...

I hate how people think PR/KR can just be found like that.

We need to draft one and a good one if that means using a 2nd or 3rd rounder on a great returner than so be it

Originally posted by VA49er:

Originally posted by MadMartz:
Thats sad alright! .7 I had no idea it was that bad!

I really think this was the biggest problem with the team. Handing a struggling offense terrible field position time and again was disastrous when you consider that we lost 6 of our games by a TD or less.

Oh and as per my comments above, if you factor in all the lost yardage from all the punts Battle let hit the ground it is even worse. Realistically we probably had negative punt return yardage this year.

He really pissed me off with that s**t! just catch the f**king ball! its like he was scared of it.

What irked me is today they discussed delanie walker had an ankle injury all season. If the coach's knew this why in gods name was he returning kicks?

Everytime I saw Michael Robinson or Delanie Walker returning kicks I wanted to puke, you can add Battle in their also.

Reggie Williams returned kicks in college.

Jason Hill 4.39 speed, not being used as a WR, why not return man.

Brandon Jones, see above.

Kory Sheets, Opps, tongue in cheek.

Originally posted by 9erred:
What irked me is today they discussed delanie walker had an ankle injury all season. If the coach's knew this why in gods name was he returning kicks?

Everytime I saw Michael Robinson or Delanie Walker returning kicks I wanted to puke, you can add Battle in their also.

Reggie Williams returned kicks in college.

Jason Hill 4.39 speed, not being used as a WR, why not return man.

Brandon Jones, see above.

Kory Sheets, Opps, tongue in cheek.

Thats 4.31 speed!

Actually Walker looked decsent returning kicks!

Originally posted by 9erred:
What irked me is today they discussed delanie walker had an ankle injury all season. If the coach's knew this why in gods name was he returning kicks?

Everytime I saw Michael Robinson or Delanie Walker returning kicks I wanted to puke, you can add Battle in their also.

Reggie Williams returned kicks in college.

Jason Hill 4.39 speed, not being used as a WR, why not return man.

Brandon Jones, see above.

Kory Sheets, Opps, tongue in cheek.

Jones tried

Originally posted by 9erred:
What irked me is today they discussed delanie walker had an ankle injury all season. If the coach's knew this why in gods name was he returning kicks?

Everytime I saw Michael Robinson or Delanie Walker returning kicks I wanted to puke, you can add Battle in their also.

Reggie Smith returned kicks in college.

Jason Hill 4.39 speed, not being used as a WR, why not return man.

Brandon Jones, see above.

Kory Sheets, Opps, tongue in cheek.

fixed.

and i always wanted reggie to return them..i saw some college highlights of him and he was lighting it up
[/b]

Originally posted by MadMartz:

Originally posted by 9erred:
What irked me is today they discussed delanie walker had an ankle injury all season. If the coach's knew this why in gods name was he returning kicks?

Everytime I saw Michael Robinson or Delanie Walker returning kicks I wanted to puke, you can add Battle in their also.

Reggie Williams returned kicks in college.

Jason Hill 4.39 speed, not being used as a WR, why not return man.

Brandon Jones, see above.

Kory Sheets, Opps, tongue in cheek.

Thats 4.31 speed!

Actually Walker looked decsent returning kicks!

I thought so to and I would have tried Delaine Walker at PR before B Jones and sticking with Battle.