Projected 53 Man Roster For The San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers have played three preseason games and are undefeated.  While this is not that important, the coaching staff has been able to evaluate players under game conditions.  The battle for roster spots is coming down to the wire for several players.

Mike Singletary and his staff have some tough decisions to make, with only one more preseason game remaining, prior to the regular season opener against Seattle, on September 12. 

With only two weeks before the Seattle game, there can always be injuries that will affect our projections. However, now is a great time to take a position by position look, as we count up to the magic number of 53 roster spots. 

Quarterback - 3 Roster Spots

The quarterback position is the easiest one to call.  There will be three players that make the opening day roster.

Alex Smith will be the starter, with David Carr the backup.  Carr showed poise and did a good job against the Raiders.  He drove the Niners downfield for a game winning score, late in the fourth quarter.

Third quarterback, Nate Davis, is arguably the most talented of the bunch.  Head coach Mike Singletary was likely sending Davis a message by not playing him at all against the Raiders.

Davis has all the physical tools and athleticism to be a special player. However, Mike Singletary recently criticized Davis for not working hard enough to learn the system and the finer points of his position. 

These public comments were undoubtedly meant to motivate Davis to practice harder and focus on learning the nuances of the position better.

The other residual effect of Singletary's comments regarding Nate Davis will be to ease the fan and media pressure to put Davis in, should Smith struggle. 

Davis easily makes the 53 man roster, however, barring an injury to Alex Smith or David Carr, he will likely not make the active list of 47 players for any games.  Davis can expect to be the emergency third quarterback.

Quarterback = 3 roster spots taken

Running Back - 5 Roster Spots

The question at the running back position is whether the 49ers keep five or six running backs.  Frank Gore is the obvious "bell cow" of the backfield.  The Niners are counting on Gore to have another stellar season.

Former Eagle, Brian Westbrook and rookie Anthony Dixon are also locks to make the opening day roster.  Dixon, a 6th round draft pick, has been the surprise of this year's camp. These two will give Gore a needed breather and will contribute definitely to this offense.

Michael Robinson is also likely to make the squad.  He is a standout special teams player and the captain of that unit.  In a pinch, Robinson also can play fullback, if necessary.

Moran Norris and Brit Miller are battling at the fullback position.  Norris is  a ten year veteran and the incumbent, but is being pressed hard by Brit Miller. 

In 2009, the Niners only kept one fullback and are likely to go with that strategy again.  If this happens, Norris is likely in and unfortunately, Miller is out.  Miller has impressed enough that he is an excellent candidate for the practice squad.

Running Back = 5 roster spots taken / Cumulative total = 13

Wide Receiver - 5 Roster Spots

The starters are Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan.  Ted Ginn Jr. takes the third spot and he will also help on kickoff returns.

Dominique Zeigler has been impressive in training camp and looks to be a solid lock to make the roster.  Zeigler played well against the Raiders, which probably clinched his spot.

Kyle Williams, will be used on punt returns, as long as he is healthy.  The 49ers believe Williams, a 6th round draft pick, also has the speed and elusiveness to be an effective slot receiver.

With the excellent play of defensive back Phillip Adams, including a punt return for a touchdown against the Raiders, Williams' spot is not as assured as it appeared two weeks ago. Williams needs to get bhealthy and play.

If the Niners keep only five receivers, the final roster spot will be decided between four year veteran Jason Hill and Williams.  Williams was impressive early in camp and in the first preseason game against the Colts.  He looks especially dangerous as a punt return man.

Jason Hill looks to be the odd man out, unless Williams' toe injury does not improve.  There is also a chance the 49ers keep six wideouts.  If they do, Hill is safe.

The other receivers in camp, Bobby Guillory, Bakari Grant and Kevin Jurovich are practice squad hopefuls, at best.

Wide Receiver = 5 roster spots taken / Cumulative total = 13

Tight End - 3 Roster Spots

Vernon Davis has emerged as a star for the 49ers.  Mike Singletary named Davis a captain last year and he also made the Pro Bowl with a career high of 78 catches for 965 yards.

Delanie Walker has the backup spot locked up.  He is also one of the reasons the 49ers can go with only five wide receivers. 

Walker is a proven commodity who can catch the ball and is an effective blocker.  He can also line up in the H-back position, when the Niners use that formation.

In 2009, the 49ers opened the season with only two tight ends.  I believe they will go with three this year, as they really like Nate Byham, a round six draft selection out of Pitt. Byham is already a very strong blocker and can be valuable in short yardage and goal line blocking situations.

Byham had mixed results against the Raiders.  He dropped two passes, one an easy one, but made a very nice catch on a two point conversion.

With Vernon Davis and Walker, the Niners will mostly use Byham as a blocker and on special teams.  Byham did line up as a fullback on a few plays against the Raiders, which likely spells the end of the line for Brit Miller.

Tight end Joe Jon Finley is unlikely to make the roster, but could be a candidate for the practice squad.  Tony Curtis likely will be cut.

Tight end = 3 roster spots / Cumulative total = 16

Offensive Line - 9 Roster Spots

The San Francisco 49ers will be starting the 2010 season with three new starters from the group that finished out 2009.  The two returning starters are left tackle Joe Staley and right guard Chilo Rachal. 

David Baas replaces veteran center Eric Heitmann, who will miss the first six games or so with a broken fibula.  Since Heitmann is expected to miss less than half the season, he will make the 53 man roster.

The Niners identified a need for strength up front and drafted two offensive linemen in the first round.  Anthony Davis will start at right tackle and Mike Iupati at left guard.  A large part of the success of the 49er offense is riding on the play of these two rookies.

Versatile reserves Tony Wragge and Adam Snyder are a lock for two of the backup spots.  If the Niners go with nine offensive linemen, as they did last year, that leaves one available spot for Barry Sims, Cody Wallace or Alex Boone.

Barry Sims played well last year and he will retain his backup tackle spot. 

Cody Wallace, who would be entering his 3rd NFL campaign has played in only one game in his first two seasons.  The Niner coaches seem to have lost faith in Wallace and he is a likely candidate to be cut.

Alex Boone is a very interesting case.  He is a mountain of a man and a diamond in the rough.  The Niners may opt to keep him as a tenth lineman, but I foresee them trying to slide him through to the practice squad for a second year. They do risk losing Boone if they try this, but he is simply not ready to be counted on as an NFL quality lineman.

Joe Staley injured his knee against the Raiders.  If this is serious and will keep him out for any extended period of time, then the Niners may be forced to keep ten offensive linemen to start the season.  It would be too risky to have only seven healthy linemen to start the year.  If Staley is out, Boone makes the team.

Offensive line = 9 roster spots / Cumulative = 25

Defensive Line - 7 Roster Spots

The defensive line is solid, but not necessarily deep.  Justin Smith and Isaac Sopoaga give the 49ers two good defensive ends. 

The nose tackle position will be manned by Aubrayo Franklin, who just signed his contract.  Franklin insists he is in good shape and will be ready to start the season.

Ricky Jean-Francois has been one of the pleasant surprises of the preseason and will split time with Franklin.  This enables both nose tackles to remain fresh, especially in the fourth quarter.

I was watching for Ricky Jean-Francois to make an impact against the Raiders and he did very little.  He did not occupy blockers well, nor did he get a push up the middle on pass plays.  The 49ers have got to be thrilled to have Franklin back.

Ray McDonald, who is entering his fourth season with the Niners, will likely spell Sopoaga on passing downs.  McDonald can be an effective pass rusher at times.

After these five, the strength of the line drops off considerably.  The last two spots belong to Demetric Evans and Khalif Mitchell. Neither player has distinguished himself in camp, but are the best of a weak group of backups.

Defensive line = 7 roster spots / Cumulative total = 32

Linebackers - 9 Roster Spots

The linebacking corps is the strength of the 49er defense. 

Led by Patrick Willis, this unit has playmakers from top to bottom. The All-Pro, Willis, is one of the best in the league.  Takeo Spikes will play alongside Willis at the other inside linbacker spot.

The outside backers are Manny Lawson and Parys Haralson.  Haralson is being challenged by former Cardinal Travis LaBoy, who is a very strong pass rusher.  It would not surprise me to see LaBoy end up with the majority of the playing time over Haralson.

NaVorro Bowman, a third round draft pick out of Penn State, is athletic and has a huge upside.  Bowman will learn from Willis and Spikes.  He could be a real force in the years to come.  With his athleticism, Bowman also looks to be a solid special teams player.

Diyral Briggs and Matt Wilhelm provide depth and will be expected to contribute on special teams. 

The final spot goes to Ahmad Brooks, who played well in 2009.  Brooks has missed most of training camp with a lacerated kidney.  It's very likely that Brooks may miss the first couple of games, but should be back to full strength early in the season.

Rookies Keaton Kristick and Mike Balogun are unlikely to make the squad, although both are candidates for the practice squad.  Kristick showed a good nose for the ball in the preseason, although he does not seem to have the athleticism that the others have.

Linebackers = 9 roster spots / Cumulative total = 41

Defensive Backs - 9 Roster Spots

The 49ers will likely keep nine defensive backs.  This is a high number because so many of them are special teams contributors.  In 2009, the Niners actually opened the season with ten.

The starting corners are Shawntae Spencer and Nate Clements, with Dashon Goldson and Michael Lewis at the two safety positions. The Niners need a strong season from Nate Clements, as he missed most of last year due to injury.

Reggie Smith is the fifth defensive back and will play a lot in nickel and dime packages. 

Former USC standount Taylor Mays was a round two draft pick by the 49ers.  Mays has tremendous upside and has the potential to grow into an elite player.

Karl Paymah looks like he has made the roster as a reserve corner. Paymah also looked good on special teams against the Raiders.

The final two spots are between veteran Will James, Tarell Brown, Curtis Taylor and rookie Phillip Adams, a seventh round draft pick.

Adams almost certainly won himself a job with an excellent game against the Raiders.  He had an electrifying punt return for a touchdown and also looked good in defensive coverage.

Tarell Brown appears to have the final spot.  Will James has not made much of an impact and Curtis Taylor does not seem to have fully recovered from a devastating knee injury suffered midway through last season.  Taylor is a good candidate for the practice squad.

Defensive backs = 9 roster spots / Cumulative total = 50

Specialists - 3 Roster Spots

The 49ers are set at their three specialist positions.  Kicker Joe Nedney is one of the most consistent in the league. 

Punting duties are handled very admirably by Andy Lee.  Lee has the ability to kick for distance, but also drop the ball deep into the opponents territory, when needed. 

The long snapper is Brian Jennings, one of the best at his craft.  This will be Jennings' eleventh year in the league.

Specialists = 3 roster spots / Cumulative total = 53 

San Francisco 49ers: Poised For The 2010 Playoffs

There you have the projected 53 man roster for the San Francisco 49ers.  Injuries and waiver acquisitions can always change this list, but I think this is a solid 53 man squad.

Fun and excitement will return to Candlestick Park.  The stadium will be rocking, and not from an earthquake.

The NFC West is wide open this season.  The San Francisco 49ers are poised to break through and make the playoffs for the first time since 2002.