We’re back after the 49ers made their initial roster moves, with practice squad and IR additions coming.

Here’s the prediction, which I’ll reference throughout:

As for the initial prediction, I really only erred on the offensive line + one tight end move. That’s not much of an achievement given that there weren’t that many surprises to be had. Everyone in green was accurate, everyone in red was inaccurate.

Quarterback

In (3): Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Kurtis Rourke

Out (1): Adrian Martinez

Backfield

In (4): Christian McCaffrey, Jordan James, Kaelon Black, Kyle Juszczyk

Out (2): Khalil Herbert, Sincere McCormick

PUP (1): Isaac Guerendo

Wide Receiver

In (6): Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, Deebo Samuel, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins

Out (5): Malik Turner, Will Pauling, KhaDarel Hodge, Wesley Grimes, Trenton Irwin

IR - Return (1): Christian Kirk

Tight End

In (4): George Kittle, Luke Farrell, Jake Tonges, Brayden Willis

Out (2): Khalil Dinkins, Hayden Rucci

I got Willis wrong because he’s a pretty awful in-line blocker. He’s a decent backup to Kyle Juszczyk, though. Maybe that and his athletic ability kept him around? I know they need another tight end with Kittle in question for Week 1, so maybe it’s as simple as being familiarity there.

Offensive Line

In (9): Trent Williams (LT), Connor Colby (LG), Carver Willis (LG), Jake Brendel (C), Dominick Puni (RG), Colton McKivitz (RT), Vederian Lowe (LT), Enrique Cruz Jr. (RT), Jarrett Patterson (IOL)

Out (4): Drake Nugent (C), Brandon Parker (LT), Doug Kramer Jr. (LG), Robert Jones (RG)

IR - Return (1): Austen Pleasants (RT)

IR - Season (2): Brett Toth (C), Nick Zakelj (LG)

The only real mess. I thought Lowe would go on IR immediately. Instead, it was Pleasants.

I’m not shocked that Robert Jones was cut. He was bad all preseason. I’m also not shocked Cruz made it, though he was worse all preseason. With Lowe in question and Pleasants out four weeks, it makes more sense. I had Toth as making the roster, then heading to IR. I had Zakelj as a cut. They went on season-ending IR instead, which … is functionally the same (unless an injury settlement goes down).

I obviously did not predict a Jarrett Patterson trade, though I mentioned the issues they’d face at center.

Edge

In (4): Nick Bosa, Sam Okuayinonu, Romello Height, Keion White

Out (3): Ogbo Okoronkwo, Quinton Bell, Jah Joyner

PUP (1): Mykel Williams

A reminder here, from earlier:

I think Ogbo Okoronkwo’s going to get plenty of run until Mykel Williams gets back, and he might end up on the initial roster. But he’s a veteran. You can, as Dieter likes to say, stash him at the Hilton.

Defensive Tackles

In (5): Alfred Collins, Gracen Halton, James Thompson Jr., Osa Odighizuwa, CJ West

Out (4): Sebastian Valdez, Bryson Eason, Evan Anderson, Viliami Fehoko Jr.

As I said:

I’ve flipped. I think Thompson is probably a roster lock at this point. I can’t figure out a way to keep him and Eason, though Eason should also be on this roster. Maybe they keep less at linebacker and just stack it up there.

Aaaand Eason has landed with the Chiefs. Again, he’s probably the first guy I would’ve kept outside of the 53, but they just don’t run a system where it’s responsible to keep six defensive tackles. I would not be shocked if he thrives in Kansas City.

Linebacker

In (7): Fred Warner, Tatum Bethune, Dre Greenlaw, Nick Martin, Garret Wallow, Luke Gifford, Jaden Dugger

Out (3): Jalen Graham, Deion Jones, Larry Worth III

Again:

Is this a STUPID number of linebackers? Yes! Would I keep this many linebackers? No! But I think the 49ers are too stubborn on Nick Martin (maybe I’m the fool and it pays off). He might just head for IR after cuts.

Jaden Dugger isn’t a good football player (the hype-in-spite-of-bad-tape ratio is off the CHARTS) but he’s probably shown too much upside to be cut-able. I was wildly unimpressed with his performance Thursday night. He’s a project.

Cornerback

In (7): Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Jack Jones, Ephesians Prysock, Upton Stout, Nate Hobbs, Siran Neal

Out (3): Darrell Luter Jr., Eli Apple, Jakob Robinson

As I said:

It’s time to end the Darrell Luter Jr. experiment, in my opinion. I know he had a nice tackle on a screen and a pass breakup. I know he’s got a great frame for corner or special teams. But it’s not enough for me.

Luter was claimed by the Raiders, who saw probably the best of him in the preseason finale. Sure. I think cutting him is the right play. But they also could’ve cut Cruz (again, get why they didn’t) or Nick Martin, or one of Wallow/Gifford (in the same way they cut Waitman and Weeks) … or Jordan Watkins … or Jacob Cowing. Greg Dortch is just SITTING there after being cut. Just saying, the 49ers have a rare knack to lose good players to waivers every single year (usually their late-round or undrafted guys).

Safety

In (3): Ji’Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle, Malik Mustapha

Out (3): Ashtyn Davis, Jalen Stroman, Patrick McMorris

Context here:

Davis feels like the first guy off the bench. Another veteran stash on the practice squad. I’ve also seen some decent moments from Jalen Stroman, though I’m not convinced there’s a ton more than hard-hitting upside.

Specialists

In (1): Eddy Piñeiro,

Out (2): Corliss Waitman, Jon Weeks,

I thought the 49ers would do this with Waitman, but not Weeks. They’d guaranteed Weeks north of $1 million. So they’re basically going to pay the 40-year-old $2 million this year, which feels a dead cost they could have avoided by jettisoning, say, Jordan Watkins or Brayden Willis.

Roster shuffle recap

Now, we’ll see what happens on the practice squad and with injured reserve. As I wrote:

Kurtis Rourke, Brett Toth, Ephesians Prysock, Nick Martin and/or Luke Gifford give you five potential roster spots created via IR. Malik Mustapha might be another option there, but you probably want him as soon as he’s available. There are, of course, mystery injuries that we could find out about later for other players.

It’s less that there are a bunch of players on the bubble and more about the 49ers navigating weird ways to sneak everybody onto the team.

What comes next?

Corliss Waitman and Jon Weeks will be re-signed. Two spots need to created for just them. All of the players I mentioned above, as well as Lowe, are IR candidates. At least one linebacker has to go on IR. Okoronkwo will probably be back as a Week 1 activation from the practice squad.

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Roster cuts are coming. After the 49ers’ preseason finale against the Raiders, I imagine little has changed in the coaching staff’s evaluation. However, Ephesians Prysock’s AC joint sprain and other injuries could throw a wrinkle into their plans.

Here’s how I predict the 49ers’ initial 53-man roster will shake out. I used the free tool I built on Sickos.Football to track all this. At the end, you can download a screenshot or a text file to keep track of everything.

Check it out here.

Now, I expect an abundance of shuffling, so look carefully. There are some “cuts” or players listed as “out” who will functionally be on the roster.

Players highlighted in yellow/gold are on the practice squad. Orange are PUP (can return). Blue are IR-designated to return. Red are out for the year. Light red are possible IR candidates after the initial cuts.

Quarterback

In (3): Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Kurtis Rourke

Out (1): Adrian Martinez

Kurtis Rourke’s rib injury probably isn’t serious enough to send him to IR. He’s supposed to be back in practice this week. But roster mechanics might dictate that he’s a luxury, and IR is a way to keep him around.

There are just eight return spots (and two bonus spots for the playoffs) for IR, making that calculation trickier. The likeliest path — if they do go that route — is to keep him on the initial roster, then put him on IR a day later, even if it’s a flimsy injury.

They could also hope to get him through waivers onto the practice squad, but that may be a dangerous game. He’s a cost-controlled asset that they like, at a crucial position. He’s in line to be QB2 for the following two seasons. This is a team that has had absurd QB injuries in the past. They might be more cautious than most.

I’m not at all counting out the practice squad route. But my gut leans that they keep him, even if he ends up as a quick IR addition.

Backfield

In (4): Christian McCaffrey, Jordan James, Kaelon Black, Kyle Juszczyk

Out (2): Khalil Herbert, Sincere McCormick

PUP (1): Isaac Guerendo

IR - Season (1): Patrick Taylor Jr.

I don’t think there are any surprises here. Guerendo provides zero utility in the immediate term. Let him stay on PUP. Returning him at a later date doesn’t affect the amount of IR spots you have. You don’t need him. Stash him there.

Wide Receiver

In (6): Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, Deebo Samuel, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins

Out (5): Malik Turner, Will Pauling, KhaDarel Hodge, Wesley Grimes, Trenton Irwin

IR - Return (1): Christian Kirk

IR - Season (1): Ricky Pearsall

Reserve/Disapparated (1): Brandon Aiyuk

De’Zhaun Stribling is holding this whole thing together by a thread.

Somehow, both Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins are on the roster. No, I don’t love it. But Cowing can theoretically return punts. Watkins can theoretically catch the ball. And it sounded like Christian Kirk was headed for an early IR stint, so why not keep both to see if either can be of value? Let them duke it out for four weeks and then cut whoever can’t hack it.

I would personally jettison Watkins immediately, then hold onto Cowing until a better return option becomes available on waivers or via free agency.

Malik Turner certainly deserves a roster spot, but he’s a veteran, so you can stash him on the practice squad. You could argue the same for KhaDarel Hodge. It’s not fair to them, but hey, that’s baseball.

Tight End

In (3): George Kittle, Luke Farrell, Jake Tonges

Out (3): Brayden Willis, Khalil Dinkins, Hayden Rucci

Kittle’s back in the swing of things. Maybe Brayden Willis or Rucci get promoted from the practice squad. Maybe it’s even Dinkins. They’ll probably need at least one of those guys active for Week 1.

I have Dinkins there over Rucci, though that actually feels wrong. I could see all three on the practice squad.

Offensive Line

In (9): Trent Williams (LT), Connor Colby (LG), Carver Willis (LG), Jake Brendel (C), Brett Toth (C), Dominick Puni (RG), Robert Jones (RG), Colton McKivitz (RT), Austen Pleasants (RT)

Out (6): Drake Nugent (C), Enrique Cruz Jr. (RT), Brandon Parker (LT), Doug Kramer Jr. (LG), Nick Zakelj (LG), Isaac Alarcon (RT)

IR - Return (1): Vederian Lowe (LT)

It sounds like Lowe is headed for an early IR stint. It sort of defeats the purpose of a swing tackle, though they might need him later in the year rather than early on.

I also think Toth — whose existence I am only partially convinced of — may go on IR as well. That could clear another spot, with Nugent being the center backup who gets called up from the practice squad.

This group is relatively fine, which is to say there’s one elite starter (Williams), two more-good-than-bad starters (McKivitz and Puni), one ok starter (Brendel), and one potential nightmare situation at left guard. My prediction? Carver Willis is fun as a puller in the run game, and gets ran through in far too many one-on-one situations. I worry about them throwing him into the fire too early. That’s what Robert Jones was supposed to be for.

Edge

In (4): Nick Bosa, Sam Okuayinonu, Romello Height, Keion White

Out (3): Ogbo Okoronkwo, Quinton Bell, Jah Joyner

PUP (1): Mykel Williams

IR - Season (3): Andrew Farmer II, Mikail Kamara, Victor Dimukeje

I think Ogbo Okoronkwo’s going to get plenty of run until Mykel Williams gets back, and he might end up on the initial roster. But he’s a veteran. You can, as Dieter likes to say, stash him at the Hilton.

I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s a cut who immediately makes it back on the active roster after some IR moves go down.

Defensive Tackles

In (5): Alfred Collins, Gracen Halton, James Thompson Jr., Osa Odighizuwa, CJ West

Out (4): Sebastian Valdez, Bryson Eason, Evan Anderson, Viliami Fehoko Jr.

I’ve flipped. I think Thompson is probably a roster lock at this point. I can’t figure out a way to keep him and Eason, though Eason should also be on this roster. Maybe they keep less at linebacker and just stack it up there.

Alfred Collins has been abysmal, and while CJ West hasn’t been good either, I’ve actually seen him deliver. He can hold up against double teams, and I’ll trust what I saw last season (and some nice days in practice) versus the inconsistencies in camp. Collins’ size will probably provide some value, but not in the way the 49ers were hoping. It wouldn’t really shock me if some of the guys on the “out” list made the roster in some fashion.

Linebacker

In (7): Fred Warner, Tatum Bethune, Dre Greenlaw, Nick Martin, Garret Wallow, Luke Gifford, Jaden Dugger

Out (3): Jalen Graham, Deion Jones, Larry Worth III

Is this a STUPID number of linebackers? Yes! Would I keep this many linebackers? No! But I think the 49ers are too stubborn on Nick Martin (maybe I’m the fool and it pays off). He might just head for IR after cuts.

Jaden Dugger isn’t a good football player (the hype-in-spite-of-bad-tape ratio is off the CHARTS) but he’s probably shown too much upside to be cut-able. I was wildly unimpressed with his performance Thursday night. He’s a project.

I can’t really decide between Wallow, who they discernibly really like, and Gifford, who’s a special teams star with a little bit of guaranteed money, but who’s been injured all of camp. They could always cut, then return one of those two. The not-so-shocker would be jettisoning Tatum Bethune. That’s very much on the table, though I wouldn’t do that. If nothing else, he can thump.

Cornerback

In (7): Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Jack Jones, Ephesians Prysock, Upton Stout, Nate Hobbs, Siran Neal

Out (3): Darrell Luter Jr., Eli Apple, Jakob Robinson

It’s time to end the Darrell Luter Jr. experiment, in my opinion. I know he had a nice tackle on a screen and a pass breakup. I know he’s got a great frame for corner or special teams. But it’s not enough for me.

That said, I wouldn’t be shocked at all if they kept him, especially with the Prysock and Green injuries. You might need Luter if you don’t have Prysock or Green (… or Hobbs or Stout) early. The most logical alternative would be to cut Neal, a veteran, then quickly bring him back after putting Prysock on IR.

I’d rather have Siran Neal, who’s a special teams ace and Swiss Army player. Same with Nate Hobbs, who got a fair bit of guaranteed cash ($3.1M), though — like with Toth — I’m not totally convinced of his existence.

Safety

In (3): Ji’Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle, Malik Mustapha

Out (3): Ashtyn Davis, Jalen Stroman, Patrick McMorris

IR - Season (1): Darrick Forrest

Davis feels like the first guy off the bench. Another veteran stash on the practice squad. I’ve also seen some decent moments from Jalen Stroman, though I’m not convinced there’s a ton more than hard-hitting upside.

Specialists

In (2): Eddy Piñeiro, Jon Weeks

Out (1): Corliss Waitman

The 49ers did this last year with Thomas Morstead. Waitman has $475K guaranteed, so it would function like a bonus for him. They’d bring him back after IR-ing Rourke, and/or Prysock, and/or Toth.

Roster shuffle recap

I think there are two immediate IR-return designations that will happen before cuts: Lowe and Kirk. Waitman would be back immediately after cuts. Okoronkwo will likely be the same.

Kurtis Rourke, Brett Toth, Ephesians Prysock, Nick Martin and/or Luke Gifford give you five potential roster spots created via IR. Malik Mustapha might be another option there, but you probably want him as soon as he’s available. There are, of course, mystery injuries that we could find out about later for other players.

It’s less that there are a bunch of players on the bubble and more about the 49ers navigating weird ways to sneak everybody onto the team. As usual, we’ll probably get their roster cuts after everyone else.

Remember, there’s a free tool at Sickos.Football to track/predict the cuts for yourself. Check it out.

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This was the 49ers’ final practice of training camp before their preseason finale against the Raiders. After this, they hit “regular season mode” and will likely shut down practices to media except for the start.

Of course, there was a bit more to talk about on Tuesday. Here’s what Kyle Shanahan said after the arrest of CEO Jed York.

Kyle Shanahan comments on Jed York

Shanahan’s opening answer:

“Yeah, I got to talk to Jed the last two days and today. Obviously, it’s a very tough situation. Views for the organization going forward are the same as usual. There won’t be any difference in that. But I know it’s extremely fresh. It’s a very, very personal situation. I got a lot of respect for Jed. I got a lot of respect for Danielle. Their family does mean lot to me. So you know with it being this person, trying as hard as I can to keep that way.”

Shanahan said it wouldn’t affect the team.

“I think that’s kind of irrelevant for our guys.”

He tried to downplay the potential of York to be suspended or away from the team. Asked whether he may have to step away, he said the following:

“It’s been like that this summer anyways, with him being out in Ohio and things like that. So it’ll be no difference right now. He hasn’t been here for training camp.”

Will anything change?

“No, it's the same as always. I mean, Jed has been as good as it gets since I've been here on letting football people make football decisions. Jed always wants to be informed and a part of things, but Jed has been exactly what he said he would be about in letting us making decisions. He always wants to know about them, whether he's here in the building or a text away or on a phone call. It doesn't change anything.”

He continued to point to football:

“My view is as the coach is, does it have an effect on us as a team. And that’s what I continue to answer on from a football standpoint, it has no effect on us. As far as what we do day to day, what we talk about, it hasn’t been mentioned in a meeting today. It doesn’t have to do with what happens on the field. Everything outside of there, you guys can judge that better than me.”

There were a handful of questions about the distractions for the 49ers this offseason. Distractions, of course, referring to Brandon Aiyuk’s social media tirades, Shanahan’s car accident, and York’s arrest for engaging in prostitution and possession of criminal tools that was plead down (no contest) to disorderly conduct as part of a plea agreement.

Shanahan, of course, sought to downplay all of it. He sarcastically argued that this summer’s been the norm.

“Well, the one thing that went on yesterday, I don't think pertained to our players much. And if you guys talk about me getting in a car accident, I think that's kind of a joke that people think that's distraction to our team, so I think it's been training camp as usual.”

Other notes from Shanahan:

• He said he won’t call plays on Thursday against the Raiders and that most starters won’t play. He said “a couple” might just based on numbers.

• Shanahan does expect he’ll be calling plays by Week 1.

Injury notes: A LONG list

People who did not practice today:

• Nick Bosa (knee tendinitis) is hoped to return next week

• Renardo Green (hamstring)

• Mike Evans (groin), expected back next week

• Christian Kirk (calf) is an IR candidate to start the year

• Jacob Cowing (groin) - expected back next week

• Upton Stout (hip flexor) - expected back next week

• Romello Height (ankle)

• Kurtis Rourke (ribs), broke 3 ribs and is expected/hoped back next week

• Malik Mustapha (hamstring)

• Wesley Grimes (hand)

• Nate Hobbs (groin)

• Jalen Graham

• Kyle Juszczyk (broken finger) was seen on a side field

• Nick Martin (hamstring)

• Luke Gifford (hamstring)

• Austin Pleasants (knee) is expected to make trip to Australia

• Robert Jones (unspecified) expected to make trip to Australia

• Dominick Puni (concussion) is likely headed back into the concussion protocol.

• Vederian Lowe (ankle) is an IR candidate

• Brett Toth (concussion)

• Gracen Halton (ankle)

George Kittle did practice, as I can prove below. But he was only in the first three periods. Shanahan said the hope is to ramp him up slowly starting next week.

De’Zhaun Stribling (shoulder) was still in a blue non-contact jersey but still had plenty of it. He looked great, as did Deommodore Lenoir (shoulder) in a black jersey.

Practice highlights

• De’Zhaun Stribling made the catch of the day. Brock Purdy laid it out for him on a deep ball against Jack Jones with Marques Sigle closing over the top. Stribling caught it in traffic, under pressure at least 30 yards down the right sideline.

• James Thompson II was everywhere today. He had a handful of run stops, and was really impressive in 1-on-1s.

• C.J. West also had a stellar day, with a dominant 1-on-1 win against Carver Willis and some run stops in 11-on-11s.

• Carver Willis got demolished in 1-on-1s by West and Bryson Eason. He also lost to Sebastian Valdez. He looks shaky. Better in 11-on-11s, but still not good.

• Garrett Wallow had himself a day, with some breakups and tight coverage.

• Luke Farrell had 2 touchdown grabs in the red zone period with Brock Purdy dotting it up today. Purdy looked phenomenal. Jake Tonges was seemingly blanketed on almost rep today, with at least three balls going his way that ended in PBUs. He came down with another one.

• Today was a win for the defense. The offense had some red zone moments, but the ball couldn’t go anywhere. Fred Warner was omnipresent and Larry Worth had one nice breakup in coverage, making the most of his chance with a threadbare group.

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Rather than do another 53-man roster projection right away, I want to offer a sense of what we saw. There are far more buys from Thursday night’s proceedings against the Chargers than sells.

The theme of tonight? Juice. And I’m not talking about Kyle Juszczyk.

Stock up

De’Zhaun Stribling

We’re reaching the point that the stock may be too high. And I’m still buying. Juiced-up Jauan is a PROBLEM. He’s got serious hands and looks like he was ready to throw some after going to ground on an extended block.

Kaelon Black

Kid has the JUICE. The 49ers haven’t had someone move the way he does out of the backfield since, what, Elijah Mitchell? And I know, you’re shouting about Jordan Mason, but Mason’s more of a power, flow runner. He never had this burst. Black moves at a different speed and it was apparent immediately.

Jacob Cowing

Hey! Nice job! Great punt return. I’ll give it to him despite the stone-handed drop he had later and the fact that he was overthrown (he’s too short) to catch a ball from Mac Jones. His path to the roster is clearly catching punts. He did that better than everyone else on Thursday, though Will Pauling has a little juice. You know, the more I write, the more I want to put him in stock down. But punt return touchdown gets him the benefit of the doubt.

Osa Odighizuwa

He might end up being the only healthy would-be starter on the D-line. And if it’s just him, that might be ok. Lotta burst coming off the ball.

James Thompson II

I’m not quite sure how you can keep him off the roster. He’s got serious force at the point of attack. I still don’t know that he knows what his plan is, but there’s enough heft and drive to cause problems in both areas of the game that he probably has to make the team.

Ephesians Prysock

I don’t know that he will make a good corner. But I am still in on the idea of him being a red zone weapon. He’s got KD limbs and he keeps using them to hound people in man coverage. I like it.

Stock down

Enrique Cruz Jr.

He simply is not near an NFL player at this point. Maybe he’ll turn a corner, but the kid has been getting bulled and blown by all camp. At some point, you are what you are.

Alfred Collins

I actually saw a pretty good pass rush rep from Alf. But his inconsistency in comparison to Thompson is stark. He has to be a run game anchor and that’s probably where you trust him the least. It doesn’t seem like he knows what he’s supposed to be and I’m not convinced the 49ers do, either.

Jordan Watkins

I just … man. Show me something. He’s had all the opportunities to blow Jacob Cowing out of the water and I haven’t seen it. A few nice blocks from tonight help, but he feels awfully Dante Pettis-ey at times.

Bonus *I don’t know* player: Jaden Dugger

I don’t know how to evaluate him because it’s not clear that he would know how to evaluate himself. But there are times he makes spectacular plays happen because he’s so freakishly long and athletic. That said, they also look so spectacular because he’s frequently out of position. I’m in on the project. But it is a project.

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Hello, folks. I’m reporting to you live from the Alaskan backcountry, where I have thoughts on the 49ers roster. I didn’t get to do a proper post-Titans preseason breakdown (there’s a short reaction on the channel), but here’s an early roster prediction.

This is what I think they’ll do, not what I think they should do. Players highlighted in yellow are predicted to go on the practice squad.

Quarterback

In (3): Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Kurtis Rourke

Out (1): Adrian Martinez

Can the 49ers actually afford to keep Kurtis Rourke off the roster? He looked tremendous in the first preseason game and the mobility he flashed was stunning. He was decisive and efficient. I don’t think he makes it through waivers if they cut him. I’m not sure you can extract enough value from a Mac Jones trade at this point, (it’s risky just to bet on Rourke) but it may be worth considering.

Backfield

In (4): Kyle Juszczyk, Christian McCaffrey, Jordan James, Kaelon Black

Out (4): Khalil Herbert, Sincere McCormick, Zamir White, Patrick Taylor Jr.

PUP (1): Isaac Guerendo

Of this group, I’d expect Taylor Jr. back on the practice squad. He’s a vet, so you can maneuver that spot a bit easier than trying to get a rookie through waivers. He’s effectively the fourth here. As for everyone else? I don’t know that they’ve done enough to move the needle.

Wide Receiver

In (6): Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, Christian Kirk, Jordan Watkins, Deebo Samuel, Demarcus Robinson

Out (6): Malik Turner, Will Pauling, KhaDarel Hodge, Wesley Grimes, Jacob Cowing, Trenton Irwin

The Jacob Cowing experiment is over, methinks. Malik Turner is a tremendous special teams asset who can fill in for just about anyone. Will Pauling feels like the first man up to return punts if it doesn’t go well for Watkins.

Tight End

In (3): Luke Farrell, Jake Tonges, Brayden Willis

Out (3): Josiah Deguara, Hayden Rucci, Tanner McLachlan

PUP (1): George Kittle

Maybe this is too pessimistic for Kittle. But if he’s not ready for Week 1, giving him a month to ramp up feels like a strong option. If he’s out, someone else goes in. Willis is my lean there.

Offensive Line

In (9): Trent Williams (LT), Vederian Lowe (LT), Connor Colby (LG), Carver Willis (LG), Jake Brendel (C), Brett Toth (C), Dominick Puni (RG), Robert Jones (RG), Colton McKivitz (RT)

Out (6): Brandon Parker (LT), Doug Kramer Jr. (LG), Drake Nugent (C), Kion Smith (RG), Austen Pleasants (RT), Enrique Cruz Jr. (OL)

Enrique Cruz Jr. has been terrible. I’m not sure if Brett Toth exists, but he was guaranteed $2.215M at signing. I wanted to have Drake Nugent on the roster, but there’s no real route if Toth makes it. Austin Pleasants can hang out on the practice squad, but it wouldn’t be a shocked if he’s on the team.

Edge Rushers

In (4): Nick Bosa, Sam Okuayinonu, Romello Height, Keion White

Out (4): Ogbo Okoronkwo, Quinton Bell, Titus Leo, Xavier Thomas

PUP (1): Mykel Williams

I’m assuming Williams isn’t ready to start the year. The 49ers will need another body early on, and I’m going to bet that’s Okoronkwo from the practice squad, though I’ve been very impressed by Quinton Bell. Okoronkwo has looked fresh and is a proven NFL player.

Defensive Tackles

In (5): Osa Odighizuwa, C.J. West, Alfred Collins, Gracen Halton, Bryson Eason

Out (2): Sebastian Valdez, James Thompson Jr.

This is tough. The 49ers probably have to keep five, and if we’re talking about the best 53, all seven of these players should make the team.

James Thompson Jr. has an abundance of untapped upside, but he’s not polished. Valdez has certainly done enough to earn a spot, but he’s not consistent. Eason, meanwhile, is an imperious force who can hold up against double teams. He’s a Day 1 NFL-caliber player. Everyone else is a no-brainer.

Linebacker

In (6): Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Tatum Bethune, Nick Martin, Luke Gifford, Jaden Dugger

Out (3): Jalen Graham, Garret Wallow, Larry Worth III

Nick Martin should probably be cut. Luke Gifford may just be worth keeping on the practice squad. Garret Wallow is deserving of a roster spot. But Gifford has a little bit of guaranteed money. I have trouble seeing the 49ers giving up on Martin, but I waffled on whether they’d cut him.

Wallow feels like he’s going to be the first guy up from the practice squad. I actually think he’s the starting SAM, but the 49ers will do some nonsensical roster mechanics. That’s my LB prediction.

Cornerback

In (6): Deommodore Lenoir, Ephesians Prysock, Renardo Green, Jack Jones, Upton Stout, Nate Hobbs

Out (4): Darrell Luter Jr., Eli Apple, Siran Neal, Jakob Robinson

I can’t do it with Darrell Luter Jr. anymore and I’m not sure the 49ers can either. I’m also not quite sure where Siran Neal fits in, other than as a special teamer. He feels like a veteran practice squadder.

Nate Hobbs might be the trickiest player to evaluate, but the 49ers gave him a nearly $3.4M deal. I think he’s on this team as a utility tool.

Safety

In (4): Ji'Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle, Malik Mustapha, Ashtyn Davis

Out (2): Jalen Stroman, Patrick McMorris

Ashtyn Davis probably has a role on this roster. He might have to come off the practice squad (I realize this is becoming a theme), but there’s enough experience there to be really useful from the get-go.

Specialists

In (3): Eddy Piñeiro (K), Corliss Waitman (P), Jon Weeks (LS)

Jack Bouwmeester, see ya kid.

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Hi, folks! There are a lot of new people here. Welcome, and thank you immensely for subscribing. And if you’re not:

Mailbag request - 5k/1k spectacular

First off, we’re going to do a mailbag coming up to celebrate 1,000 subscribers here and the impending 5,000 subscribers on the Dieter and Hutch channel. It’ll be both here and on the channel.

Leave your comments below to be answered:

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Free roster cuts tool!

I’ll have a 53-man roster prediction coming after the Titans game. On that note, I want to reintroduce you to Sickos.Football.

It’s the site I built for Dieter and I to host the draft guide, but I’ve built out a free tool to look at the depth chart, to handle roster cuts and to track the 49ers’ cap situation.

Please go check it out. It’ll evolve as roster cuts get done, and it’ll be a place to find anything new from us throughout the year. Looks a bit like this, and comes with field view:

What’s coming from the Hutch Report

Throughout the season, there will be plenty of good stuff here. We’ll have columns, some breakdowns, mailbags, occasional videos. The most steady thing will be the grades. If you’re unfamiliar, here are the season-long grades from last year:

I hand track these throughout the year, which is immensely time-consuming. As such, I’m planning to move to probably grading one side of the ball every week. That way we have a season-long framework.

If I can do both sides, I will. But I’m going to plan on doing one, with the other as a bonus. The way I handle that is up to you:

If you have any other feedback, requests, or anything at all you’d like to know, let me know!

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Here’s what I’ve seen at training camp so far. We’re going to have a roster projection, but I wanted to offer a sense of performance rather than the practical in/out calculation.

I prefer to start with the bad:

Stock down

Jordan Watkins

Every ball looks like it catches him off guard. He seems to catch everything in his armpit, if he does catch it. What worries me is what I said to Dieter. He’s got a Ladd McConkey-esque mold and similar usage when he’s on the field. But McConkey has tremendous hands and craft. I don’t trust anything about Watkins going over the middle. His contested catch rate is abysmal, and that’s worrying when he’s the guy who should be the beneficiary of Ricky Pearsall missing the season.

Nick Martin

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Hey there, folks. We’re back with some good ole training camp notes. The only caveat is this is the 49ers. They’re hobbled.

That said, there were a few notable observations from Monday’s practice, the third in the firs…

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Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back. It is the season of optimism. But how much of that is the nature of training camp and how much is founded in reality?

That’s what we’re looking at today as camp gets underway. …

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Morning, folks.

What a week it has been. Let’s start here.

The New York Knicks won an NBA Championship

I like to repeat that fact.

It should be repeated many, many times.

I scared some middle-aged women at Palmer’s on Frid…

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Hi, folks.

We’re in that valley after the draft and OTAs, leading up to training camp. And while the NFL has done an outstanding job of attempting to make their news cycle a year-long event, I refuse to pretend they own my summer.

What I’ll have for you now is a weekly newsletter, just like The War Room. I like updating the title seasonally.

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So, the Rams traded for Myles Garrett.

If this is how you’re finding out, well, thanks for subscribing.

They sent Jared Verse, a ‘27 first, a ‘28 second and a ‘29 third in exchange for Garrett, the reigning and two-time…

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Hi folks, we got a look at the 49ers’ rookie #crop on Friday, and I have a few notes.

Rookie minicamp is a uniquely interesting event to watch because, unlike every other practice (for the most part), you can actually see guys looking around at other players to make sure they’re doing the drill right. It’s an exercise in nervousness.

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Hey there, folks. I’m back with the most electric piece of offseason content… the 49ers’ UDFA class.

Their draft class itself had more than a few question marks.

I gave it a C with some overvaluations — albeit in a weak draft class — signs of a stagnant draft philosophy and addressing offensive line in a way that helps, but doesn’t solve the core problem, and refusing to address tight end. I don’t think it’s a horrific class. C doesn’t mean damning, it means… meh.

But their UDFA class is awfully intriguing. I’ll rank their eight announced signings in order of how likely I believe they are to make the roster. We’ll start from the bottom, so as to be as suspenseful as possible.

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The 49ers did their thing this weekend.

I mean that in the most literal sense.

They:

1. Overdrafted a wide receiver compared to consensus

2. Got an early defensive end

3. Drafted a third-round running back earlier than he was supposed to go

4. Picked up a springy, athletic, GET UPFIELD NOW defensive tackle

5. Drafted a linebacker who cannot get off blocks way earlier than he should have gone (he shouldn’t have gone)

6. The way they addressed the offensive line was with a pair of athletic, “maybe he’s a guard” tackles who don’t really solve the existential crisis they face of the domineering Seattle Seahawks front four.

7. And there was also Ephesians Prysock, a large, athletic corner whose over-grabbing tape is ugly but who has intriguing upside as a test of Raheem Morris and his longtime top lieutenant, Jerry Gray

My issue with their approach is only partially with the consensus board, which the 49ers stray from more than any other organization. As I mentioned countless times, it was a weak draft class. It was going to get messy. Even so:

I certainly think that is a larger issue, but it’s not the most pressing one.

The Seahawks crisis

The greatest issue I have is that they approached this draft almost like any other. There did not seem to be a recognition of what that Seattle crisis I mentioned, nor any issues with their own process that have shown up in past drafts.

Carver Willis? I like him, but I don’t think the kid can consistently move or hold up against 3-techs at the point of attack. If he can’t, what’s the point? Going right, he gets stood up too often.

I like his work on combo blocks, and he’s awesome in space, but San Francisco needed lower-half, low-pad-level drive. Maybe he’s got more power than I’m giving him credit for, but with Chase Bisontis, Emmanuel Pregnon, Jalen Farmer and others all available to the 49ers at various points… it feels like they made a pick in service to their scheme more than to the crisis they’re facing.

Kyle Shanahan said it at the Super Bowl on the pregame show. The 49ers couldn’t run the ball against Seattle, so they couldn’t throw it against them.

On the offensive line, they replaced Ben Bartch for Robert Jones, an intriguing veteran who Dieter loves, but who missed last season with a neck injury. He’ll compete at left guard with a substantial group including Connor Colby. They brought in Brett Toth from the Eagles to compete with Jake Brendel. Dom Puni stays at right guard. Colton McKivitz at right tackle. Trent Williams at left. Vederian Lowe is the swing tackle. And two rookies in Willis and Enrique Cruz Jr., the latter of whom has outstanding speed off the ball, but who needs quite a bit of technical refinement.

They moneyballed it, as they always do. And it works, to a point. They got younger, more athletic. I’ll give them credit there. And I give them credit for trading down to maximize value.

On one hand, their scheme works, and they’ve functioned well on offensive line, without ever being elite.

I wouldn’t suggest putting a rogue piece into the mix (though they sort of did that with Aaron Banks) in the short view. But the Rams adjusted to this issue, getting more beef up front proactively a couple years ago. The 49ers haven’t even reacted to the problem.

I’m happy to be proven wrong there, but I’m not remotely confident they’ve solved that crisis up front. We’ll see.

Tight end? Anybody?

They certainly did not fix their issues at tight end. Their belief that a turning-33-this-year George Kittle will be ready to go after an Achilles tear is optimistic at best, irresponsible at worst. I know he’s a superhuman, but it’s an Achilles tear. And your options are Luke Farrell, who was a nightmare last season, and Jake Tonges, who’s a suped-up Ross Dwelley. Neither one solved their blocking issues.

More likely, they think it’s that the blocking from their receivers was the core issue. Jauan Jennings limped through the season, and Brandon Aiyuk was one of the best blocking receivers in the league before he went AWOL. Kendrick Bourne was atrocious in more ways than I care to count, but especially as a blocker. Ricky Pearsall’s strengths are not blocking.

So they got De’Zhaun Stribling, probably the best blocking receiver in the draft, along with Mike Evans. That will help. But I’m not sold it’ll solve all their issues in the run game against more physical fronts.

I like their UDFA pickup Khalil Dinkins, but he is a developmental prospect whose athleticism isn’t as easy as George Kittle’s. He’s constantly out over his skis as a blocker. He’s weak in line, constantly ending up on the turf. The in-space utility is intriguing. But he doesn’t solve their tight end room.

The draft on the whole

I have to say, using roughly the same fifth-round pick acquired from the Cowboys for Dee Winters (a steal of a trade) on another linebacker who’s all athleticism, but no tape is legitimately impressive.

Jaden Duggar gets demolished at the second level consistently. He doesn’t look like he has a feel for the position. And crucially, I don’t see the murder in his eyes. Linebackers need to fly to the ball with aggression, and he plays passive. His loopy coverage play doesn’t make up for it.

But that’s just it. The 49ers stuck to what they do, ignoring consensus, money balling it at positions that are obvious problems, and expending resources in a way most others agree are ludicrously misspent.

This is not to say they had a horrific draft. I like the fits for most of the players, and trading back twice in Round 1 was sharp. But I didn’t see an evolution in their philosophy, which concerns me particularly at guard and tight end.

49ers Draft Grade

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If you missed the mock draft I put out… the 49ers pulled off almost exactly the first trade I suggested, and got into the ideal spot I talked about at 33 (we’ll see if they trade back up bridge the gap to 58 for value).

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Hello there! This is it! The only 49ers mock draft I will be putting out.

Thank you folks for your support. If you’re looking for the draft guide, it’s at www.Sickos.Football. Like last year, we’ll be adding a 49ers-specific draft class breakdown after the picks (likely next week).

We’ll also be figuring out some cool stuff to add over there as the year goes (interactive depth chart, etc.)

First, some context to the 49ers’ draft. Then we’ll get into it.

The 49ers’ quandary

I have tried to look at this a dozen different ways. San Francisco’s pick gap from 58 to 127, then 133, 138 and 139 in rapid succession makes me feel like a move is inevitable.

I have a hard time believing they’ll sit there and take four picks in a row. But the complicating factor is that this draft kind of sucks, and no one wants to touch their 2027 draft picks. The 49ers are surely smart enough to follow suit.

John Lynch said he thinks there could be a ton of trades. I’ll take him at his word there.

One interesting question is whether you could use a pick for next year at the same value for this year. Usually future picks are worth less, but that may not be the case.

Trade down scenarios are a bit difficult for this reason.

In an ideal world, the 49ers would trade down from 27, and use one or two of their fourth-round picks to move up and get two picks between, say, 33 and 50.

I think the right move, if available, is to attempt double-dip in that sweet spot. You could chose two of these positions and get a quality player:

• WR: Chris Brazzell II or Germie Bernard

• EDGE: Akheem Mesidor, Zion Young, or Gabe Jacas

• IOL: Chase Bisontis or Emmanuel Pregnon

• CB: Colton Hood, Avieon Terrell, or Chris Johnson

• S: A.J. Haulcy

They could also trade back from 58 to take one of the spring-loaded edge rushers without a fuller game to replace Bryce Huff. See, in order of my draft rankings:

• #48: Romello Height, Texas Tech

• #71: Joshua Josephs, Tennessee

• #87: Jaishawn Barham, Michigan

• #104: Malachi Lawrence, UCF (projected to go outrageously early despite being a bit player at a small school)

• #123: Keyron Crawford, Auburn

Alright, that’s enough talking about what could happen. Here’s my mock.

TRADE: 49ers move back with Dolphins

49ers get:

• Round 1, Pick 30

• Round 3, Pick 87

• Round 7, Pick 238

Dolphins get:

• Round 1, Pick 27

• Round 4, Pick 133

WHY: The Dolphins have a new regime ready to make a statement and with apple ammunition. They do so with Pick 11, but are eager to get back in on the action and leapfrog the Chiefs for a DB. Let’s say it’s Colton Hood, or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.

They currently have four third-round picks and a fourth. They get antsy and decide to spend.

The Dolphins feel like they keep their third-round heart intact, get near back-to-backs at the end of Round 4, and the 49ers bridge that pesky mid-round pick gap and pick up one of those sevenths they love.

Remaining picks: 30, 58, 87, 127, 138, 139, 238

Round 1, Pick 30: Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee

Why he’s available: Frankly, I think people overrate (negatively) the weird system at Tennessee in which he stayed on the right side of the formation, never went in motion, and was coached to be lazy. He also struggles to keep his feet in bounds and had some drops.

Why they 49ers will like him: He’s a 6’5” receiver who moves like a gazelle, with unfathomable deceleration and route-running craft at his size. Elite physical talent and tools who won’t have to produce Day 1 and gets to learn from Mike Evans. They have used this year-early model before with Ricky Pearsall. Remember, Evans could be a one-and-done, and neither Christian Kirk nor Demarcus Robinson are signed after this year. Brazzell is all upside with the runway to learn, without pressure on his shoulders.

What I think of this pick: My #2 receiver in the class. He’s special, or at least should be. I don’t like how he can’t drag his toes, but I do not care about the Volunteers’ ugly offense. The drops don’t bother me. He did it all at Tulane, and frankly, he blocks his tail off. He’s a rare guy who can truly be a star X receiver.

Remaining picks: 58, 87, 127, 138, 139, 238

BONUS option at 30: This is not a cop out from this pick, but I was pretty 50/50 here between the following pick.

Zion Young, EDGE, Mizzou

Why he’s available: He’s an incredible athlete, but had inconsistent production, and lacks a bag. He needs development.

Why they 49ers will like him: They love a physical, explosive athlete who they can mold on the edge. He just turned 22 as opposed to an Akheem Mesidor, who’s polished, but injury prone and 25. No one has better balance than Young, who’s borderline impossible to put on the ground. He had 16.5 tackles for a loss in addition to the 6.5 sacks last season. He’s a HIGH-floor run defender with room to develop as a pass rusher.

What I would think of this pick: Literally ranked #27 by Dieter (and #30 by me), he’s a phenomenally large, athletic edge rusher who has the best contact balance I’ve maybe ever seen. He’s got a lot of the stuff that will frustrate you if you were aggrieved by Mykel Williams. Probably more so, because that power isn’t as consistent. Doesn’t totally know how to rush the passer consistently, and looks Tyree Wilson-ish at times. It’s a, “Yeah, that makes sense,” pick, that everyone feels meh about because they traded back for him.

Round 2, Pick 58: Keylan Rutledge, IOL, Georgia Tech

Why he’s available: He wasn’t near as dominant as the upper-echelon guards in this class, so his traits and survivability carry him more than the wow factor with some of the previous guys to come off the board.

Why the 49ers will like him: Looks a little doughy, but he grows on you. A hell of a lot of Dom Puni in his game with the way he survives. Likely to have a long career even if he’s not a starter, and he comes with traits.

What I think of this pick: I think it’s a little rich for Rutledge, but the 49ers NEED to prioritize left guard, and he does have immense physical traits. I’m fine with it, though he’s not my guy.

Bonus BONUS: I wanted to mock this guy below in a trade-up with the Lions at pick 50, but it seems exceedingly unlikely he makes it there. I can’t expect the 49ers to take a guard in Round 1. The fifth-round option does not have any value, because it’s weighted for all offensive linemen, not interior ones.

Chase Bisontis, IOL, Texas A&M

Why he’s available: The 49ers cannot believe their luck. The would-be tackles like Francis Mauigoa and Spencer Fano are clearly viewed as guards and went later than expected, which pushed the guard run back. Vega Ioane went off the board as the first true guard, but not until the mid-40s, so now Bisontis sits here at 50.

Why the 49ers will like him: The 49ers believe he’s the key to running the ball against the Seattle Seahawks, and as Kyle Shanahan said previewing the Super Bowl, you can’t beat them unless you can run against them.

What I think of this pick: I think it’s a little rich for the 49ers to trade up for a guard. But he’s got tremendous upside. I dig the fact they recognize the interior offensive line is actually crucial for them to compete.

Remaining picks: 87, 127, 138, 139, 238

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It’s draft week, folks. You know what that means. Non-intel intel is abound. John Lynch (as well as 49ers players) spoke Monday before Thursday, with Trent Williams’ two-year, $50 million extension the order of the day.

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Hi, folks. This will be a short one. I’m in full draft guide mode right now, and want to put my effort into getting that out as quickly as possible and making sure it’s the sort of #Sicko standard you all deserve.

Deta…

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Hi folks, we’re back with another offensive line eval.

This might just be the last one of these for the draft cycle, OR at least the last one until the draft guide is out. There will be details on that once the guide is finished, but I’m stoked about it (and it’ll be easier to use and have more utility than the last one going into the season).

I evaluated Florida’s Jake Slaughter, who…

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