The San Francisco 49ers are a bad team going nowhere fast. With numerous holes on the roster, it actually makes sense to part ways with a number of players under contract to open up the door for improvements down the road.
Addition by subtraction should be a valuable strategy for the San Francisco 49ers this upcoming offseason.
And not just for the financial reasons either.
At 1-9, the 2016 Niners are in need of a complete overhaul from top to bottom. While the majority of the team is young, a number of aging veterans and underperforming players are holding up spots that could otherwise be occupied by more-promising options.
With said record, and most of the San Francisco stat lines around the bottom of the league, no one’s job on the 53-man roster should be safe.
Cap concerns shouldn’t be a worry either. According to Over the Cap, the Niners will have $47,514,014 in cap space this season. And this number doesn’t include the carryover amount of unused space the Niners have this year.
So dead money shouldn’t be a factor. In some cases, releasing a player should actually generate substantially more savings.
Let’s take a look at five players the 49ers would be wise to release this upcoming offseason.
No. 5: Cornerback Keith Reaser
General manager Trent Baalke loves stockpiling his defensive backs. But cornerback Keith Reaser, an ACL-injury experiment from the 2014 NFL Draft, certainly hasn’t panned out.
According to Pro Football Focus, Reaser has a 49.5 overall and 50.4 pass-coverage grade on the season — both lows among San Francisco’s top-four cornerbacks.
Standing by is fellow 2014 draftee and cornerback Dontae Johnson.
Johnson, who has only seen 34 snaps this season — it’s anyone’s guess why — is significantly better, per PFF, in both categories.
Reaser is getting his chance to prove his value this season, much higher than in any year previously. And yet he’s not rising up to the challenge.
Considering how crowded the Niners secondary is entering 2017, removing one piece would let the others fall into place nicely.
No. 4: Edge Rusher Tank Carradine
I was awfully high on edge rusher Tank Carradine coming out of Florida State back in 2013 and thought he’d be a huge addition to the 49ers defense.
After redshirting his rookie campaign, we’ve been waiting for Carradine to make that big impact. 2014 came and went. So did 2015. This year is looking to be another lost cause, even after Carradine moved from a 3-4 defensive end to a strict edge-rushing role.
Carradine’s strong preseason led the Niners to extend him through 2017. San Francisco is surely regretting that decision now.
The former second-round pick is awful against the run, and his pass-rushing prowess has generated a mere four sacks in three active seasons.
And none in 2016.
The switch hasn’t worked. It’s time for the 49ers to admit the mistake and move on.
No. 3: Guard Zane Beadles
Yes, even general manager Trent Baalke’s big 2016 free-agent acquisition is on this list.
Beadles was supposed to thrive in head coach Chip Kelly’s inside-zone scheme. He might have even been considered an upgrade over the guy he replaced at left guard, Alex Boone.
Unfortunately, Beadles has been a major disappointment. Pro Football Focus has him graded with a 49.1 mark on the year — by far the lowest out of any San Francisco interior linemen.
Waiting in the folds is now-benched guard Andrew Tiller, who lost his starting job to rookie Joshua Garnett. That makes sense, OK. But why Tiller isn’t starting over Beadles is a question worth asking.
For what it’s worth, Tiller has a 74.9 overall grade on the year.
Cutting Beadles would be pretty costly in 2017 — a $1,166,667 cap hit next year, per Over the Cap.
So it’s possible the Niners retain him just to see if he’d be worthy as a backup.
Tiller should be starting though.
No. 2: Safety Antoine Bethea
Yes, veteran safety Antoine Bethea is one of the few established leaders the 49ers have in the locker room.
Leadership is crucial, especially for a developing team. But Bethea’s presence also potentially hinders the ascendance of other players on the roster — ones in which the Niners have invested heavily.
One such player is second-year safety Jaquiski Tartt, whom the 49ers selected in Round 2 of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Tartt will see an increase in snaps, with fellow safety Eric Reid (bicep) on injured reserve. This should give us a good indication whether or not Tartt is going to be a key figure in coming years. If so, Bethea is in the way.
Bethea, 32 years old, has just one year remaining on his current contract. Releasing him prior to 2017 would cost San Francisco only $1.25 million in dead money but save $5.75 in cap space.
And with the Niners looking to build towards the future, it’s a move that makes perfect sense.
No. 1: Linebacker Ahmad Brooks
Veteran linebacker Ahmad Brooks has managed to squeeze by the roster-bubble watch over the past couple of seasons.
But at 32 years old, he’s nowhere close to playing at the Pro Bowl-caliber level we once saw him back in 2013. He’s a situational pass-rusher, at best, right now and offers very little against the run.
Not surprisingly, the 49ers rank dead last against opponents’ rushing attacks this season.
Brooks will hit the final season of a six-year, $40.4 million deal in 2017.
By releasing him, the Niners would have only $848,750 in dead money and $7.8 million in cap savings.
And it would allow San Francisco to pursue a promising edge rusher via the NFL Draft or add one in free agency.
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At this point in his career, Brooks is more of a liability than an asset to the Niners defense. Holding onto him, even for depth purposes, makes zero sense.
Parting ways does.
Next: 10 49ers With a Lot to Prove Down the Stretch
So hand Brooks his walking papers, 49ers. He’s already cashed in on what will likely be his final lucrative contract.