The San Francisco 49ers kick off the 2015 NFL regular season on Monday Night Football, on September 14. That game means San Francisco is now a mere 63 days away from kicking off its 2015 regular season. In the spirit of that approaching date, I thought I would steal this idea from our Oakland Raiders site.
Who wore it best: OL Derrick Deese (1994-2003)
The last 25 years have featured an intriguing mix of veteran offensive linemen. However, one guy who came in as a rookie and stuck round was Derrick Deese. The 49ers signed him as an undrafted free agent in 1992, and he missed his first two seasons due to injury. In 1994, he was healthy and moved into the starting lineup, replacing Ralph Tamm at right guard. He dealt with injuries in 1995 and 1996, starting two games over that time.
After that, Deese rarely stayed 100 percent healthy after that, but did stay in the starting lineup. Over seven seasons from 1997 to 2003, he started 16 games three times. While in the lineup he was very solid, but injuries were always an issue.
Who wears it now: DL Tony Jerod-Eddie (2012-present)
TJE has done quite the job working up from undrafted free agent to key reserve. He signed as a UDFA in 2012, and spent most of the season on the practice squad. Over the last two seasons, he has appeared in 31 games, with a pair of starts each of the last two seasons. He heads into the 2015 season with a lot of competition on the defensive line. The team spent a first round pick on Arik Armstead, and will be expecting big contributions from Quinton Dial and Tank Carradine.
I do think TJE's time as a reserve is a huge benefit for him, and odds are good he ends up as one of the primary reserves. There is no real salary cap benefit to releasing him, but we'll see if somebody emerges as a better talent.