49ers: 5 best controversial roster cuts that will help the team in 2019
By Chris Wilson
No. 4: Releasing and re-signing S Antone Exum
The San Francisco 49ers’ cadre of safeties have been bitten by the injury bug over the past few seasons, which made the team’s next personnel decision quite controversial. Despite their ongoing struggles to fill the two safety positions on a weekly basis, Lynch and Shanahan chose to keep just one true safety — Jaquiski Tartt — on San Francisco’s initial 53-man roster.
The 49ers’ official roster announcement listed two other defensive backs as safeties: the oft-injured part-time slot corner Jimmie Ward and defensive back Tarvarius Moore, the team’s backup outside cornerback during his rookie year last season.
The San Francisco brass cut 2017 starting free safety Adrian Colbert, 2018 starting strong safety Marcell Harris and versatile defensive back Antone Exum, who played in over half of the team’s defensive snaps last year while starting seven games at the two safety positions. Colbert’s release was understandable given his inability to stay on the field, as was Harris’ departure after a subpar preseason, but Exum deserved a spot on the roster in a position-of-need for the team.
However, Exum quickly returned to the 49ers’ roster on Sunday, in a roster move that was likely orchestrated between the two sides before he was released by the team:
Per a league source, the #49ers are expected to sign S Antone Exum to the active roster when Kentavius Street goes on injured reserve. Exum can play both FS and SS.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) September 1, 2019
The 49ers’ decision to place defensive lineman Kentavius Street on short-term Injured Reserve won’t make this list of smart-but-controversial personnel decisions, but retaining Exum as the team’s fourth — or fifth, depending on how defensive back D.J. Reed is classified — safety easily makes our list, and would rank higher if we were certain the two sides came to an understanding prior to the veteran’s initial release.
In Exum, the 49ers have a DB who can play both safety positions, and could fill in at defensive back in a pinch. In addition, San Francisco was able to sign the young, hard-hitting safety Harris to the team’s practice squad.