San Francisco 49ers: ‘Keep or Cut’ Calls on 10 Notable Players for 2017

The San Francisco 49ers are going to need a complete roster overhaul over the next few seasons, which means head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have a lot of work to do. Niner Noise breaks down 10 notable players, possibly on the fringe, who should be kept or cut.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan gave fans a glimpse into what his offseason would be like when he appeared on KNBR 680 Friday morning.

Part of the discussion included taking a hard look at the players the 49ers have on their roster heading into the 2017 offseason. Indeed, before the Niners can actively start thinking about free agency or the NFL Draft, both Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have to figure out what they already have.

It’s not much.

San Francisco 49ers

Earlier this month, now-retired 49ers defensive end Justin Smith (h/t Jake Montero of KNBR 680) expected San Francisco would turn over roughly 80 to 90 percent of its roster over the next two years.

That means changes and decisions. A lot of them.

So let’s take a look at what some of those decisions might be. While the roster needs a complete overlook, let’s simplify things a bit and look at 10 players who might be on the fringe heading into 2017.

And we’ll make the decision whether or not they should be kept around.

Keep in mind, rebuilds don’t happen overnight. Nor do they happen in just one offseason. So keeping a player doesn’t mean he’s a cornerstone necessarily. He could merely be a bridge. Those are important too.

We’ll kick things off with a player who might benefit from a switch to a 4-3 base defense.