The last time the 49ers returned a punt or kickoff for a touchdown, Johnny Drama was still doing Viking Quest. OK, so it was really 2005, in Mike Nolan's first game as coach. But that was 31 games ago, and as this promising 49ers team gets ready to begin training camp, their return game once again appears to be in question.Rookies and unproven entities Jason Hill and Thomas Clayton might get tries on the return teams, and Brandon Williams returns on punt duty. Last year Williams averaged 6.7 yards per return as part of a punt unit that ranked 17th in the league. It makes you wonder, in an era where teams are drafting players who specialize in nothing but returning the ball and an offseason which saw the 49ers improve at all levels of their defense and a few on offense, why the team didn't make a more concerted effort to address the position.
The truth is, they don't need to. I think the return game is being overemphasized and overrated because of the recent success of guys like Devin Hester. But the truth is, in the grand scheme of things, Hester only scored five touchdowns last season, and those supplemented a sterile offense. It's always helpful to have a reliable guy who can get every last yard possible in the return game, but a playmaker like Hester is unnecessary if you've got the pieces on offense. With an emerging monster in Frank Gore and a much-improved group of pass-catchers this season, the 49ers will be fine.
