There were a lot of reasons former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud could identify for signing a two-year contract with the 49ers within the first week of NFL free agency.
And there was one significant drawback, too.
“Well, it certainly wasn’t taxes that brought me here,” McCloud said on Tuesday when he met with Bay Area reporters on a video call.
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McCloud said he has been friends with 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel since before their NFL days. He followed the 49ers over the three seasons Samuel has been in the league.
“Coach [Kyle] Shanahan’s track record speaks for itself,” McCloud said. “The plan that the organization laid out for me from special teams to offense and me as a player, I just thought it was a great opportunity.”
McCloud reportedly signed a two-year, $10 million contract to serve as the 49ers’ primary return man in the kicking game. He is also likely to see significant action as a slot receiver.
The 49ers are expected to make the transition to quarterback Trey Lance this offseason. But the club has not found a trade partner for veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. McCloud said it was not on his mind how the 49ers plan to handle the quarterback situation as he went through the free-agent process.
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“The quarterback situation, I just got here, so for me, I’m trying to acclimate myself and find a home first,” McCloud said. “That’s not come to mind, yet. But I know any quarterback coach Shanahan puts in place is [there] to win.”
McCloud led the NFL with 367 yards on 38 punt returns last season. He caught a career-best 39 passes for 277 yards with all but one of his receptions coming from the slot.
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McCloud said he is excited about lining up in an explosive offense that finds ways to get players in space. The 49ers have largely lacked one player in the slot who can get open quickly on choice routes to provide the quarterback with a simple third-down option.
That could be a role McCloud fills with the 49ers.
“I want to do whatever coach asks me to do,” he said. “But choice routes are definitely big, and I’d love to be part of that.”
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