49ers announce final 53-man roster after 2021 cuts

After months of speculation, the 49ers have their initial 53 man roster in place for 2021 after finalizing the last wave of preseason cuts.

It’s never a fun time of year for NFL players on the fringes of a team’s roster.

And in the case of the San Francisco 49ers, whose 2021 aspirations are to get back in the playoffs and win a Super Bowl, there were ultimately going to be some well-known and starting-caliber players let go when head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch went through the preseason squad and engineered the final wave of roster cuts.

Were there some surprises? Perhaps. One could even make the arguments — and people will — Shanahan and Lynch made some mistakes with their roster cuts.

But you can’t keep everybody. Especially if the team has solid depth all around.

The Niners had outstanding preseason depth along their defensive line, and a crowded running back room ultimately meant someone with quality talent had to be shown the door.

Some of these players could feasibly return on the practice squad, including veterans who wouldn’t have been eligible before 2020. It’s not too hard to look at some of the players San Francisco let go and hope they can somehow end up stashed on the practice squad. Yet there’s also going to be a flurry of activity on the open market, meaning some players who originally made the 53-man roster could get swapped out for suddenly available players.

Such is the life of a fringe NFL player, right?

At any rate, here’s your initial 49ers 53-man roster.