49ers roster: 3 potentially surprising cuts heading into 2021

It’s pretty safe to guess out the 49ers’ 53-man roster heading into 2021, yet there are always surprises, and those could include some well-known players.

For the most part, the San Francisco 49ers‘ starting offensive and defensive lineups are set.

There may be a few positions up for grabs here and there, and a sizable majority of the reserve depth spots are mostly determined, too. Whatever the pecking order winds up being will ultimately be determined during training camp and the preseason.

All that said, though, there are usually a handful of surprise additions and/or cuts on a year-to-year basis. Some fringe players sitting on the weak end of the roster bubble end up turning heads late, finding their way onto the 53-man roster. In other cases, “safe” veterans wind up being cut just before Week 1.

It’s nothing new. The only guesswork is trying to figure out who falls into either category.

The Niners could make a massive surprise cut before the regular season, possibly moving on from starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and going with the No. 3 overall-drafted rookie, Trey Lance. This would indeed save San Francisco a ton of money and put Lance into a situation where he can put his talents to immediate use.

But there have been zero overtures from the 49ers’ camp about this, and all reports stemming from the previous offseason workouts indicate Garoppolo is still in full command of the starting job.

So, no. We won’t be listing Jimmy G as a would-be “surprise” cut heading into 2021.

Instead, here are three other potential cuts that would be quite shocking if they were to come true, but there are reasons behind each.