The close of Week 3 of the 2017 NFL season is notable for one particular reason. The waiver wire order is now set based on reverse order of current record. The San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals are all tied atop the order, and after speaking with Field Yates, the determination this week on a claim would likely be via coin flip.
The 49ers held the No. 2 waiver priority the first three weeks of the season because it was based on the draft order. Week 4 is when that changes. The 49ers, Browns, and Bengals are all tied with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers at 0-3. The reason the Giants are fourth and the Chargers are fifth in waiver priority is because of strength of schedule. The 49ers, Browns, and Bengals all match up in the tiebreaker, thus the move to coin flip if necessary.
There are no non-vested veterans who have been released today, with transactions primarily dealing with injured reserve placement. But, the 49ers will continue to have a good shot if a talented player is released. It will be something to track over the course of the coming week. The waiver order will change next Tuesday once we have updated standings following Week 4.