49ers roster: 4 players who could be cut without taking a snap
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers wide receiver Marcus Johnson
San Francisco stockpiled a number of veteran wide receivers during the offseason, perhaps foreseeing the standoff that eventually came to be with All-Pro Deebo Samuel and the need to have full rosters during offseason workouts.
Two of these veteran wideouts, Marcus Johnson and Malik Turner, are on the fringes of the 53-man roster, and neither player is truly considered safe.
However, both receivers have special teams abilities, and both also boast solid speed to help the 49ers offense expand beyond 10 yards out from the line of scrimmage.
Yet the Niners aren’t likely to keep both, especially if Samuel returns and in light of them drafting SMU wideout Danny Gray in Round 3 last spring. Along with returning receivers like Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, one can see how the depth chart is getting awfully full.
The likely outcome, if both Johnson and Turner are equal in all other areas, will come down to money. Turner carries $300,000 in dead money if cut, whereas Johnson has only $250,000 according to Over the Cap.
It might not seem like much in the grand scale of things, but that could end up meaning Johnson never plays a snap for San Francisco despite being signed earlier this offseason.