Who will be the 49ers surprise cut during August?

There has been a week’s worth of training camp practice. It is early. We are starting to get an idea of what players are stepping up and what players are getting left behind. The wide receiver group has stood out positively. Trent Taylor is healthy and looks like he is ready to take his game to another level. Richie James looked like a player that won’t make the roster in OTAs. During the first week of training camp, he’s been the most consistent threat.

What about the other side of the coin? Josh Garnett still can’t seem to shake the injury bug. A dislocated finger will keep him out of practice and likely the first two preseason games. Garnett’s cap number for 2019 is a little over $2.9 million. $1.2 million of that would be dead money, while $1.7 would go to their cap savings. When Mike Person sat out of practice, Najee Toran took his place. If Toran, Ross Reynolds, or Ben Garland can show that they’re competent, it might be the end of the road for Garnett. The question becomes, is it worth cutting him?

Jerick McKinnon’s name keeps coming up. He’s another guy that is recovering from injury. Kyle Shanahan has been vocal about having a plan for McKinnon when he returns. McKinnon may start the season slow, but there’s not much of a point for the 49ers to get rid of him unless McKinnon continues to suffer setbacks.

What is another name that would surprise you? Jordan Matthews is a name that everyone knows, but aside from size, he hasn’t done anything to warrant a spot on the roster a week into training camp. If we’re objective, Matthews would be the seventh receiver. That’s the odd man out.

Who is another name on the roster that you could see being cut that would surprise you? The first couple of games should be telling, and we’ll discuss this more. I think it’s interesting to see how much our answers will change over the next few weeks.