49ers are in a prime position to improve the bottom of their roster

We’ve talked about the potential star power the San Francisco 49ers have, and how that could propel them to the playoffs in 2019. What has burned the team in recent years is the lack of talent at the bottom of their roster. Every organization has good players. The difference between teams that are annually in the playoffs, and the ones that are at home watching TV in January, is that the players that are filling in for injured players are competent.

John Lynch had his hands full when he took over the Niners general manager job in 2017. In no way am I excusing Lynch for some of the decisions he’s made via draft and free agency. I’m just acknowledging he had an uphill battle. August is a great time to improve your roster. The front office will have an excellent opportunity to sign a few veterans that are on the wrong side of the salary cap or talented young players that are in a numbers game with their current teams.

As John Middlekauff of The Athletic pointed out, the waiver wire will be the 49ers friend until Week 4 of the regular season. They’ll have the second priority on the waiver wire, so they should be very active when it comes to making claims. Until Week 4, the waiver wire order is based on the order in the previous draft. So with cuts coming up, the Niners will have ample opportunities to get their hands on a talented player. There will always be surprise cuts.

If the season goes as planned, the Niners won’t have this opportunity heading into the season next year. As much as the roster has improved, there is always room to get better. It could be at an obvious position, like in the secondary, or a team could cut a player that is a perfect fit for San Francisco’s offensive line. August should be a busy month for the teams’ transaction wire.