Even after an avalanche of roster moves at Sunday's deadline for final cuts, the San Francisco 49ers still have plenty of work to do on their roster.
With a handful of players likely returning to the club in some capacity, the 49ers will need to free up some roster spots. They could do that via the outright release of someone who made the first version of the 53-man roster. They can also create roster spots by placing players from the 53-man group on IR. Players who are on the roster and then go on IR can be designated for return. Players who are placed on IR before final cuts can't return, save for the maximum two players who are allowed to be given return designations.
One key with the return designations that come down at final cuts is that they
count toward the maximum eight IR returns for the season, even if they never come off IR. That forces teams to be strategic with how they utilize those IR slots on cutdown day.
Now that we know what the 49ers' initial 53-man roster looks like, and we know they'll need to clear up a couple of roster spots, here are seven players who could be tagged for IR now that they've made the initial roster:
OL Vederian Lowe (ankle)
Lowe suffered a high ankle sprain early in camp. There's a chance he'll be ready for the season opener or within the first couple weeks of the season which would allow him to avoid the minimum four-week absence that comes with an IR stint. Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed to reporters Lowe was an IR candidate at final cuts. He may still be one now that he's on the team.
DL Romello Height (ankle)
It's unclear exactly how severe Height's ankle injury is. There's a chance he's ready to go for the season opener, but given that he missed the 49ers' preseason finale it's worth wondering whether the team will shut him down for the first few weeks to ensure he's fully healthy when he does return. Keep an eye on his participation in the three days leading up to the team's departure for Australia.
LB Luke Gifford (hamstring)
Gifford has been dealing with a hamstring injury since early in training camp. Those injuries can be tricky to deal with and it wouldn't be a surprise if the 49ers determine some additional time off would be helpful for the special teams ace. With seven linebackers on the roster it would make sense that at least one is headed for an injured list.
LB Nick Martin (hamstring)
Put Martin in the same boat as Gifford, although he suffered his injury in the second preseason game. That puts him on a different timeline than Gifford. The severity of the injuries will matter here, but with a logjam at LB Martin could be on his way to IR.
CB Nate Hobbs (groin)
It was a rough camp for Hobbs who had a real shot to carve out a role. He came back from one injury and quickly hurt his groin and hasn't practiced since early in camp. Given his lack of practice time he's a prime IR candidate who may or may not ever get the return designation.
CB Ephesians Prysock (shoulder)
Prysock hurt his shoulder in the preseason finale and Shanahan said he was a candidate to go on IR. Perhaps additional testing over the last few days showed he won't need to be out an extended period. An injury late in the preseason could be tough from a timeline standpoint, though, and Prysock may head to IR if the team determines he needs more than a week or two to get right.
S Malik Mustapha (hamstring)
It would appear Mustapha is trending toward a return since he made the initial roster and hasn't participated since the early days of camp. Hamstrings are tricky, though, and he's a potential starter once he's healthy. The 49ers won't likely want to rush him back into action.
More 49ers: 4 veterans cut by 49ers who could return to 53-man roster
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 7 players on 49ers roster who could be headed for IR
