San Francisco 49ers: The good, bad, and ugly in preseason loss to Colts

Good: Richie James

Rookie Richie James, a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, is somebody who’s firmly on the roster bubble. He could wind up anywhere from the active roster, to the practice squad, to being cut completely.

James knows he’s battling for a roster spot, and he’s doing his best to turn some heads, and make his case that he belongs on the active roster.

San Francisco 49ers

With the top of the depth chart set, with Marquise Goodwin, Pierre Garcon, and Trent Taylor, it’s a dogfight for what will likely be the last two spots in that receivers room.

You have to figure that Dante Pettis, a second-round pick this year, is going to make the roster – it’s not all that often such a high draft pick is cut loose before the start of the season. Not to mention the fact that Pettis is flashing some big play ability (53-yard reception against Dallas), as well as added value on special teams, where he’s returned a couple of kickoffs for solid gains.

Not content to sit back and wait for life to just happen to him, James is doing everything he can to seize the moment, and show that he can play at the NFL level. And thus far, he’s proving that he can.

Against Dallas, James hauled in four catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. And against Indianapolis, he led the team with 65 receiving yards on three catches – a very healthy average of 21.7 yards per catch. He’s also had some very nice returns in the kick and punt game as well, showing he adds just as much value and versatility as Pettis.

James is a good story for the 49ers, and he’s certainly not making it an easy decision for them to decide what to do with him. He adds some definite value to the team as both a receiver and a return man.

Special teams will be where he needs to make his bones, should he win a spot on the roster – but, from there, given the talent ahead of him on the depth chart, he’ll need to carve a niche for himself with this team.