Like all NFL teams, the 49ers must cut their roster to 85 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday and they began that process a day early by making a surprising cut.
The team announced on Monday that it had released Darqueze Dennard, who was competing to be the team’s best starting fullback. Dennard is a former first-round pick who was selected 24th overall by the Bengals in 2014. After six seasons in Cincinnati, Dennard moved to Atlanta for the 2020 season before jumping ship for the Giants in 2021.
After being released by the Giants in December, the 49ers quickly picked him up and even though he was only with the team for the last two weeks of the season, he managed to crack the roster for one game, playing in San Francisco’s regular season finale against the Rams.
The 49ers were impressed enough during that game that they ended up signing Dennard to a one-year contract in March.
When the 49ers released their first depth chart of return training camp on August 9, Dennard was listed as the starting nickel. Dennard’s place on the team seemed so secure that as recently as Sunday night, 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans actually questioned during his press conference if he was “pretty ready” with Dennard. as a starting nickel.
“Everybody’s competing. And it’s everywhere, every position,” Ryans said, via quotes distributed by the team. “Everyone is competing for a starting job. And everyone, like I said earlier, the guys have to show us. They have to earn the right to go over there with our band. And everything the world is in the same boat.”
It certainly wasn’t a vote of confidence for Dennard, who was cut less than 24 hours after Ryans’ interview. One of the reasons the 49ers felt comfortable cutting Dennard is because of Sam Womack’s play. The rookie cornerback had two of San Francisco’s three interceptions in the 4ers’ 28-21 win over the Packers on Friday.
“He’s a smart player who’s detailed in what he does,” Ryans said of Womack. “He studies off the pitch. He studies, he asks questions on the pitch, in the boardroom, so he’s a very smart guy who has what it takes to be successful in his league just by his composition mental. So it gives him a head high on guys, just because of the mental makeup and he cares about what he’s doing.”
Toledo’s fifth-round pick now appears to be the favorite to clinch the starting nickel spot.
The 49ers also made a few other moves on Monday. Besides Dennard, they also released FB Josh Hokit, WR KeeSean Johnson and DL Tomasi Laulile.
