49ers predictions: 5 dark-horse additions to 53-man roster in 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers TE Daniel Helm
The Niners seem to have a quasi-love affair with bringing reserve tight end Daniel Helm on and off the roster, and that’s what they did again before this year’s draft.
Helm, who managed to appear in five games for San Francisco last season despite regularly being removed from the roster, stands a slightly better chance to hang around in 2021 in the wake of the veteran, Jordan Reed, retiring during the offseason.
The 49ers are going to keep George Kittle and Ross Dwelley as TEs 1 and 2 this season, while the hope is second-year pro Charlie Woerner can hone his pass-catching and route-running skills a bit, not just serving as a jumbo-package run-blocker.
It would seem there wouldn’t be much room for Helm, especially if the Niners end up keeping just three tight ends on the 53-man roster. Let alone having to compete with another undrafted rookie, Josh Pederson. But head coach Kyle Shanahan has kept four tight ends on the 53-man roster before (see 2017), and the understanding Woerner may never mature as a receiving option could predicate having another reserve pass-catching tight end around.
Even if it’s as a weekly inactive.