The 49ers are down to 85 players, and one who many thought would play a part this season is now gone.
Veteran cornerback Darqueze Dennard, who was signed as a nickel option in the wake of K’Waun Williams’ departure, was part of San Francisco’s first round of roster cuts on Monday. It’s likely that the two interception performance of rookie corner Sam Womack made Dennard expendable.
The 49ers also waived the following players: fullback Josh Hokit, wide receiver KeeSean Johnson and defensive lineman Tomasi Laulile.
With one of the best fullbacks in the game already on the roster, Hokit was always going to be a long-shot. The same is true for Johnson and Laulile, who were competing at two of San Francisco’s deeper position groups.
The next round of cuts is Aug. 23, when NFL teams are required to have a maximum of 80 players on their roster.