The San Francisco 49ers report to training camp on July 25. We’re under a month away from a joint practice against the Tennessee Titans. Before you know it, the final cut-down date of August 30 will be here.
With cut-down day under a month and a half away, we were thinking of potential surprise cuts ahead of training camp.
Fan favorite Jake Brendel isn’t going anywhere. The team is going to let go of one of its most consistent linemen. But there are a few other veterans who could be in trouble or fall victim to a numbers game. Let’s go over one on each side of the ball.
WR Demarcus Robinson
The 49ers added Mike Evans and Christian Kirk in free agency and drafted De’Zhaun Stribling with their first pick. Somebody is going to be on the outside looking in. We thought about mentioning Jacob Cowing here, with his lengthy injury history, but he has a plus trait (speed) and is on a rookie contract.
Robinson turns 32 in September. He finished the season in a strong fashion last year, but that’s more of there not being any other options for Brock Purdy to throw to. For much of the season, Robinson was non-existent. It could be as simple as Robinson is out, and Kirk is in. Both veterans are coming off productive Wild Card games, but Kirk brings something to the table that Robinson doesn’t.
The 49ers would eat $2.43 million in dead money, but Robinson’s contract is structured so the team could recoup $2.54 million in cap space next offseason, thanks to the void years.
The 49ers didn’t go out and add three wideouts to bring back the same players they relied upon a season ago. That does not bode well for the 10-year vet.
S Ji’Ayir Brown
I’m in the camp that Brown is a serviceable player. His release would be quite a surprise. For some fans, it’d be a pleasant surprise. The move wouldn’t happen unless second-year pro Marques Sigle took a jump that made him the starter. Perhaps the team makes a trade or signs a free agent after other safeties are cut in late August.
Brown can make plays near the line of scrimmage. But there have been some glaring weaknesses in his game that you can’t ignore. The game is called tackle football, and Brown is coming off a season in which he had a broken-plus-missed tackle rate of 22.2 percent. You can’t have your last line of defense whiffing as often as Brown does.
In coverage, Brown forced a tight window throw only 8.8% of the time. On 34 targets, he allowed an average separation of 4.3 yards with a -8.7 EPA and -11.1% catch rate over expectation. Add in four touchdowns as the cherry on top, and you wonder why the 49ers didn’t add competition at the position this offseason.
Perhaps they believe in Sigle. Maybe the team is confident that the defensive line makes Brown’s issues less noticeable. That’s a leap of faith. Remember, Sigle started Week 1 last season. Brown is entering the final year of his rookie deal and doing so for a defensive coordinator with zero ties to anyone.
Releasing Brown would save the 49ers $3.67 million in cap space. Those savings could be used ahead of the trade deadline or to make room for another player, like Jessie Bates.
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