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

Linebackers

Linebacker (6) - Fred Warner, De'Vondre Campbell, Demetrius Flanningan-Fowles, Jalen Graham, Dee Winters, Curtis Robinson

This must be the hardest spot to call, as anyone cut is an NFL-standard player.

The fact that someone will have to be cut initially to allow Dre Greenlaw to go on the PUP list is probably the biggest risk facing the 49ers over the next few days. A linebacker-needy team will almost certainly be watching the team's transactions there closely.

Could there be an opportunity for the Niners to gain some capital here in a trade, as they have done with the likes of Jonas Griffith in the past?

The six ultimately retained are the players San Francisco seems to like the most, while it would be tempting (certainly for this writer!) to keep Tatum Bethune over someone like Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who has little upside, the fact that one of the veterans (in Greenlaw) is missing for the beginning of the season makes projecting the 49ers keeping a solid veteran simpler.

Curtis Robinson deserves some credit, as well, for scrapping hard to make the roster. He's been solid throughout the preseason and particularly consistent on special teams. He deserves his opportunity.

It feels harsh to project Bethune to miss out on a roster spot, but the 49ers will hope he can slide to the practice squad, because with a year's seasoning, he could find himself in a great battle next season between himself, Dee Winters and Jalen Graham for starting spots on the team.