Which 49ers players are on the bubble entering training camp?
By Peter Panacy
The 49ers kick off training camp this week, and before practices get underway, let’s break down which players are on the bubble and which ones are safe.
For nearly the last two months, there’s been no shortage of speculation about how the San Francisco 49ers’ 2022 roster will come together.
About the only evidence we’ve been able to use, of course, is each player’s projected role, contract information, how well those players performed during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, NFL Draft status for rookies and so on.
Simply put, it’s mostly conjecture. It always is.
With training camp kicking off this week, though, fans and analysts alike will be presented with the best on-field evidence to help determine which 53 players head coach Kyle Shanahan will keep heading into the regular season.
Niner Noise already has a bubble watch in the wake of minicamp, yet those padless and tackle-less practices don’t reveal too much.
Training camp should.
So, as a preview piece, let’s break down the Niners’ roster bubble into our four usual categories:
- Lock
- Strong bubble
- Weak bubble
- Long shot
And we can begin our 2022 pre-training camp bubble watch by looking at a position that involves zero drama: special teams.
49ers training camp bubble watch: Special teams
Lock: Robbie Gould, Mitch Wishnowsky, Taybor Pepper
Strong bubble: None
Weak bubble: None
Long shot: None
San Francisco brought in precisely zero specialists during the offseason, meaning the special teams battery of kicker Robbie Gould, punter and holder Mitch Wishnowsky and long-snapper Taybor Pepper aren’t going anywhere.
While there’s likely to be some drama a little less than a year from now, as all three are scheduled for free agency, the 49ers can cross off these three roster spots as far as worry points are concerned.
Now, there may be some competition for the return game, gunners and coverage units, but let’s take a look at those players at their listed positions later.