NFL Roster Cuts 2011: 10 San Francisco 49ers Who Will Be Released on Tuesday

Don't take the picture literally, none of those players are going to be cut.

However, the San Francisco 49ers will have to tell 10 players that they are no longer members of the team come Tuesday. 

It is one of the worst days to be a follower of the NFL. Multiple players will see their dreams come to a crashing halt as they will be told they are no longer wanted. 

This season there is going to be even more players getting their walking papers as the NFL decided to extend preseason rosters to 90. The reason for this is because of the lockout and lack of off-season team activities. 

In my opinion undrafted rookie free agents got the worst part of this deal. Coaches just didn't have enough time this summer to evaluate personnel because of shortened training camps. 

The NFL should seriously consider extending practice squads from eight to 15 because of this situation. 

But I digress.

Keep in mind that Tuesday's cuts are only one of two taking place prior to the start of the regular season. The next cut-down day is in the beginning of September, and it promises to include a lot more well-known names. 

Today, I am going to take a look at ten San Francisco 49ers who will probably be cut on this upcoming Tuesday.  

Moran Norris, Fullback

I know this is coming out of left field and it may not happen. But Moran Norris has looked downright awful this preseason. 

Last week against the Oakland Raiders, Norris must have whiffed on at least five blocks and looked utterly confused when in the game. 

In fact, rookie seventh round pick Bruce Miller, who is moving from defensive end to fullback, saw action before Norris did. This obviously means that the 49ers coaching staff isn't too high on the veteran. 

The 49ers also have Anthony Dixon, who gained a lot of weight this offseason, to be a lead blocker if necessary. 

Norris is one of Frank Gore's best friends, so it could cause further tension between the star running back and the only team he has ever played for in the NFL.

But you cannot make decisions based on that if you are going to be a successful franchise. It just doesn't work that way.

San Francisco also has external options in the form of Tony Richardson and Madison Hedgecock.

I really see no reason why they would hang on to a player that brings absolutely nothing to the team. 

Of course I will probably be proved incorrect on Tuesday. 

Nate Lawrie, Tight End

It is becoming apparent that rookie Konrad Reuland will be the San Francisco 49ers No. 3 tight end this season. They released Colin Claherty, his main competition, on Wednesday. 

Lawrie, the former teammate of Daunte Culpepper in the UFL, is pretty much a training camp body. He doesn't have great hands and isn't the most physical tight end. 

He has been in multiple training camps over the last couple seasons but has been unable to stick with a team.

I fully expect that to be the case with the 49ers come Tuesday.  

Joe Hastings, Wide Receiver

The former small-school standout at Washburn was impressive early in camp but that hasn't translated to games as of yet. 

He didn't catch a pass during the 49ers first preseason game against the New Orleans Saints and was inactive last week against the Oakland Raiders.

That's not a good sign for a long-shot attempting to make noise during training camp. 

The 49ers will probably carry six wide receivers into the regular season and those positions are somewhat set:

1. Braylon Edwards

2. Michael Crabtree

3. Josh Morgan

4. Kyle Williams

5. Ronald Johnson

6. Ted Ginn, Kevin Jurovich or Dominique Zeigler

So there really isn't any room on the roster for Hastings. The 49ers would be better served seeing Ginn, Jurovich and Zeigler play rather than a camp body that isn't going to make the roster. 

Donovan Edwards, Offensive Line

Donovan Edwards was nowhere to be found in terms of pre-draft rankings heading into April's annual draft frenzy.

However, he is a local boy from the University of California, and the 49ers picked him up shortly after the lockout ended.

According to reports, Edwards has looked decent in training camp, but that has not translated into the preseason.

He hasn't seen much action and appears to be training camp fodder at this point.

Considering how bad the San Francisco 49ers offensive line has looked in two of the three preseason games, I am sure the coaching staff wants to get a better look at the real battles heading into the finale against the San Diego Chargers.

Edwards is sure to be a training camp cut, and I think it will happen on Tuesday. 

Seth Smith, Running Back

Seth Smith did compile a 1,000 yard season with the New Mexico State Aggies in 2009. But an injury prevented him from showcasing his talents last season.

It also cost Smith an opportunity at being drafted in the later rounds.

Now he is in an extremely unenviable situation. The San Francisco 49ers currently have four running backs on their roster ahead of Smith:

1. Frank Gore

2. Kendall Hunter

3. Anthony Dixon

4. Xavier Oman

Considering that most NFL teams only carry three running backs on the active roster, and one on the practice squad, it would appear Smith's days are numbered in San Francisco.

He has yet to see extensive action in the preseason, which is another indicator of an immediate release. The 49ers also want to see Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon play a lot in order to find a primary backup for Frank Gore.

Look for Smith to be gone this week. 

Brian Bulcke, Defensive End

Brian Bulcke played for Jim Harbaugh at Stanford over the last four seasons. This is one of the reasons why the San Francisco 49ers brought him into training camp.

Yet Bulcke never even saw consistent playing time for the Cardinal during his college career.

In four seasons, he totaled 60 tackles and five sacks—not exactly a ringing endorsement in terms of his chances of making the San Francisco 49ers roster.

Right now the 49ers are looking for that sixth defensive linemen to make the 53-man roster.

It appears that the battle is between an impressive rookie, Demarcus Dobbs, and Will Tukuafa—both of whom are ahead of Bulcke on the depth chart.

Once again the 49ers are looking into depth battles towards the end of the preseason, so I really doubt that they hold onto the former Stanford Cardinal defensive end much longer. 

Alex Joseph, Linebacker

Alex Joseph was active for one game last season in San Francisco. He recorded a single tackle in the regular season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.

Originally picked up by the Green Bay Packers following a solid career at Temple, Joseph was unable to make the team in training camp.

He has been on the field for the 49ers in the preseason, but he hasn't impressed.

With the emergence of both Antwan Applewhite and Larry Grant, there really is no room on the roster for Joseph. 

The 49ers could hang on to Joseph in hopes of adding him to the practice squad, but it seems like they have better options at this point. 

Scott McKillop, Linebacker

Scott McKillop was a special teams standout for the San Francisco 49ers during his rookie season in 2009. The 49ers made him a fifth round selection that year, and it appeared that he may have turned out to be a steal.

This all came crashing down following a devastating ACL injury during the 2010 training camp. 

He missed the entire 2010 season and has yet to fully recover from the injury.

It appears that McKillop has lost a step and the 49ers may be prepared to move on. He played minimally against the Houston Texans this weekend, and even this was only during the end of the game. 

It is a sad story, but at some point it becomes obvious that a player will no longer be able to contribute the way he once was able to. 

This is the case with Scott McKillop. 

Cory Nelms, Cornerback

Cory Nelms is a freak athlete and is one of the fastest players in the 49ers camp right now. But athleticism doesn't always translate to the football field on Sunday.

Nelms recorded only 11 tackles for the Miami Hurricanes in 2009 and 2010. He didn't see the field much, and technique continues to be the overriding issue in regards to the corner. 

Right now the 49ers have Phillip Davis and Cory Nelms fighting one another to remain on the roster for a few more days. Neither will make the 53-man roster, but Davis seems like a more seasoned player at this point.

Nelms will probably have to gain experience in either the UFL or CFL before he can even look at sticking in the NFL. 

Curtis Taylor, Safety

The San Francisco 49ers selected Curtis Taylor in the seventh round of the 2009 draft after he had a great career at Louisiana State. 

To many, the selection seemed like a steal. Taylor has the build and athleticism to be an NFL caliber safety but he hasn't been able to put it together as of yet.

Taylor has recorded a total of seven tackles in two NFL seasons and has played primarily on special teams. 

As I write this, the 49ers have a large number of young and up-and-coming safeties, which makes Taylor's spot on the roster precarious at best.

They also added both Donte Whitner and Madieu Williams in free agency, while retaining Dashon Goldson. 

It doesn't matter if the 49ers keep five or six safeties, Curtis Taylor will not be one of them.