QB Barkley among first roster trims
When asked after Thursday night’s preseason finale why quarterback Matt Barkley didn’t play, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan explained that he already knew what “Matt can do.”
That either meant the fouryear veteran had proved himself and, like many roster locks, was held out of action. Or it meant Shanahan was unimpressed with Barkley and his roster fate was sealed.
The translation of Shanahan’s comment came Friday as the 49ers released Barkley and 16 other players in their first wave of roster cuts. They need to part with 18 more players by 1 p.m. Saturday to reach the 53-man roster limit.
Barkley’s release made rookie third-round pick C.J. Beathard the backup behind Brian Hoyer. Beathard moved ahead of Barkley during training camp and started the preseason finale Thursday after serving as Hoyer’s backup the previous two weeks.
Beathard completed 26 of 45 passes for 401 yards with four touchdowns and an interception in the preseason. He also had a 62-yard touchdown run Thursday. Barkley completed 13 of 21 passes for 197 yards.
Barkley, 26, has the worst passer rating (63.7) among the 63 quarterbacks who have thrown 250 passes since 2013.
“We’ve seen Matt a lot,” Shanahan said Thursday. “We’ve seen him in this league before. We’ve seen him in practice.”
The decision to part with an experienced player in favor of a youngster was part of an apparent theme.
The 49ers also released running back Tim Hightower, 31, and center Tim Barnes, 29, who have combined for 81 career starts.
Hightower was believed to be fighting for a roster spot with Raheem Mostert, 25, who averaged 6.1 yards on 19 carries and had an 89-yard touchdown catch in the preseason. Meanwhile, undrafted rookie center/ guard Erik Magnuson could be in line to serve as the backup center behind Daniel Kilgore with Barnes’ release.
The 49ers also released cornerback Will Davis, defensive lineman Leger Douzable, offensive lineman Andrew Gardner and wide receiver Louis Murphy. They waived running back Kapri Bibbs, offensive lineman Andrew Lauderdale, fullback Tyler McCloskey, wide receiver Tim Patrick, offensive lineman Norman Price, kicker Nick Rose, linebacker Shayne Skov and safety Vinnie Sunseri.
They also waived/injured cornerbacks Will Redmond and Prince Charles Iworah, who could be placed on season-ending injured reserve if they clear waivers.