San Francisco 49ers: Predicting the 5 most surprising roster cuts of 2018

No. 3: Linebacker Brock Coyle

The 49ers re-signed veteran linebacker Brock Coyle to a three-year deal earlier this offseason.

On the surface, this would indicate the team isn’t willing to cut him in 2018. Yet that was before the Niners new the eventual outcome of fellow linebacker Reuben Foster‘s off-field legal issues. Back in March, when the deal was announced, there was still a real chance Foster would wind up being charged with three felonies and could have easily been removed from the team.

Thanks largely to Foster’s lengthy ankle injury last year, Coyle ended up starting 10 games in 2017 after spending most of his career as a perennial special teamer.

While San Francisco trusted Coyle to handle these fill-in duties well enough, one can make the argument his efforts weren’t exactly exemplary. Pro Football Focus assigned him a 41.3 overall grade on the season — lowest among all current inside backers entering 2018.

Further crowding the position will be the healthy return of veteran linebacker Malcolm Smith from a pectoral injury, a free-agent pickup of former Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Korey Toomer and the Round 3 draft selection of BYU’s Fred Warner.

Foster’s two-game suspension should increase Coyle’s chances of sticking around. Same with Coyle’s contract costing $3 million in dead money with a deficit in savings, if cut.

Still, if it means freeing up a roster spot for a player the 49ers like a bit more, Coyle could easily wind up being on the weaker side of the bubble.