The San Francisco 49ers may have their roster in place, but that never means the front office is finished. This is a team that keeps looking for ways to shuffle pieces, create value, and stay one step ahead. And with that mindset, there are a handful of players who could realistically be on the move before the season is over.
The clearest candidate is Jones. The 49ers wanted to keep him around before the preseason because he gave them a strong backup option, but Kurtis Rourke changed the picture by looking solid in preseason and earning a spot on the 53-man roster.
That leaves Jones looking more movable now, especially with free agency looming. If a quarterback goes down for another team during the season, Jones would be a logical target to go out the door.
Samuel is another name that fits the same kind of logic. The reunion makes sense, but it may not last long.
He was brought in because the depth chart was thin, yet De’Zhaun Stribling has stepped up as a strong option next to Mike Evans. Demarcus Robinson gives them a reliable veteran presence, and if Jordan Watkins takes a step forward in his second season, Samuel becomes easier to part with.
If he gives Kyle Shanahan a few productive games and the team can turn that into a late pick, that would be a clean win.
Alfred Collins also sits in the mix, especially if the 49ers ever made a call to Tampa Bay about Vita Vea. In that kind of conversation, Collins would almost certainly be part of the discussion. He was a former second-round pick, which gives him some appeal, but defensive coordinator Raheem Morris did not draft him.
That matters because Morris already has rookies Gracen Halton and James Thompson in the building, and the team added Osa Odighizuwa this offseason. All three are Morris additions, and that can push the others into smaller roles. If the 49ers can get something useful back for a player who does not quite match what Morris wants, they would be willing to do it.
Bethune is in a different spot, but he still belongs on the list. He was battling for a roster spot this preseason and played well enough that the team could not let him go.
Still, he is entering his third year, and if Nick Martin returns, the linebacker room starts to tilt toward a split between older players and younger ones. At that point, Bethune becomes more available.
Jones, meanwhile, was brought in to challenge Renardo Green, and Green has answered that challenge so far. Ephesians Prysock is also climbing as depth, which only adds to the pressure. If the 49ers trust those two and another team comes looking for corner help, they would be wise to at least hear the offer.
In Other News...
49ers Land In Melbourne With Roster Questions Still Looming
The 49ers touched down in Melbourne this week with the focus shifting from travel to survival mode for a Week 1 meeting with the Rams. Even before the first full practice on Australian soil, the roster picture remained clouded by injuries and a few spots that still need sorting out, leaving the team with a familiar early-season balancing act: stay patient, but keep enough depth in mind if the room gets thinner.
For now, San Francisco is not expected to jump into the free-agent market right away, though a few familiar names sit in the background as possible insurance. Jeff Okudah, Leonard Floyd and Laken Tomlinson all have ties that could make sense if the 49ers decide they need veteran help, whether because of current injury concerns or just the need to shore up certain positions before the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Deebo Samuel Is Giving The 49ers A Reason To Reconsider Him
Deebo Samuels return to the 49ers was shaped by both familiarity and necessity, with San Francisco bringing him back on a one-year, mostly incentive-based contract after Washington moved on. He has taken part fully in training camp, and the early view around the team is that he can still be useful in a variety of ways, whether that means lining up at receiver, taking snaps at running back or helping on special teams.
The timing of the move matters just as much as the reunion itself. San Francisco had a need for more depth after Ricky Pearsalls season-ending injury, and Samuel gives the roster a player who knows the system and can fill multiple roles without much transition time. The bigger question now is how much of that old versatility still translates into a meaningful place in the 49ers plans. [Read more 🡒]
George Kittle Just Changed The Feel Of Rams Week 1
George Kittles presence around the 49ers has quietly changed the tone of Week 1. Still working back from the torn Achilles he suffered in the playoffs, the tight end traveled with the team to Australia and has been trending in the right direction as San Francisco prepares for its season opener against the Rams. He was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Aug. 23, and the practice reports since then have pointed toward a player closing in on game readiness rather than merely trying to get through the ramp-up.
The roster move at tight end only sharpened the picture. San Francisco cut Brayden Willis, a decision that reads like a sign the team feels better about Kittles availability than it did a few days ago, even if nothing is officially locked in yet. For a 49ers offense that leans heavily on Kittles versatility and energy, having him on the trip alone mattered, and the possibility of him lining up against Los Angeles gives opening day a very different feel than it did when camp first broke. [Read more 🡒]