49ers: 3 players who stand to lose a lot during 2020 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Tight End Ross Dwelley
One of the provocative things the 49ers have done this offseason is look at multiple free-agent tight ends to support the 2019 All-Pro, George Kittle.
It’s possible this is a smokescreen for the NFL Draft, as moves like that are frequently made to deceive the rest of the league.
But with an awfully shallow pool of tight end prospects in the draft, San Francisco’s efforts to bring aboard a free-agent tight end suggest the position is seriously on John Lynch’s radar.
This doesn’t bode well for No. 2 tight end Ross Dwelley, who managed to hold a key reserve role when Kittle was dealing with ribs and ankle injuries during the regular season. The 25-year-old Dwelley flashed some solid moments, even though he’s nowhere near the catch-and-run threat Kittle is.
Dwelley, a tendered exclusive-rights free agent in 2020, will count for $750,000 against the Niners cap number this season, and there’s zero in dead money if he’s cut.
So if San Francisco brings aboard a player it feels has slightly more upside than Dwelley, he’ll either find himself bumped down the depth chart or off the roster altogether.