San Francisco 49ers: Top 3 most surprising developments from roster cuts

1. The 49ers give up on Adrian Colbert

It’s easy to question the 49ers efforts to address the safety position this offseason. Instead of filling the hole in free agency or going after a younger talent in the draft, the 49ers opted to sit on their hands and rely on what they had last year.

Unfortunately, what they had last year was some of the worst safety play in the NFL.

Some of this was due to injuries suffered by players such as Jaquiski Tartt and Adrian Colbert, but it’s fair to say that even with a clean bill of health, there wasn’t much to get excited about this season.

More from Golden Gate Sports

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve

But that doesn’t mean that the 49ers were expected to release the aforementioned Colbert.

The 2017 seventh-round pick had started 12 games with the team over the past two seasons and had entered last year as the 49ers starting free safety before suffering an injury that would keep him out for the remainder of the season.

But after suffering a hamstring injury in the team’s final preseason game, the 49ers opted to simply cut ties with Colbert and waive him with an injury designation.

The emergence of converted cornerback Tarvarius Moore this summer made Colbert more expendable but it’s still surprising to see a possible starter to begin the season ultimately released unceremoniously.

San Francisco will instead role with the likes of Tartt, Moore, Jimmie Ward, and D.J. Reed to hold down the safety position going into 2019.

Colbert has been pretty bad over the last two seasons, but it remains surprising to see the 49ers give up on him just like that.