The San Francisco 49ers return to training camp in six weeks, and for the time being, they have 89 players on their roster. The team can add one more player at any point before they have to cut down to 75 players. Barring the return of Anthony Davis, the player they add is unlikely to earn a roster spot at this point. That being said, there are some options out there that could find themselves getting decent work in the preseason, and potentially surprise us.
The running back position seems like the one that would most likely get an addition. The depth chart currently includes Carlos Hyde, Mike Davis, Shaun Draughn, DuJuan Harris, and Kelvin Taylor. They could certainly get through the preseason with just that group, but given the questions at the position, another body would not hurt.
Recently, ESPN’s New England Patriots beat writer suggested Tennessee Titans running back Bishop Sankey is a guy who could interest the team. You can never have enough running backs, but the Titans might look to move on from Sankey sooner rather than later. They traded for DeMarco Murray, and spent a second round pick on Derrick Henry. The Titans spent a second round pick on Sankey back in 2014, but he has not exactly wow’d thus far. He finished last season with 11 carries over the final 12 games, and was inactive twice. However, lately, Titans head coach has praised Sankey’s work in the offseason workout program. Offseason comments should naturally be taken with a grain of salt, and considering the offseason additions, it would make sense to try and move him.
I don’t see the 49ers investing a draft pick to get Sankey, but I would not be surprised if the 49ers at least see what the cost might be. There are still some other options out there. Reggie Bush is still floating around, but there is not a whole lot of much. In reality, we might just see Kelvin Taylor, Mike Davis, Shaun Draughn, and DuJuan Harris all get a good sized chunk of work backing up Hyde. I would not expect a ton of preseason snaps for Hyde, but those four guys could see plenty of work without a roster addition. But given the free spot, I would think the team might kick the tires on somebody. Whether or not it’s a running back remains to be seen, but I doubt they leave the spot free throughout training camp.