49ers’ 2019 ‘Who Is?’ series: Linebacker LaRoy Reynolds
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers inked journeyman linebacker LaRoy Reynolds earlier this offseason, bolstering positional depth and adding some special teams prowess. What are his chances to make the cut in 2019?
Teams often go through minor shuffling and changes at the back end of their offseason rosters, which helps explain why the San Francisco 49ers brought aboard 28-year-old linebacker LaRoy Reynolds on a one-year free-agent deal last May.
Reynolds, a 2013 undrafted free-agent signing of the Jacksonville Jaguars, bounced around the league quite a bit before joining San Francisco, primarily serving as a backup and special teams contributor.
In total, the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Reynolds has appeared in 84 games, starting seven of them.
| Game | Game | Def | Fumb | Tack | Tack | Tack | Tack | Tack | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | G | GS | PD | FR | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits |
| 2013 | 23 | JAX | 12 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2014 | 24 | JAX | lb | 16 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 25 | 2TM | 15 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||
| CHI | lb | 13 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| JAX | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2016 | 26 | ATL | lb | 16 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 27 | ATL | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2018 | 28 | PHI | 16 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Care | Care | 84 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 81 | 58 | 23 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 3 yr | 3 yr | JAX | 30 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 28 | 10 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 yr | 2 yr | ATL | 25 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1 yr | 1 yr | CHI | 13 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 1 yr | 1 yr | PHI | 16 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/26/2019.
San Francisco has some injury concerns at linebacker this season, namely Kwon Alexander‘s recovery from a 2018 ACL tear and Fred Warner‘s recent knee issue.
But Reynolds will need to be more than just training camp insurance in order to crack the 49ers’ 53-man roster come Week 1.
Why LaRoy Reynolds Improves in 2019
Reynolds might not have found a long-term home anywhere in the league, which doesn’t look great. But the fact he’s remained employed on active rosters each year since being drafted says something.
He saw a decent amount of the field in 2014 and 2016, and Reynolds’ best efforts seemed to be against the run. As such, he’ll need to solidify himself as a quality run blocker and reserve to the kind of player Alexander is, who’ll clearly get the start if healthy.
Why LaRoy Reynolds Regresses
Backups almost always need special teams versatility, and Reynolds has that. But his overall grade on this unit last year was a mere 58.6, per Pro Football Focus, and he hasn’t exactly established himself as a massive special teams standout.
It’s likely the slightly undersized Reynolds is just who he is, a decent run stopper who can double on special teams and make plays from time to time. But not much more than that.
Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2019
Reynolds’ chances to make the cut hinge on health, of course, so keep an eye on how Warner and Alexander are coming along. But the Niners are pretty deep at linebacker already, bringing aboard another special teams ace in David Mayo and retaining the services of Elijah Lee, to name a couple of depth competitors.
One would figure Mayo, signed on a two-year deal, is already ahead of Reynolds on the depth chart. So is Lee, who ended up stealing a starting job in San Francisco late last season.
Reynolds will have to probably beat out both this training camp and preseason to solidify his spot on the roster.
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As such, Reynolds is on the weaker side of the roster bubble heading towards camp. He could wow and impress, while Mayo and/or Lee completely implode. But the likelier scenario is probably the exact opposite with Reynolds on the outside, looking in.