49ers Cut No. 3: Offensive Lineman Colton McKivitz
OK, so the Niners probably won’t miss second-year offensive lineman Colton McKivitz too much, assuming he doesn’t clear waivers and signs with the practice squad, which is entirely possible and perhaps probable.
But the kicker of a decision from San Francisco’s vantage point was going with the older veteran, Tom Compton, as one of its O-line reserves over McKivitz.
True, neither McKivitz nor Compton flashed in whatever action they both had in 2020 as fill-in backups. And it wasn’t as if either player showcased some solid upside during training camp and the preseason either. If anything, the 49ers B-team O-line was a major weakness.
Yet the decision to go with the 32-year-old Compton over the younger and under-contractual-control-for-three-more-seasons McKivitz was a bit odd.
This might have been a case where the Niners would have been wiser to let McKivitz’s development play itself out a little longer, banking on his ability to improve even if only to a modest level.
Based on what Compton provided last year, that might have been the wiser choice even if head coach Kyle Shanahan preferred experience over youthful promise.