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The San Francisco 49ers released their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday.
Three quarterbacks, Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen, made the cut for San Francisco. The 49ers traded quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round selection on Saturday. Lance was taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
They were joined by running backs Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Tyrion Davis-Price and Jordan Mason. Purdy, a former seventh-round selection for San Francisco in the 2022 NFL Draft, played in nine games and started in five for the Niners in 2022. The Niners traded for McCaffrey in October. He recorded a total of 1,210 yards from scrimmage in the 11 games he played for San Francisco last season.
Defensive linemen Javon Kinlaw, Arik Armstead, Javon Hargrave and Clelin Ferrell were all listed on the initial roster. Hargrave, a former Pro Bowl defensive tackle who spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, agreed to a four-year contract with the Niners in March. Ferrell signed a one-year deal with San Francisco the same month.
Who is one sneaky roster cut survivor who could impact the 49ers in 2023?
Ambry Thomas
The 49ers selected Thomas with the 102nd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has played in 27 games and started in five during his two-year NFL career. The 6-foot defensive back ended last season with 13 combined tackles during the 15 games he played. He recorded a season-high four combined tackles during a 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in December, a game that saw Niners linebacker Dre Greenlaw earn 15 tackles and one pass deflection in the win at Levi's Stadium.
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Thomas's production dipped in 2022. He played in 41 total snaps on defense between the regular and postseason, according to Pro Football Focus.
“I think he just kind of — and I think I've said this before — sometimes no matter what you tell guys, they end up getting in roles for whatever reason as rookies and starting going to the playoffs, things like that. Sometimes guys miss really how hard it is to play in this league,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said, via 49ers on NBCS 49ers beat writer Jennifer Lee Chan. “And I think that happened to Ambry, and I think he took a step back last year because of that. I think he learned that throughout the year. I think the main thing you realize is, ‘How did they come back to the offseason in Year 3?' And usually you know if they got it.
“If someone doesn't play as much in Year 2 and they come back in the offseason in Year 3 and they're still not ready to go, it's like, ‘All right, they didn't even learn their lesson. I've got to point this out to them,' and rarely does it work out that way. Ambry came back in phase one ready to go. I thought he was better in OTAs this year than he's been at time since he's been here. And that's carried over right into training camp. So, I'd say it started in phase one.”
Ward played in a total of 85 snaps for the Niners during the 2023 NFL preseason, according to PFF. He played in 60 as a wide corner, five in the box and two as a slot corner. Thomas recorded two tackles during a 34-7 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the preseason, adding on one pass deflection as the Raiders defeated the Niners in Allegiant Stadium.
Five cornerbacks were listed on the initial roster for the 49ers. Cornerbacks Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir and Isaiah Oliver took up starting spots on the team's depth chart. Ward, a one-time Super Bowl champion, played and started in 17 games for San Francisco in 2022.
Thomas must return to or surpass his production from the 2021 season. If he can, he will have the opportunity to be a solid part of a Niners defense that took 21st place in the NFL with 3,789 passing yards allowed, according to NFL.com.
