The fact the San Francisco 49ers cut both their punter and long-snapper as part of their moves to create their initial 53-man roster is about as good an indication they're nowhere close to being done with changes between now and Week 1.
There'll be additional roster juggling and gymnastics by general manager John Lynch and Co. before the Niners get ready for their regular-season opener in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams.
And there'll likely be several rostered players who ultimately won't be making that trip. By default, they won't be part of the 53-man roster either.
Potentially these five.
49ers may move these 5 players off 53-man roster before Week 1
San Francisco kept linebacker Nick Martin on their opening roster but placed him on injured reserve a day later, thereby preventing him from either missing all of 2026 or being placed on waivers.
There may be other similar injury-related moves, too, like this one.
OT Vederian Lowe
Vederian Lowe was the favorite to be the 49ers' primary swing tackle, but he missed the bulk of training camp with an ankle injury. The fact he wasn't included on the reserve/physically unable-to-perform (PUP) list is a good sign he'll be back sooner than later, but there's a chance the Niners simply decide to pop him onto IR to salvage a roster spot.
That said, his return could potentially endanger another lineman's tenuous hold on a roster spot.
OT Enrique Cruz Jr.
Seeing Enrique Cruz Jr., the fifth-round rookie, make the opening 53-man roster was a bit of a shock after nearly every account cited a horrible camp and preseason.
Sure, San Francisco understands Cruz needs a lot of refinement, and it's currenlty opting to safeguard against another team claiming him by granting said roster spot.
However, Cruz's spot might be jeopardized if Lowe is ready to return in time for Week 1, especially if the 49ers feel that spot is better spent elsewhere.
CB Ephesians Prysock
Certainly not performance related, but Ephesians Prysock may have to start his NFL career on IR after suffering a shoulder injury in the Niners' preseason finale. The extent of that injury isn't yet known, but San Francisco certainly didn't want to expose Prysock to the waiver wire after such an impressive camp and preseason performance.
If Prysock is removed to IR off the 53-man roster, expect him to be back when healthy.
WR Jordan Watkins
It might've been something of a shock to see Jordan Watkins survive cuts after an inconsistent preseason and in light of the fact fellow wide receiver Jacob Cowing appears to be the better option in the return game.
Statistically, Watkins delivered in the preseason. But a clear lack of strength in the blocking game might mean head coach Kyle Shanahan is open to exploring better options in light of 31 other teams' recent releases.
If so, Watkins could easily get the boot.
TE Brayden Willis
Brayden Willis has made it something of a habit to float back and forth between the active roster and the practice squad in recent years, and that fate might repeat itself, depending on George Kittle's health in advance of Week 1.
If Kittle is fully recovered from last January's Achilles tear, and San Francisco feels Willis' spot on the 53-man roster isn't a must-have, cutting the latter and signing him to the practice squad might be a simple move.
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