49ers roster: 4 players who could be cut without taking a snap
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers tight end Tyler Kroft
There are plenty of players on the 49ers roster who could either earn a significant role in 2022 or wind up off the team altogether.
Such is the case with veteran tight end Tyler Kroft, a somewhat surprising post-draft free-agent pickup by the Niners, who are hoping he’ll look a lot like his seven-touchdown campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017 rather than his underwhelming 2019 year with the Buffalo Bills.
At any rate, Kroft marked the only significant move at tight end to beef up the depth chart behind All-Pro George Kittle, yet Kroft will still have to fend off returnees such as Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley.
Read More: Tyler Kroft has a real shot to make 49ers final roster
Kroft might beat out players like Dwelley and Woerner, both of whom had statistically unimpressive efforts in 2021 but do have the continuity of the offense from the last two years.
On top of that, Kroft has dealt with injures over the last few years, too, so that’ll be a factor working in the opposite direction.
If San Francisco feels as if Dwelley and Woerner are the better options, Kroft and his mere $25,000 dead-cap hit will be gone by Week 1.