49ers roster cuts: Brian Jennings cut per Maiocco/Barrows

Matt Maiocco is reporting that a source indicated 49ers long snapper Brian Jennings is clearing out his locker. This would seem to indicate he has been cut or traded, and the 49ers have decided to go with rookie long snapper Kevin McDermott. Maiocco's tweeted was followed by this:

Source confirms @MaioccoCSN 's last tweet: Brian Jennings was cut today after 13 seasons with the #49ers.

— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 31, 2013

The move itself is not surprising, but that doesn't make it any less of a "shock" to the system. Brian Jennings was the longest tenured 49er on the roster. This was a guy who had played with Jerry Rice and Bryant Young. To see the team part ways with him is a bit of a jolt.

That being said, this was strictly a salary cap decision. Jennings has been as good as any long snapper in the league, but the team gave McDermott almost all the long snapper opportunities during the preseason. He was consistently solid, and things generally being equal, the cheaper option is going to win the job in the NFL.

The big question now is how he handles the job when the real pressure is on. It's one thing to win the job. It's another to provide the kind of sustained excellence the 49ers got from Brian Jennings.

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