The 49ers have 17 free agents who’ll see their contracts expire come March 1, and there’s a chance 10 or more could be let go.
All last season, the roster — and the awful shape it was in — was a constant topic of conversation. Former head coach Chip Kelly had backhanded comments that this 53 was not as good as his 53 in Philadelphia and we could all see it on Sunday’s. The 49ers finished 31st on offense and 32nd on defense.
The bottom line is you still need 90 players for an NFL offseason program. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch aren’t going to cut every single one of these guys loose. Some will stay. Here are the five I would keep.
RB DuJaun Harris
What I like most about Harris is that his running style is nearly the opposite of Carlos Hyde. Where he might lack in vision and patience, Harris makes up for it with quickness and open-field speed. His 142-yard performance Nov. 6 against the Saints, including a 47-yard screen pass he turned into a touchdown, shows Shanahan there is some big play ability in the 5-foot-7 28-year-old. Shanahan likes to carry three running backs and Harris is definitely talented and different enough to be the third.
DL Glenn Dorsey
When the 49ers saw their run defense stop bleeding temporarily in the middle of the season, increased snaps for Dorsey was a paramount reason. He’s 31 and no longer needs to be counted on as a starter, but you can find much worse rotational defensive linemen around the NFL. Because they are employing Seattle’s scheme defensively, stopping the run will be of the utmost importance and it’s one thing Dorsey can still bring to the table.
QB Christian Ponder
An NFL trend that’s starting to die is carrying just two quarterbacks on roster. The position has just too many injuries and is too important to only have two eggs in the basket. Enter Ponder, who did and said all the right things last year, including calling out some of his teammates for not hitting the playbook hard enough. Shanahan may opt to draft two rookies at the position, which would hurt Ponder’s chances of making the roster. But in the meantime, why not hold onto someone you know will be an accountable teammate?
K Phil Dawson
The 42-year-old was having a surefire Pro Bowl campaign most of the season, until he missed two kicks Dec. 11 against the Jets in an eventual overtime loss to New York. Maybe it’s time to bring in some competition for him during training camp, but by most measurements (18/21 last season) Dawson is still a top 10 kicker in the NFL. Those are hard to find.
LB Gerald Hodges
A suspension late in the season on the road in Atlanta forced the 49ers to play backup safety Vinnie Sunseri at the position in one of the most embarrassing losses of the season. A new regime will wipe the slate clean for Hodges, who is just 26 years old and arguably the second most athletic linebacker on the roster behind NaVorro Bowman.
Other players who are free agents: Blaine Gabbert, Michael Wilhoite, Tony Jerod-Edie, Shaun Draughn, Jeremy Kerley, Nick Bellore, Rod Streater, Thad Lewis, Jim Dray, Andrew Gardner, Quinton Patton.
