49ers' final 53-man roster prediction with NFL preseason complete

The final cut-down to 53 players on the roster is one of the most chaotic times of the league year.

For the San Francisco 49ers, it might be more chaotic than normal, with a couple of procedural moves to get done and a few outstanding contract situations (that you might have read something about) to resolve.

To avoid doubt and prevent this piece from rivaling a Tolstoy novel, this projected roster is the final 53-man roster after completing all the procedural moves. Assumptions are made the Niners can get back the players they have to cut to get injured linebacker Dre Greenlaw, for example, onto the PUP list but remain eligible to return this season.

Also, an assumption is made that both wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams' contract situations are resolved. In Aiyuk's case, it doesn't actually change the projection, as he's on the active roster as it stands, due to his hold-in.

Oh, and this is a projection of what the 49ers will do, not what this writer thinks the 49ers should do. I'll try and explain the differences as we go.

Let's get started.

Quarterback (3) - Brock Purdy, Joshua Dobbs, Brandon Allen

What might be interesting here is if one of the two backups can bring some value in a trade. There doesn't seem to be much between them, and the room's solid. The 49ers may keep undrafted rookie Tanner Mordecai around on the practice squad. He maximised his minutes in the preseason and could have something long-term, particularly with both backups on short-term deals.

Outside of that, the team will likely keep all three. Exposing any to waivers, particularly Dobbs, feels like a risk not worth taking.