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It is supposed to be another good year for the San Francisco 49ers. This is true even if they can’t figure things out with Brandon Aiyuk. And like other NFL teams, the 49ers have two surprise preseason roster cuts to watch out for before Week 1.
In the mix for this unwanted position are running back Elijah Mitchell and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin. Mitchell is a fourth-year veteran with limited action in the last two seasons after a standout rookie year. Ya-Sin is a former second-round pick trying to make San Francisco his third home in three years.
Will 49ers RB Elijah Mitchell make it through?
Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t do anything to extinguish the flames surrounding an Elijah Mitchell departure when he praised the abilities of Jordan Mason, according to Sports Illustrated.
“Nothing against Elijah, there's been no fall off in Elijah at all, but JP (Mason) runs at a very high level,” said Shanahan. “JP wasn't there right away, but he got there pretty quick. He did a hell of a job for us last year. But I love both of those guys and got some depth behind them too.”
Part of Mitchell’s problem is his contract. Mitchell is in the last year of his rookie deal. So if he’s even with Mason, the 49ers would likely keep the guy with less contract leverage and trade or cut Mitchell.
Another thing hurting Mitchell is unavailability. The NFL is no place for shrinking violets, and Mitchell has missed much of training camp with a hamstring issue. Injuries haven’t been his friend throughout his career. He played only 16 games over the last two years, making only two starts. His rushing yardage reflected his lack of ability to get on the field, with a total of only 560. He also scored four touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Mason took the bull by the horns and looks to be a reasonable bet to be the top backup to Christian McCaffrey. That's a spot currently held on the depth chart by Mitchell. Sports Illustrated called him the 49ers preseason MVP, and Shanahan seemed to be close to that line of thinking.
“He's been such a good runner since he's gotten here,” Shanahan said. “I think his stamina has gotten better. I think his all-around play, especially on special teams, too, has gotten a lot better, especially from the first year. He started playing at a high level on special teams last year, though. He carried it to this year. He's been running the ball well for a while. He's solid in the pass game as well.”
What role does Jordan Mason play in this?
To be blunt, Mason has Shanahan’s trust.
“A ton of trust,” Shanahan said “We got a bunch of playing time, get him out healthy. That really was the goal for everyone today. Not really a fun thing going into these games when you want guys to play because I truly believe it helps them, but you want to make sure they stay healthy, too.”
So where does that leave Mitchell. It probably didn’t help Mitchell that rookie Isaac Guerendo looked positively magic in a 93-yard kickoff return against the Raiders on Saturday. And Shanahan loves guys who can run, according to nbcsports.com.
“We love his speed,” Shanahan said. “We think he’s got a lot of speed. All our backs can run, but it’s nice to add one who possibly can run a little bit faster just for the change of pace and things like that. We like his running style. His running style I think is similar to Elijah (Mitchell) and the style that he runs with, he’s built that way and like the 40 that he has.”
It won’t be shocking if Mitchell makes the cut, but the 49ers have plenty of options. So Mitchell can’t rest secure.
Is CB Rock Ya-Sin in or out?
Reports suggest the 49ers have five players fighting for two spots at cornerback. Samuel Womack III, Darrell Luter Jr., and Chase Lucas are in the mix.
Lucas seems like the odd man out from the get-go. And it appears Ya-Sin has the best chance to get one of the two spots, mainly because he’s a veteran. But he hasn’t been very productive, totaling just two interceptions in his five-year career. In his first four years, he started at least eight games. But last year with the Ravens, he started only one of the 14 games in which he appeared.
If Ya-Sin makes it, that leaves the spot open between Luter and Womack. And Luter had the more effective preseason.
The 49ers have an excellent secondary with Charvarius Ward and Isaac Yiadom leading the way. They were ranked No. 2 in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.
Of course, the 49ers have more areas of concern on the defensive side of the ball,e especially with injury woes. This will impact exactly what the roster looks like, including the secondary, according to mercurynews.com.
“You’ll see when we decide on the 53. It sounds like a question the other 31 teams are getting you to ask me,” Shanahan said. “Sorry, man, but it’s too hard to ask about specifics right now.”
But Shanahan added it’s a tough chore.
“It’s just connecting all the positions,” Shanahan said. “You have the unknowns. And we have a lot of good competition at a number of positions, whether we go light or heavy at certain players. I definitely don’t want to get into specifics, because that is what all 32 teams are doing right now — watching everyone’s rosters, listening to everything, and figuring out which guy they can get.”
