San Francisco 49ers: 5 players who’ll lose a roster spot after 2020 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers’ actions in the 2020 NFL Draft ultimately mean a number of incumbent players are in jeopardy of missing out on the roster. Here are five who’ll likely wind up being let go by Week 1.
Towards the end of this summer, let’s hope, the San Francisco 49ers will be forced to cut down it’s 90-man offseason roster to 53 players, plus the additional two week-by-week roster call-ups from the practice squad.
Parting ways with almost half a roster is always tough business. And it only gets tougher for the Niners, who now boast a Super Bowl-caliber roster and can now have the luxury of parting ways with players otherwise viewed as quality options on other teams. The 49ers did this twice during the draft, trading away running back Matt Breida and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin to the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.
Those are the kinds of decisions most teams around the league wish they had to make.
San Francisco brought in five players from the 2020 NFL Draft, traded for perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams and inked 10 undrafted free agents. While some of these new additions won’t make the regular-season roster, many will ultimately push out other players the Niners had signed before the draft.
One might think defensive end Solomon Thomas would be in danger, especially after San Francisco used the No. 14 overall pick on South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. But Thomas’ near-$9 million in dead money, if waived, means he’ll stick around even if it’s in a support role only.
Instead, Niner Noise takes a look at five other players who’ll be in jeopardy of losing a roster spot following the team’s actions in the NFL Draft and shortly afterwards.