5 fringe 49ers who need to bounce back in preseason bout vs. Saints

The 49ers square off against the Saints in Week 2 of the preseason, and these five bubble-watch players need to have a good game.

One of the key storylines for any team during any given preseason is the hard reality that for nearly half the 90-man roster, the hope of landing a job on said team will ultimately come to a close.

For that reason alone, preseason games do matter. Just try convincing a player on the bubble these exhibition bouts are unimportant.

Many San Francisco 49ers fringe players failed to deliver in crucial moments during the Niners' preseason Week 1 loss at the Tennessee Titans, including cornerback Ambry Thomas, who suffered a broken forearm in the contest that casts doubt on his immediate future.

There are others, though, who didn't exactly impress but aren't dealing with major injuries that'll impact their tenuous tenure.

Now, with the New Orleans Saints visiting for Week 2 of the preseason on Sunday evening, these five bubble players on San Francisco's roster need to have an impressive outing to avoid being cut prior to the regular season.

No. 1: Running back Matt Breida

It might be nice to have running back Matt Breida back after he began his career in the Bay Area, and a slew of injuries at the position have opened up a chance for him to make the 53-man roster.

But Breida was anything but impressive against Tennessee, averaging precisely zero yards on six carries, his long going for a mere 2 yards and primarily against the Titans' third- and fourth-string players.

Making things worse, Breida fumbled (a ball the 49ers nevertheless recovered), which was a problem for him during his first Niners tenure.

Unless Breida bounces back, he'll be well on his way toward a post-preseason cut.

No. 2: Defensive tackle T.Y. McGill

San Francisco has plenty of options for its defensive line depth but no clear answers. However, defensive tackle T.Y. McGill might not be in line to solve any of them.

The lineman committed two neutral-zone infractions last Saturday, which won't earn him any points.

It'd be one thing if McGill was a first-year player making a rookie mistake or two. Considering he's been in the league since 2015, committing such gaffes won't be forgivable, especially if they repeat again on Sunday.

No. 3: Safety Tayler Hawkins

Having been on the fringes of the 49ers' 53-man roster each of the last two years but never quite being adequate enough to stick, safety Tayler Hawkins didn't do himself too many favors last weekend by missing two tackles.

He was also out of position at numerous points in coverage, too, which won't bode well unless quickly rectified against New Orleans.

The Niners already have a competent trio of safeties to look at right now: George Odum, Ji'Ayir Brown and rookie Malik Mustapha, while they're awaiting the return of All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga from last year's ACL tear.

Hawkins is still in the mix but needs to perform as if he'd be a reliable go-to option.

No. 4: Wide receiver Ronnie Bell

Second-year wide receiver Ronnie Bell had an excellent shot last weekend to stake a claim for San Francisco's fifth or sixth spot on the positional depth chart. And while he caught two passes for 22 yards, including a long of 21, he also had a crucial drop on what should have been a catchable ball.

It'd be one thing if Bell was on a team with a thinned-out roster where a single drop wouldn't do too much damage to his chances.

However, considering the 49ers are stacked at the position behind Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings and (hopefully) Brandon Aiyuk, the odds of Bell emerging as a quality depth option took a hit.

He'll want to improve his stock on Sunday night.

No. 5: Offensive lineman Isaac Alarcon

An extreme long shot to make the 53-man roster anyway, offensive lineman Isaac Alarcon didn't do himself many favors to even hang around on the practice squad this season.

The former Dallas Cowboys lineman partook on 21 pass-blocking snaps, being credited with four pressures allowed, according to Pro Football Focus, going up against third- and fourth-string Titans rushers.

The Saints defense is notably deeper than that of the Titans, meaning Alacon needs to showcase some serious improvement in preseason Week 2 to even keep himself in the practice squad discussion.

Otherwise, it'll be a brief "cup of coffee" with the Niners for him in 2024.

San Francisco and New Orleans square off on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 8 p.m. ET from Levi's Stadium.

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