San Francisco 49ers: 5 players who could be cut without playing a snap
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: 49ers Offensive Guard Tom Compton
The Niners bid farewell to Mike Person after his two years in San Francisco, subsequently signing veteran guard Tom Compton away from the New York Jets.
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Compton’s play in New York was so-so, at best, and one could make the argument he’d see an uptick in production with an improved 49ers offensive line. But the one major obstacle to Compton securing a starting position this season out of training camp is Daniel Brunskill, who could easily be viewed as the favorite to start.
Brunskill filled in admirably enough for Person two games last year.
This should be a notable camp battle to watch this summer, especially considering how Brunskill seemingly came out of nowhere after his brief stint with the Alliance of American Football. But if Brunskill wins that battle outright, it seems highly unlikely Compton’s tenure with the 49ers lasts beyond Week 1.
Particularly when looking at his contract numbers.
The Niners inked Compton to a one-year, $2.75 million deal during the offseason and could save $1.95 million of that if the veteran is cut. Either way, that’s a good deal of money to pay a backup player at a position where San Francisco already has a decent deal of depth.
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If Compton loses this camp battle, he’ll likely join the ranks of players who’ll never see the field for the 49ers in the regular season.