49ers roster: 3 potentially surprising cuts heading into 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers Safety Jaquiski Tartt
Again, we’re talking shocking cuts here and not ones that seem likely.
On the surface, it wouldn’t make much sense to part ways with veteran strong safety Jaquiski Tartt. After all, when he’s on the field, he makes the Niners defense that much better.
One of the problems, though, is Tartt hasn’t been able to stay on the field much, landing on injured reserve in three of the last four seasons, including suffering a turf-toe injury that appeared to carry over into organized team activities — a potential cause for concern.
Back on a one-year deal, San Francisco doesn’t have anything invested in the 29-year-old Tartt beyond this season. And while the loss of fellow defensive back Tarvarius Moore to an Achilles tear thins out the depth chart a good deal, the 49ers still have a number of other safeties who could potentially fill the void.
It’d be easy to think about the rookie, Talanoa Hufanga, here. But a probable immediate replacement for Tartt would potentially be the recently acquired Tony Jefferson, who was a quality safety for both the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens before tearing his ACL in 2019 and missing all of last year.
If Tartt’s injuries linger throughout training camp, and Jefferson is subsequently able to showcase his talents, it wouldn’t be too crazy to see the former let go and the latter get the nod.