Grading Every Major Roster Decision Made by the 49ers on Cutdown Day

Let's break down the good and not so good.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 49ers just trimmed their roster down to 53 players. Let's grade the biggest roster decisions they made today.

Trading for Jarrett Patterson: B

The 49ers sent the Houston Texans a seventh-round pick for Patterson, who probably was going to get cut. Still, he's only 27, he's getting paid fewer than $2 million this season, and he has started 21 games in his career. Which means he can start at left guard if rookie Carver Willis struggles, and he can back up veteran center Jake Brendel as well. This was a savvy trade even if it seems minor.

Putting Mykel Williams on the PUP List: A

After the final preseason game, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he wanted to see Mykel Williams practice this week to determine if he's ready to play in the season opener in Australia. That sounded aggressive, considering Williams still hasn't been cleared from his ACL injury, which happened in November of last year. There's absolutely no reason to rush him back, and it seems the 49ers intend to take their time with Williams. Thank goodness. Maybe they learned their lesson from last season when they rushed Brock Purdy back from a toe injury, still lost to the Jaguars, and made his toe worse.

Placing Christian Kirk on IR with a designation to return: C-MINUS

The 49ers were able to place just two players on IR with designations to return today, and they made Kirk one of those players, even though he was injured for most of last season and literally all of training camp. If he ever comes back, there's a high likelihood that he'll get injured again, if the past 12 months are any indication. They should have just released him.

Keeping three quarterbacks: A

I'm sure the 49ers would have liked to waive Kurtis Rourke and sign him to their practice squad, but he played too well in the preseason to risk him getting claimed by another team. Rourke looks like he has the ability to excel in Kyle Shanahan's system, just like Mac Jones.

Keeping undrafted rookie James Thompson Jr.: A

Sometimes the NFL truly is a meritocracy. Thompson Jr. is the only undrafted rookie who made the 53-man roster, and boy did he deserve it. He just might start in the season opener instead of Alfred Collins, who was horrible during the preseason. Right now, Thompson is the player the 49ers would like Collins to be.

Cutting Sebastian Valdez: D

He played better in training camp and preseason than Collins and CJ West, but those two were draft picks last year while Valdez was an undrafted free agent, so Valdez got the axe. Sometimes the NFL really isn't a meritocracy. Hopefully for the 49ers, Valdez clears waivers so they can sign him to their practice squad.

Cutting Ogbo Okoronkwo: C-MINUS

He was objectively better in training camp and the preseason than rookie Romello Height, but Height was their third-round pick while Okoronkwo is 31, so he gets the short end of the stick. Maybe they feel they can re-sign Okoronkwo to the practice squad, and if they do, more power to them. Because Okoronkwo needs to play in the season opener against the Rams. Height isn't ready.

Cutting Darrell Luter Jr.: D

After cutting Luter, the 49ers have just two players remaining from the 2023 draft class: Ja'Ayir Brown and Brayden Willis. And those two probably won't be on the team next year. That's one of the worst draft classes in the history of the franchise.

Keeping four tight ends: A

Last year, they kept only three. This year, they kept a fourth (Brayden Willis) because George Kittle is recovering from a torn Achilles and they don't know exactly when he will return or how good he'll be when he finally makes it back. In addition, they might want to use three-tight-end formations occassionally this season, which means they need to keep a fourth tight end in case one of them gets injured during a game.

Keeping Brayden Willis over Hayden Rucci: D

Rucci is a better blocker and a better receiver than Willis, but cutting Willis would make the 49ers' 2023 draft class look even worse than it already does, so they kept Willis, and now they're hoping to sign Rucci back to the practice squad. Risky.

Cutting their punter and long snapper: C-MINUS

The good news is that no other team wants Corliss Waitman or Jon Weeks, so the 49ers can re-sign them tomorrow after they move a couple players to short-term IR. The bad news is that no other team wants Waitman or Weeks because they're not good.