San Francisco 49ers: Thoughts on Chris Cook's Release and Open Roster Slots

When the San Francisco 49ers released cornerback Chris Cook on Wednesday, it was something of a surprise.  Cook had just signed a one-year deal with the team this offseason, so cutting him created $800,000 in dead money, per Over the Cap.  It’s not like he played poorly last season, either—while a hamstring injury limited him to just six active games, he was solid as a dime corner in those games.  He also succeeded last preseason—he was PFF’s highest-graded 49er during 2014’s preseason, allowing only one reception and having two interceptions.

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The biggest surprise is that he was cut so early into camp.  What that likely means is that the crowded cornerback situation is shaking itself out to the team’s satisfaction.  Tramaine Brock, Shareece Wright and Dontae Johnson have been occupying the top three cornerback slots while Jimmie Ward’s recovering from injury, and second-year players Keith Reaser and Kenneth Acker have been drawing praise as well.  That’s probably the bottom-line reasoning for the move: The cornerback depth chart was crowded, and if Cook wasn’t going to make the roster, it’s better to get more time on the practice field for the younger players who are still learning rather than a 28-year-old veteran who was bound for the waiver wire.

So that’s the primary reason for making the move to cut Cook.  It’s odd that someone with his contract and experience would be cut at this point in the preseason progress, but there is at least some logical reasoning behind it.  Cook’s roster spot was filled by signing undrafted receiver Nigel King, per Matt Maiocco, who is mostly bottom-of-the-roster camp fodder to help out in team drills as Jerome Simpson, Issac Blakeney and Bruce Ellington miss time.

Was that the wisest use of the roster spot?  Probably.  Was that the most interesting use of the roster slot?  Probably not.

Let’s, for a moment, assume that King is just a temporary signing while Ellington and Simpson are out.  King was released by the Dolphins last week, so at least one other NFL team considers him expendable.  He’s pretty much a pure vertical receiver without deep speed, so his odds of making the roster are minimal, despite his 6'3", 210-pound frame.  Perhaps he flashes something, but for the moment, let’s dismiss that possibility.

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When Ellington and Blakeney and Simpson are all back on the field, could the 49ers use that roster slot more effectively on a player who could make the roster? 

There’s one position that has been generally considered the weak point of the 49ers through the first week of practice, and that’s the offensive line.  Cam Inman reports that the right side of the line has struggled, with Erik Pears, Marcus Martin and Brandon Thomas all struggling, and he’s backed up by multiple other sources.

Part of this, of course, is the shift to a zone-blocking system.  Part of it is the absence of Daniel Kilgore at center.  Part of it is the linemen not yet being used to one another.  But could part of it be the need for more talent at the position?

There are players at both tackle and guard still available right now who could conceivably come in and compete for a spot on the roster, possibly even a starting spot.

The 49ers were briefly connected to ex-Eagle Evan Mathis about a month ago by ESPN’s John Clayton, but no motion has happened on that front.  No one has signed Mathis yet, presumably because of the salary he’d likely command.  Mathis was slated to count $6.5 million against Philadelphia’s cap this season, per OverTheCap.  While the 49ers have plenty of cap room next year and beyond, they’re in a little bit tighter of a spot at the moment.  Yes, they have about $10.9 million available, but about half of that is earmarked for Aldon Smith’s gameday bonuses, and another chunk needs to be saved for any mid-season roster moves.

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Now that Mathis has sat out for a while, his asking price may drop—or, general manager Trent Baalke might become concerned enough with the play of the line to find a way to squeeze Mathis under the cap.  A zone-blocking technician, Mathis was PFF’s second-rated guard last season, and could allow Alex Boone to kick out to starting right tackle—he’s been practicing as a backup left tackle at times.  If the money works out, that would be a good move for the franchise.

There are other options if Mathis is too expensive.  Jake Long is exceptionally fragile, having torn his ACL in each of the last two seasons, but he’s still a top option at guard or tackle when healthy.  He may simply be medically unable to compete at this point, but if he is healthy, he’d be an interesting add.  Gosder Cherlius was released by the Colts a few days ago, and he’s a multiple-year starter coming back from injuries as well.

Personally, I think it’s a bit too early to panic over the state of the offensive line.  It’s less than a week into training camp, and the players are still getting used to the new system and one another.  NaVorro Bowman blowing past Marcus Martin and Ahmad Brooks knocking over Erik Pears could be more of a referendum on the state of the linebackers rather than the offensive line.

If the struggles continue, however, it’s important to note that the team does have options outside of camp to try to stabilize the offensive line.  The state of the protection is probably the top reason to be pessimistic about the 49ers’ upcoming season.

At least the cornerbacks, who were widely considered to be full of question marks, seem to be shaking out alright—solid enough that the team could get rid of Chris Cook without any real hesitation.

Bryan Knowles is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers.  Follow him @BryKno on Twitter.