No. 2: 49ers Tight End Ross Dwelley
All these would-be tough cuts are still up in the air. If they weren’t, it would mean we could predict the future.
But the future got a little bleaker for third-year tight end Ross Dwelley when the Niners inked veteran tight end Jordan Reed to a one-year deal earlier this week. While often injured, Reed is a vastly superior option on the positional depth chart when compared to Dwelley. Reed is much more prolific a pass catcher and does far more with the ball in his hands after the reception.
Plus, Reed offers a lot more in terms of blocking than Dwelley does. As such, it’s pretty simple to understand why Kyle Shanahan will want to feature a lot of Reed and the 2019 All-Pro, George Kittle, this season as long as Reed is able to stay on the field.
What this means for Dwelley isn’t quite clear. True, he’s now competing for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart along with Daniel Helm and the rookie, Charlie Woerner. Yet Woerner’s blocking skills also surpass those of Dwelley, and that’s an essential attribute for a third-string player at this position.
Because of this, Dwelley could easily find himself off the roster come Week 1.
It’s tough because Dwelley played a small, albeit key role for San Francisco last year when Kittle missed two games with injuries. Dwelley’s two touchdowns were clutch, as was his critical third-down reception against the Arizona Cardinals late in the fourth quarter on Oct. 31.
Still, San Francisco upgraded this position during the offseason, and it likely means Dwelley becomes victim to the numbers game.