Three Shock Cuts to San Francisco Roster
When the clock struck 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, the San Francisco 49ers began looking for options. The league’s deadline for teams to reduce their roster to 53 players had come and gone. Squads that had previously started with 90 hopefuls are now limited to 53 people for the 2021 season. As with all duty roster cuts, there were surprises. Today we’re taking a look at the three biggest surprises in recent roster cuts.
Jonas Griffith, LB
Griffith is entering his second season in the NFL. He wasn’t drafted in 2020 and was signed by the 49ers before being abandoned in August. Two months later he was signed to the Indianapolis training team before finding his way onto the San Francisco training team. The 49ers signed him a reserve contract after the season and he has enjoyed some solid performances with the team in the minicamp and preseason. However, before the final cuts for the 49ers, Griffith was traded.
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The craft of the young linebacker surprised many. Griffith was likely the underdog in San Francisco as the starters were locked up before the training camp opened and the remaining depth had an experience advantage. Griffith and a 7th round 2022 pick were shipped to Denver for a 6th round 2022 and 7th round 2023 selection. The Broncos held Griffith high enough that they didn’t want to risk waivers for the linebacker.
Wayne Galllman II, RB
After four seasons with the Giants, Gallman made his way west and signed as a free agent with the 49ers during the off-season. Gallman signed a $ 990,000 one-year deal with the team just to be the last running back for the 49ers. San Francisco added two talented rookie running backs in Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon. Mitchell was a perpetual free agent who signed a four-year contract for $ 3.66 million back in May.
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Sermon was drafted in the third round from Ohio State. With Jeff Wilson Jr. on the injured reserve list, it was believed the 49ers would keep Gallman to start the season as a veteran backup behind Raheem Mostert. However, both Sermon and Mitchell flashed a couple of times during the preseason and Gallman became dispensable. Add on Michell’s return skills and the writing was on the wall.
Nsimba Webster, WR
Webster’s signature, which appeared to be at the low end of the roster during the free agency, wasn’t received with much fanfare. However, after his first two seasons with the Rams, Webster made a reputation for being a solid streak on specialty teams, with some perks. Nsimba had experienced the time as a returnee in Los Angeles and was welcomed into a large reception room full of question marks. However, a solid training camp and preseason gigs from the likes of Trent Sherfield and Jauan Jenning, as well as Jalen Hurd’s relative health, left Webster in the bladder. It was San Francisco’s decision to stay with Hurd that ultimately sealed Webster’s fate. San Francisco opted for the bigger and stronger options on the wide receiver and Webster’s special team skills were neutered by the presence of Sherfield and Elijah Mitchell in the second leg.
– Ryan Adverderada is Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage 49ers. It also covers the Arizona Cardinals for full press coverage. Like and follow on Follow @ryanadverderada
