Why this signing is discouraging for one 49ers rookie

This is a bad sign.

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Through 12 weeks, there had not been much reason to be concerned with third-round rookie Nick Martin’s lack of playing time. However, with the San Francisco 49ers recent signing of Eric Kendricks, it may finally tell us that the team is not high on what Martin has done so far. 

The San Francisco 49ers not sold on Nick Martin

The 49ers elected to start Curtis Robinson at linebacker when Tatum Bethune went down with an injury rather than letting their rookie see the field. When they started Bethune, it was no shock. All summer, Bethune was the backup to Fred Warner, and Martin was backing up Dee Winters. The two linebackers play separate roles, so Martin could not simply slide in the way that Bethune did. 

However, starting Robinson raised some eyebrows. To be fair, one again, Robinson has been with the team all season and has worked at the MIKE in the middle. The issue now is that Robinson was awful when he got his first start. 

Carolina did not score, but that has more to do with Bryce Young, the offense, and a few timely turnovers. Still, Robinson was allowing too many clear paths to the outside, and it looks like better offenses will take advantage of him. 

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The 49ers could have elected to move Winters over to the MIKE and then bring Martin up to the role that Winters played. It makes two positions worse, but in theory, these two linebackers are better than Robinson, who was a disaster at one key position. 

The 49ers plan may be to sign Eric Kendricks. Kendricks is a long -standing veteran with a lot of experience so while he signed to the practice squad, he likely did not sign without the implication that he will quickly be given a chance to start. 

Kendricks is signing off the street, but the last time we saw Kendricks he was better than Robinson. Robinson being replaced by Kendricks is not a huge surprise, though. 

The surprise is that the 49ers are either so concerned about putting more on Winters plate that they do not trust him or they think Martin is unplayable at this point. Both thoughts are concerning for the 49ers moving forward. 

It will be interesting to see how soon, if at all, Kendricks enters the lineup. If he does, we know that means for some younger players on the roster. Either way, Robinson is on a short leash.