SF 49ers: 5 players who could be surprise cuts this offseason
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: SF 49ers Center Weston Richburg
In 2018, San Francisco made veteran center Weston Richburg one of the highest-paid interior offensive linemen in the league by inking him to a lucrative five-year, $47.5 million free-agent contract.
Richburg missed one game that season, but in 2019, he suffered a serious knee injury in Week 14 against the New Orleans Saints.
He hasn’t seen the field since, and there’s little hope for him returning this season.
Again, the 2021 draft is deep with offensive linemen, particularly on the interior. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the SF 49ers pick up a few linemen next April, possibly someone who could be a plug-and-play option to replace Richburg.
Should the Niners wait until after June 1 at a time where they don’t have to have their rookies signed yet, cutting Richburg would generate over $8.3 million in cap space against $3.5 million in dead money.
2020 has revealed San Francisco can get by without Richburg, and doing so financially next season makes a lot of sense if the right long-term option is found in the draft.