Cornerback depth has emerged as a sneaky-concerning issue for the San Francisco 49ers during training camp.
The Niners have their starters all but locked into place with Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green poised to man the boundary spots, and all indications are rookie defensive back Upton Stout is well on his way to seizing the starting nickel role.
Behind those names, though, the cupboard is proverbially bare.
In the wake of a recent roster transaction, it's even barer. According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson of Houston's KPRC2, San Francisco is parting ways with veteran cornerback Tre Avery:
Avery was claimed off waivers by the 49ers last December but didn't appear in any games for the Niners after the roster transaction. And despite being a 53-man roster addition from late 2024, Avery was still viewed as a mere depth piece heading into 2025, potentially just competing with Stout for a spot on the depth chart.
With Avery now cut, it sure seems as if Stout is in position to start from the get-go.
Chase Lucas, Dallis Flowers, Siran Neal, Darrell Luter Jr., Jakob Robinson and the recently signed Eli Apple remain in the competition to seize one of the two or three depth spots behind Upton, Lenoir and Green heading toward Week 1, although one might conclude Neal and Luter have a leg up over the rest of the competition.
While Avery didn't exactly flounder during camp, his apparent role of being little more than a competitive piece for Stout helps make sense of his release.
It's also feasible to assume San Francisco wanted to do the 28-year-old Avery a favor by parting ways with him early so he could get a jumpstart on signing with a new team before a massive influx of recently cut players floods the market after the preseason finale later this August in advance of the regular season.
Either way, the 49ers made their intentions with Stout much clearer with Avery no longer in the mix.
