Predicting San Francisco 49ers' 1st Wave of Roster Cuts

Training camp is a time of optimism for most players on the San Francisco 49ers.

It’s a time when undrafted rookies can make a name for themselves and realize their dream of becoming a professional football player.

Take former Alabama wide receiver DeAndrew White. He is one of five undrafted rookie wide receivers the Niners signed this offseason, and he didn’t do much at Alabama. So expectations for him were low.

But White has been one of the most impressive players during team drills this offseason. He hasn’t dropped a single pass in front of the media. And Saturday night—the Niners’ first practice of training camp—White was the only receiver who caught two deep passes.

White seems to have a good chance of making the final roster. Good for him.

The following five players have almost no chance of making it. They are prime candidates for the Niners to release during the first wave of cuts.

OT Sean Hooey

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The St. Louis Rams signed former University of Cincinnati offensive tackle Sean Hooey as an undrafted free agent in 2013. Hooey spent the 2013 season on the Rams’ practice squad. The next year, St. Louis waived him on Sept. 5—right before the start of the 2014 season.

Hooey remained a free agent until Jan. 23, when the New York Jets signed him. They cut him on June 11—just after minicamp—and the Niners signed him the next day.

A week before Hooey signed with the Niners, San Francisco’s starting right tackle, Anthony Davis, retired. He wore jersey No. 76—the number the Niners gave Hooey.

It’s fair to assume Hooey wouldn’t be on the team if Davis hadn’t retired. Hooey is at the bottom of the offensive line’s depth chart.

NT Garrison Smith

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Former University of Georgia nose tackle Garrison Smith was an undrafted free agent in 2014.

He started the season on the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad and then got cut. Then he signed with the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad and then got cut again. The Niners signed him to their practice squad on Dec. 22, 2014.

Before the 2014 draft, Nolan Nawrocki of NFL.com described Smith as a “tough, try-hard, slow-footed plodder…(who) does not distinguish his play in any way.”

In other words, Smith is not a talented, high-ceiling project. He’s a hard worker, a training camp body who has some experience. Those are the kind of players who get cut first.

K Corey Acosta

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Every year, the 49ers add a second kicker to the 90-man roster for training camp.

Last year, the second kicker was Colton Schmidt, who also doubled as a punter. He allowed the team to do more special teams work without wearing out the leg of the starter, Phil Dawson, who was 39 in 2014.

This year, former Southern Mississippi kicker Corey Acosta will fill Schmidt’s role. Acosta will handle some of the kickoffs during practice, and he’ll give returners such as Reggie Bush, Bruce Ellington and Jarryd Hayne more reps than they would have gotten with just one kicker on the team.

TE Xavier Grimble

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The 49ers currently have eight tight ends on the 90-man roster. Odds are one tight end will be among the first wave of cuts.

Right now, Xavier Grimble probably is the eighth tight end on the Niners depth chart. The top seven tight ends probably are Vernon Davis, Blake Bell, Vance McDonald, Derek Carrier, Garrett Celek, Busta Anderson and Asante Cleveland. Each has game experience or is a rookie who was drafted by the Niners.

Grimble has no game experience and is not a rookie. The Niners signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2014, and he spent the first part of the season on the practice squad before getting cut on Nov. 18. The Niners re-signed the 22-year-old to their practice squad on Dec. 16.

They probably will give his spot on the practice squad to a younger, more talented tight end next season.

ILB Desmond Bishop

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Starting inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who’s coming back from a torn ACL and MCL, will play limited reps during training camp, head coach Jim Tomsula confirmed Friday. The Niners don’t want to push Bowman too hard.

That means San Francisco needs a veteran inside linebacker who occasionally can fill in for Bowman during team drills so the rest of the team can practice. That’s where 31-year-old inside linebacker Desmond Bishop comes in.

The Niners signed Bishop last season on Dec. 6, 2014. Bishop should be familiar with the team and have less of a learning curve than the younger players.

But Bishop has no practice-squad eligibility. The Niners probably will release him during the first wave of cuts and keep a young inside linebacker who still has practice-squad eligibility, someone like 25-year-old Shayne Skov.

All quotations and practice observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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