3 players 49ers likely cut to create cap space in 2020

No. 1: Wide Receiver Marquise Goodwin

Like Jerick McKinnon, wide receiver Marquise Goodwin‘s last two seasons with the 49ers have been marked by injury. Tack on some serious family tragedies in Goodwin’s case, too.

San Francisco’s onboarding of Emmanuel Sanders all but ensured Goodwin wouldn’t have a notable role on offense for the latter half of 2019, and the speedster eventually found himself on season-ending injured reserve after being held to just 12 catches for 186 yards and a touchdown over the course of the year.

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Moving forward, it’s hard to envision what kind of role Goodwin would have, even if the Niners don’t bring back Sanders.

The 2019 rookie, Deebo Samuel, already cemented himself as a major weapon for Kyle Shanahan. It’s hard to fathom Shanahan completely giving up on two-year pro Dante Pettis, either, despite his down season.

Slot receiver Trent Taylor is due back from a season-ending foot injury, Kendrick Bourne has proven his value and the big-bodied Jalen Hurd is an unknown, yet promising commodity.

It’s hard to find where Goodwin fits in amid all this.

Goodwin has two more years due on his current contract. Parting ways with him this offseason would generate $3.66 million in cap space against $1.25 million in dead money. In 2021, it’s $7 million in savings against $625,000 in dead money.

Despite what Goodwin meant for the 49ers in the initial years of the rebuild, it appears as if his role is no longer carrying the weight it once did.

And from the financial standpoint, the Niners would probably want to move on in order to free up some much-needed space.