5 surprising cuts from the 49ers' opening 53-man roster

It would be nice if the Niners could simply keep everybody, but they can't.
San Francisco 49ers defensive back D'Shawn Jamison
San Francisco 49ers defensive back D'Shawn Jamison / Michael Zagaris/GettyImages
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San Francisco 49ers, Ilm Manning
San Francisco 49ers guard Ilm Manning (60) / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

49ers shocking roster cut No. 4: Offensive lineman Ilm Manning

Depth was one of the key question marks the Niners had regarding their offensive line for much of the offseason, and it's hard to say many of those were answered heading into the regular season after roster cuts.

However, as was the case with Corey Luciano, one of the surprise waived players was undrafted rookie lineman Ilm Manning, whose experience at the collegiate level was alone enough to warrant high consideration for a 53-man roster spot.

Manning impressed during training camp, too, and that momentum carried over into the preseason.

Unlike Luciano, however, other teams were paying close attention to what Manning was doing, and the Arizona Cardinals decided he'd be better purposed playing with them than sitting around on San Francisco's practice squad.

Even if it takes some time for him to develop, the 49ers would prefer it if Manning didn't turn into a key Cardinals piece on their O-line.