No. 1: Offensive Guard Joshua Garnett
Perhaps the biggest subject of possible 49ers surprise roster cuts this season is third-year offensive guard Joshua Garnett, who missed all of 2017 with a knee injury.
The Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows suggested Garnett would be a surprise cut, particularly with the former Stanford star’s relative lack of fit in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone running scheme (Garnett operated in a power-run scheme in college).
While that decision won’t come anytime soon, Garnett does face some stiff competition in camp. San Francisco inked fellow guard Laken Tomlinson to a three-year extension, all but ensuring he’ll start in 2018. And with the Niners dishing out up to $4.86 million (starter’s money) to free-agent guard Jonathan Cooper, Garnett’s chances to start this season will be tough.
Cooper is still recovering from offseason MCL surgery, which increases Garnett’s hope of landing a spot. And even if Cooper is ready to go by the start of camp, the Niners could feasibly keep Garnett around as a backup.
The only problem, though, is backups need to have versatility. Garnett can play either guard position but isn’t much of an option at center. Meanwhile, the 49ers also inked free-agent offensive lineman Mike Person — who has experience in Kyle Shanahan’s offense — and have been cross-training second-year pro Erik Magnuson on all five positions.
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Simply put, Garnett has a lot of eyes looking over his shoulder heading towards training camp. And while it might be premature to assume he’ll be cut, it wouldn’t be shocking either.