49ers 2019 roster bubble-watch prediction ahead of preseason Week 1
By Peter Panacy
Offensive Line
Lock: Weston Richburg, Mike McGlinchey, Joe Staley, Mike Person, Laken Tomlinson
Strong Bubble: Shon Coleman, Ben Garland, Ross Reynolds, Justin Skule
Weak Bubble: Dillon Day, Joshua Garnett, Wesley Johnson, Najee Toran
Long Shot: Willie Beavers, Daniel Brunskill, Christian DiLauro
There is some serious question marks about one starting spot along the offensive line with center Weston Richburg.
Richburg has yet to be cleared following offseason knee surgery, and he remains on the physically unable-to-play (PUP) list. It’s possible he’s back soon, but it might take time to get him back into game-day readiness by Week 1.
In the meantime, that opens up the door for backup linemen, such as Ben Garland and the recently acquired Dillon Day, to assume a more prominent role. Garland has played under head coach Kyle Shanahan, previously, back with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016. So that bodes well.
One should look for undrafted rookie Ross Reynolds to crack the 53-man roster, which could easily push out the former first-round draft pick, Joshua Garnett, who is now dealing with surgery recovery after dislocating his finger. Garnett will miss three weeks, or so, and miss out on some valuable preseason reps — necessary to impress Shanahan.
The swing tackle battle is still up for grabs, as are some key depth positions along the O-line.