San Francisco 49ers Cutdown Tracker: Final Cuts Released
This is the cutdown tracker for the San Francisco 49ers. This will be updated frequently with information and analysis after every cut until the 49ers release their 53-man roster Saturday, Sept. 5 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
Sept. 5, 3:21: Here are the 49ers final cuts:
DL Alex Barrett
WR River Cracraft
S Johnathan Cyprien
DL Darrion Daniels
LB Evan Foster
OL Hroniss Grasu
TE MarQueis Gray
TE Chase Harrell
CB Tim Harris Jr.
RB JaMycal Hasty
FB Josh Hokit
WR Jauan Jennings
CB Dontae Johnson
OL Jaryd Jones-Smith
DL Dion Jordan
DL Cameron Malveaux
S Jared Mayden
WR Shawn Poindexter
OL Dakoda Shepley
OL William Sweet
CB Jamar Taylor
LB Joe Walker
WR Kevin White
Sept. 5, 1:23 p.m. The 49ers have released inside linebacker Joe Walker, according to the Athletic's Matt Barrows.
Interesting -- I thought the 49ers would keep Walker and cut Mark Nzeocha, the other veteran backup inside linebacker. Nzeocha is terrific on special teams and more expensive than Walker.
Sept. 5, 12:56 p.m. The 49ers have released undrafted rookie running back JaMycal Hasty, according to the Athletic's Matt Barrows.
No surprise here. Hasty played well in training camp, but running backs usually look good in practice because defenders can't tackle them. Had Hasty played well in preseason, he might have made the team. But there was no preseason. Meaning none of the other 31 teams have seen Hasty since he was in college. So he probably will clear waivers and land on the 49ers practice squad.
Sept. 5, 12:29 p.m. The 49ers have released guard Ross Reynolds, according to NBC Bay Area's Jennifer Lee Chan.
Reynolds was an undrafted free agent in 2019 who spent last season on the 49ers practice squad. He could wind up there again real soon.
Sept. 5: 11:45 a.m. The 49ers will activate wide receiver Deebo Samuel off the Non-Football Injury List, according to NBC Bay Area's Matt Maiocco.
Samuel suffered a Jones fracture in his foot while working out on his own this offseason. He now is eligible to play Week 1 against the Cardinals. That doesn't necessarily mean he will play, but it seems likely he will.
Sept. 5, 10:56 a.m. The 49ers have released rookie wide receiver Jauan Jennings, he wrote this morning on Instagram.
Jennings was the 49ers' seventh-round pick. He's a big slot receiver who did not play well during training camp. And he lost his potential role in the offense when the 49ers signed tight end Jordan Reed, because Reed essentially is a big tight end for the 49ers. Look for Jennings to sign onto the 49ers practice squad.
By cutting Jennings, it seems the 49ers may keep six wide receivers instead of seven. If that's the case, they'll be able to keep running back Jeff Wilson Jr. Good move. He's better than Jennings.
Sept. 5, 10:27 a.m. The 49ers will release fullback Josh Hokit, according to the Athletic's David Lombardi.
Hokit will sign with the 49ers practice squad. He was a college running back who will become a fullback in the NFL. He's a project.
Sept. 5, 10:16 a.m. The 49ers will release center Dakoda Shepley, according to the Athletic's Matt Barrows.
The 49ers signed Shepley on August 29. He was an undrafted free agent for the New York Jets in 2018, but got released and spend the past two years in the Canadian Football League. The 49ers can sign him to their practice squad if he doesn't sign elsewhere.
Sept. 3, 3:00 p.m. The 49ers just made their first cut after training camp.
They released veteran nickelback Jamar Taylor, according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Taylor, who will turn 30 on Sept. 29, initially signed with the 49ers this offseason after they waived backup nickelback D.J. Reed and the Seahawks claimed Reed off waivers. This left the 49ers thin at nickelback heading into training camp.
To make matters worse for the 49ers, starting nickelback K’Waun Williams injured his calf on Day 1 of training camp. He’s healthy now, but he missed all of camp, so the 49ers needed an experienced nickelback just to get through practices.
Taylor is experienced -- he was on the Seahawks last season. But he isn’t good enough to be on the 49ers 53-man roster as a mere backup nickelback. He would need to play cornerback and/or safety and/or special teams -- he’d need to be versatile. And being younger would help, too.
As training camp progressed, the 49ers experimented with other players at nickelback, players such as Emmanuel Moseley, Jason Verrett, Jimmie Ward and Tarvarius Moore. All four of those players got significant reps covering the slot in camp. So if K’Waun Williams gets injured again, the 49ers will have four players on the roster who can fill in for him.
I’m guessing the 49ers informed Taylor he would not make the 53-man roster and, as a courtesy, released him so he can try to find a team that will sign him within the next few days. If he doesn’t find a team to sign him -- and I’m guessing he won’t -- then he can sign onto the 49ers practice squad. This year, every team can have six veterans on their practice squad, and can call up two practice-squad players to the active roster for every game.
Meaning Taylor still could play games for the 49ers.
But for now, he’s out.
