49ers roster: Early bubble watch after adding Arden Key, Maurice Hurst

The 49ers defensive line is deep again after the team inked free-agent linemen Arden Key and Maurice Hurst, prompting questions about the roster bubble.

Earlier this week, the San Francisco 49ers reinforced their defensive line depth by plucking away two former Las Vegas Raiders defensive linemen, Arden Key and Maurice Hurst.

These two low-risk, potentially high-reward moves were smart in a number of ways. For starters, the Niners are betting a small amount on both players’ upsides, hoping Key and Hurst can turn around careers that ultimately flamed out in Las Vegas. Especially Hurst, who had 7.5 sacks his first two seasons after being selected by the Raiders in Round 5 of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Another reason these signings were smart from San Francisco’s perspective is that it allows them to free up day-three NFL Draft picks in 2021 that may otherwise have been used to bolster the D-line depth. Now, general manager John Lynch can either use those picks to address other areas of need or potentially use them as trade chips to move up in earlier rounds.

As of now, with Key and Hurst in tow, the 49ers have 16 defensive linemen on their roster. While there are going to be some additional changes likely happening between now and the start of training camp, a number of players already find themselves on the offseason roster bubble considering the sheer number of players the Niners have along their defensive front.

Who’s on the bubble now?

Typically, we break down the roster bubble into the following categories:

• Lock
• Strong bubble
• Weak bubble
• Long shot

Already, it’s possible to put some of San Francisco’s defensive linemen into each category, so let’s break down who’s who and which players find themselves on the bubble.