Jim Harbaugh expects Kassim Osgood to return as soon as Tuesday

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh announced on KNBR this morning that he anticipates wide receiver Kassim Osgood returning to the team today. Coach Harbaugh said if team places Glenn Dorsey on injured reserve with the return designation, Osgood will return. This also seems to mean Alex Boone will remain exempt from the 53-man roster for now.

I am not shocked Osgood is returning, although I expected it might be more likely after Week 1 when his contract would no longer be fully guaranteed. However, given that Osgood has always been a strong special teams player, the 49ers were probably pretty comfortable giving him that full season guarantee.

Osgood is technically the seventh wide receiver on the roster, but in reality, he is not a wide receiver. Last season he got some wide receiver snaps, but if the 49ers remain healthy, I would be surprised if he got a single wide receiver snap. He is a special teams player, and will add considerable depth back to the coverage and return units.

Assuming this roster move officially goes through, the 49ers next notable decision will be with Alex Boone. He remains exempt from the 53-man roster, but at some point the team will need to release somebody or move a player to an injured to make room for Boone. Dillon Farrell is the guy most frequently mentioned, but his versatility could be enough to keep him on the roster all season.