Niner Noise
FanSided

5 biggest takeaways from 49ers roster cuts in 2019

By Peter Panacy

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 01: Kyle Shanahan attends SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIII Radio Row on February 01, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 01: Kyle Shanahan attends SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIII Radio Row on February 01, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 09: Tarvarius Moore #33 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a defensive play against the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium on December 9, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Tarvarius Moore, D.J. Reed Give Confidence at Free Safety

He might have been a long shot to make the 53-man roster in 2019, particularly after a disastrous 2018 campaign and injury-filled tenure in the latter half of that year and into the preseason. So it shouldn’t come as too big a shock Adrian Colbert didn’t make the roster.

But there are other reasons, too.

The 49ers switching former cornerback Tarvarius Moore to his natural collegiate free safety spot was highly influential. San Francisco gave Moore a huge number of snaps during the preseason at free safety, and he seems to have locked down a key reserve role behind the likely starter, Jimmie Ward.

But Ward has an injury history of his own, mandating the Niners keep another reserve option.

Yet fellow defensive back D.J. Reed, who started two games last season, also saw a massive amount of field time during the preseason.

Reed appears to be the player who pushed Colbert off the roster, not necessarily Moore.