Predicting the San Francisco 49ers Starting Lineup in 2017
By Peter Panacy
Safety
The 49ers will be without safety Eric Reid (bicep) for the rest of 2016, but expect him to return healthy to start next season.
San Francisco’s remaining question is who starts alongside Reid.
Currently, Antoine Bethea holds down the strong safety spot. And he’s signed through 2017, which would lead us to believe he’ll be on the roster next season, right?
Not so fast. At 32 years old, Bethea is hitting the twilight of his career. The Niners could also save $5.75 million in cap space by releasing him this offseason (although cap space isn’t going to be a concern for San Francisco next year).
Such a move would open up the door for second-year pro Jaquiski Tartt to assume a larger role.
Tartt will be getting plenty of starting reps with Reid out. This will go a long way in determining whether or not the 49ers see the former second-round pick as a viable piece within their secondary.
If he does well enough, Bethea will be out the door.