Five Players the 49ers Should Cut
Three years ago, when the 49ers were bad and rebuilding, you could understand if they had a few players on their roster who didn’t really deserve jobs in the NFL.
Not anymore.
Now the 49ers have an elite roster. In September, they’ll have to release a few quality players simply because the 49ers can’t keep them all. Meaning the 49ers must release the players who don’t deserve jobs on the team this year. Can’t keep them around for sentimental reasons anymore.
Here are five players the 49ers absolutely should cut before the regular season.
1. Quarterback C.J. Beathard.
Kyle Shanahan thought Beathard was the next Kirk Cousins. Washington drafted Cousins with the 102nd pick in 2012 when Shanahan was its offensive coordinator. So in 2017, when Shanahan became the 49ers’ head coach, he traded up to the 104th pick to take Beathard.
Beathard is not the next Kirk Cousins.
Beathard is not an NFL player. He might have had a future at one time, but the 49ers played him before he was ready, played him on some terrible teams and he took a beating. So did Brian Hoyer. Those two never seemed to recover mentally.
The 49ers probably feel at least partially responsible for Beathard’s struggles, because they played him too young. He started 10 games, lost nine and got sacked 37 times.
But now they have to move on. They don’t need him anymore. They already have one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL -- Nick Mullens. They don’t need a third quarterback.
2. Wide receiver Dante Pettis.
Pettis played well during his rookie season when Mullens was the quarterback. Pettis started seven games, caught 60 percent of his targets and gained 467 receiving yards.
But he bombed during his second season when Jimmy Garoppolo was the quarterback. Pettis started four games, caught just 45.8 percent of his targets and gained only 109 receiving yards. So the 49ers benched Pettis, then made him a healthy scratch for their playoff games against the Vikings and Packers, then made him inactive during the Super Bowl. Quite the come down.
Now, Pettis stands no higher than seventh on the 49ers wide-receiver depth chart behind Deebo Samuel, Kendrick Bourne, Trent Taylor, Jalen Hurd and rookies Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings.
The 49ers probably won’t cut Aiyuk or Jennings -- the Niners just spent draft picks on them. They probably won’t cut Taylor -- Garoppolo loves him. They probably won’t cut Hurd -- they drafted him in the third round last year and he got hurt. And they probably won’t cut Bourne -- he caught 30 passes last season.
Should the 49ers keep seven wide receivers just to make a spot on the roster for Pettis?
No.
Pettis has no role on offense or special teams, and Garoppolo doesn’t seem to trust him. The 49ers should cut Pettis if they can’t trade him. Who cares that they traded up in Round 2 of the 2018 draft to get him? Admit the mistake and move on. The 49ers have replaced him.
3. Guard Tom Compton.
He’s a 31-year-old guard who started just five games last season for the Jets and played poorly -- worse than Mike Person, the guard the 49ers signed Compton to replace.
The 49ers signed Compton because Washington drafted him in 2012 when Shanahan was its offensive coordinator. Meaning Compton already knows the complex terminology of Shanahan’s scheme.
But so does Daniel Brunskill. He played for the 49ers last season and actually played well, unlike Compton. Brunskill started two games at right guard and more than held his own during Week 16 against former Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.
Brunskill should start at right guard, and his backups should be Ross Reynolds and rookie Colton McKivitz. The 49ers don’t need Compton. And if they cut him before the season starts, they’ll save $2 million.
4. Running back Tevin Coleman.
Coleman and Compton are similar.
The Falcons drafted Coleman in 2015 when Shanahan was their offensive coordinator, and the 49ers signed Coleman in 2019 because he knew Shanahan’s offense and could play right away.
But Coleman’s knowledge of the 49ers’ system didn’t lead to success. He averaged just 4.0 yards per carry while the rest of the offense averaged 4.9 yards per carry.
Coleman’s running style didn’t mesh with the 49ers. He likes to slow down in the backfield and cut back behind the center and guard. That style worked for him in Atlanta, because the Falcons have an excellent center -- Alex Mack. But the 49ers’ best blocker is their tight end, George Kittle. Meaning they need running backs who explode around the edge. And Coleman doesn’t have the explosion he had when he was younger. He’s now a 210-pound running back who runs between the tackles. Not ideal.
Raheem Mostert fits the 49ers’ offense much better than Coleman. So do rookie undrafted free agents JaMycal Hasty and Salvon Ahmed. They’re all better outside runners than Coleman. And if the 49ers cut Coleman before the season starts, they’ll save another $2 million.
5. Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas.
The 49ers won’t save much money if they cut Thomas -- only $90,000.
They should cut him anyway.
Not for the cap savings. They should cut Thomas simply because he’s not one of their 53-best players. Never has been.
The 49ers drafted Thomas with the third pick in 2017 -- that’s why he’s still on the team. In retrospect, he should have been an undrafted free agent. He never has made a real impact on the 49ers. He’s a terrible pass-rusher, because he sticks to offensive linemen like his uniform is made of Velcro. And he’s not a particularly good run defender, either, because he’s small for a defensive tackle and has short arms. And when he gets a chance to play, he usually jumps offside.
Thomas is the 49ers’ worst defensive lineman. Jullian Taylor, Kentavius Street and Kevin Givens all make a bigger impact.
Cut Thomas. Keep a player with a future.
