SANTA CLARA – The 49ers are slimming down.
On Tuesday, the crew’s roster — which had 84 gamers on the finish of follow Monday — will must be lower all the way down to 80 gamers. By Aug. 30, the Niners, like all NFL groups, must be at 53.
It’s not simple for any crew to make cuts, however for this Niners’ crew, which appears to be like like a high quality operation this yr, this problem is now even harder due to some sturdy performances in coaching camp.
This, in fact, is an efficient downside to have. However that doesn’t imply it’s not an issue.
Let’s evaluate the positions the place cut-downs will show to be the hardest:
Operating again
» It’s no shock that this place is on the checklist — the Shanahan household motto may be “run the soccer,” however its crest is an undrafted working again, profitable a fantasy league.
The most recent undrafted discover is Jordan Mason of Georgia Tech. The upright however speedy runner has impressed since Day 1 of Coaching Camp and was stellar from his second carry onwards within the Niners’ second preseason sport this previous weekend.
Add in his stable particular groups, and it’s cheap to suppose he could make the ultimate 53-man roster.
However who do the Niners lower? Elijah Mitchell is the crew’s No. 1 working again, Jeff Wilson doesn’t deserve the axe, and Trey Sermon seems to be the best choice with Mitchell out, because the Niners are working a variety offense with Lance on the helm. (He appears to be like significantly better in that than within the tighter Sudfeld and Purdy-helmed offenses.)
The Niners simply drafted Ty Davis-Value within the third spherical, so he’s not going anyplace, both.
That’s 4. Plus the fullback, Kyle Juszczyk, and you've got 5. No cheap crew — not even a Shanahan squad — would carry six working backs.
That leaves Mason and JaMychal Hasty — who has been effective in camp and in video games — on the skin. Neither deserves to be lower, however such is the Niners’ predicament. They’re just too good at discovering working backs on a budget.
Inside offensive line
» Now this can be a downside. And it may not be a very good one.
There seems to be a brand new competitors at beginning left guard.
San Francisco discovered a late-round gem in proper guard Spencer Burford. The rookie has impressed daily in camp and in preseason video games. He’s the odds-on favourite to be the starter in Week 1.
The favourite to be the starter at left guard is Aaron Banks, the Niners’ second-round choose from 2021, who successfully redshirted his rookie season within the NFL.
However on Monday, undrafted rookie Jason Poe — all six toes of him — was rotating into the primary crew. Banks didn’t look like injured, however even when the Niners had been limiting his reps, it’s an unimaginable rise for Poe, who appeared destined for the follow squad due to his draft standing.
Left guard has been a state of affairs to look at for months, however with Poe’s rise, apparently to uncuttable standing, it may critically shake up the Niners’ last roster plans.
Defensive finish
» The Niners are so deep at this place that they may have to chop two high quality gamers.
These cuts may come from this place — sometimes, they’d maintain six — or another spot on the roster as a result of they need to maintain greater than the same old variety of defensive ends.
The locks at DE are clear: Nick Bosa, Drake Jackson, and Samson Ebukam.
After that — it’s anybody’s guess. Charles Omenihu, Kerry Hyder, Kemoko Turay, and Jordan Willis could make declare to a roster spot with their performances this camp and preseason.
Even Alex Barrett, who has slid inside for lots of coaching camp, could make a case to make this crew, regardless of the 4 inside defensive linemen being successfully set.
Somebody has to go, and proper now, I can’t say with any conviction who it's.
My greatest wager is that Omenihu and Turay make the crew, they usually choose Willis over Hyder for the final spot. However that’s only a guess. Any of the 4 names might be the participant lower. Well being allowing, this one will doubtless go all the way down to the wire.
Quarterback
» In contrast to the Niners’ native tv broadcast for Saturday’s preseason sport, I don’t give a lot credence to the crew’s supposed backup quarterback battle. If Nate Sudfeld and Brock Purdy are neck-and-neck — one thing I haven’t seen in follow however isn’t implausible given the quarterbacks’ preseason sport performances — I wager the Niners will roll with Sudfeld, who was assured $2 million in his new one-year contract.
However I can say that Purdy has performed nicely sufficient that it’s cheap to consider he'll make this crew, both because the backup to Lance or as a No. 3 quarterback — a roster spot the Niners didn’t anticipate to have.
For a participant who was drafted final total and was initially destined for the Niners’ follow squad, that’s spectacular. Nothing however credit score to Purdy for placing the 49ers in a predicament round in the event that they lower him or not.
After all, the Niners are additionally poised to chop Jimmy Garoppolo within the coming days. Why they proceed to delay is merely a matter of delight and pointless gamesmanship.
However chopping a quarterback of his caliber? Now that’s the definition of a champagne downside.