The San Francisco 49ers are working hard to find a way to repeat their unexpected success in 2021. After barely sneaking into the playoffs, they made a serious run to the NFC Championship Game for the second time in the past three seasons.
Despite that, there will be some significant changes in place for the 49ers in the 2022 season. Jimmy Garappolo has been passed over in favor of the third overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, Trey Lance. That will completely change the dynamic of San Fran's offense moving forward, and whether that is the right move remains to be seen.
Lance's status at quarterback is a bit shaky, but the rest of the 49ers roster is really deep. As a result, they have some extra players on their roster that are going to have to get cut before the start of the regular season. So with training camp upon us, let's take a look at three cut candidates on San Francisco's roster.
Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
3 San Francisco 49ers cut candidates
3. Tyler Kroft
Tyler Kroft has always had the talent to play in the NFL, his problem is that he has never been able to stay healthy for an extended period of time. Kroft was brought in by the 49ers this offseason to help shore up the tight end position behind George Kittle. The problem is that Kroft may not even make it to the regular season with his new team.
Kroft's best season came in 2017 when he caught 42 passes for 404 yards and seven touchdowns. If Kroft could hit those numbers, the 49ers would be overjoyed. Unfortunately, Kroft has come nowhere close to hitting those numbers ever since the conclusion of the 2017 season, and it would be wishful thinking to expect him to reach those totals again in 2022.
San Fran doesn't have much behind Kroft on the depth chart, as Charlie Woerner was a 2020 sixth-round draft pick and Ross Dwelley was an undrafted free agent. Both guys have a bit more upside than Kroft at this point, though, so if either one of them shows out during training camp or Kroft struggles, it could result in a quick end to his time with the 49ers.
2. Jeff Wilson Jr.
Jeff Wilson Jr. is part of a very deep running back room, which could become a big problem for the talented yet injury-prone running back. That has really been the story of Wilson's career; he's great when he's on the field, but he hasn't been on the field nearly enough to make any sort of consistent impact.
Wilson currently projects to be backing up San Fran's starting running back Elijah Mitchell, although that could change quickly. The 49ers drafted Tyrion Davis-Price in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and have another pair of young running backs in Trey Sermon and Jamycal Hasty sitting behind him on the depth chart.
All it would really take for Wilson to lose his spot on the roster would be if one of these guys managed to put together a solid training camp. Wilson is injury prone, but he's good enough where the 49ers aren't going to be in a rush to cut him. But similar to Kroft, if he struggles or someone else shines, he could very well find himself on the way out the door by the time training camp ends.
1. Dee Ford
Ever since the 49ers swung a trade for Dee Ford, his career has basically gone straight downhill. He's struggled to stay on the field, only playing in 18 games over the past three seasons, and even when he's been on the field, his production has waned. San Fran has openly said they don't expect Ford to be a part of their plans in 2022, making him an almost surefire cut candidate now that training camp is here.
The problem is that Ford signed a massive five year, $85 million contract once he got traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to San Francisco. Financially, that has made things a bit difficult for the front office, which GM John Lynch referenced when discussing why Ford was still on the roster.
Lynch would go on to say that once the financial aspect was figured out, Ford would be released, putting an end to his disappointing tenure with the 49ers. Truth be told, San Francisco has enough pass rushers on their roster even without Ford, so cutting him won't be the biggest loss in the world. But if you want to bet on one player across the entire NFL to be cut before the end of training camp, Dee Ford would be your guy.
Follow Us
Subscribe