I feel I must have said it in almost every column so far (all two of them), but I really can’t wait for this season to begin. The San Francisco 49ers have a lot to prove, but the right pieces in place to do it. Ahead of our week one battle with Seattle, let’s take a look at some things that are going on around the 49ers, and let’s see what we make of them.

53-man roster thoughts

You didn’t hear from me during last week’s roster carnage, and frankly, that was by design, because it was difficult to get heard over the thousands of hot-take merchants, and hot takes mean hot air. [Editor's Note: Hey! That's our stock in trade here at Sidelinr!]

For example, there was much caterwauling as they cut punter Thomas Morestead, even though anyone with a rudimentary understanding of how NFL transactions work could’ve told you he’d be back on the roster before too long. Others gnashed their teeth over exposing guys to waivers, even though everyone ultimately came back. Quelle surprise.

Here’s some snappy roster thoughts:

If you’re good enough, you’re old enough…

It looks as though several rookies are indeed primed to start, as I urged the team to do last week. Mykel Williams has been pencilled in to start since the moment his name was called in the NFL Draft, but it would seem, happily, that Marques Sigle might well be in line to man one of the two safety spots, too.

Throw in Upton Stout, who returned to practice this week at the nickel spot, and it would seem to be a good start on getting a more youthful lineup out there. CJ West would be my other dark horse to figure into the lineup, given how solid he was against the run in preseason. We shall see, as Jordan Elliott and Kalia Davis among others should have significant roles.

Is this shades of 1981? To some extent, possibly, yes; great coach Bill Walsh had reached the end of his tether with a failing defensive unit, reached heavily into the draft to build one, and it paid dividends almost immediately. Will Kyle Shanahan’s and John Lynch’s reinvigorate a similarly faltering defense in 2025? With Robert Saleh on board, it’s easy to imagine that happening.

This represents a significant departure for Kyle Shanahan, with rookies on defense receiving zero snaps in Week 1 of the previous two years, according to the Associated Press. Interestingly, one of the highest years for rookies playing on defense and offense in Week 1 was 2019, and that ended in a Super Bowl run. Food for thought.

The 49ers' Receivers are Back, Just in Time

It turns out the death of our receiver room may have been greatly exaggerated. Having brought Russell Gage back after some 53-man roster trickery around final cuts, even more good news came to the 49ers on Monday as disgruntled pass-catcher Jauan Jennings resumed practice. What’s held him out of practice this offseason is a calf injury, but perhaps better described as contractitis. With some talk that he was looking for $20m per year(!) or more from the team, it’s not surprising there was an impasse.

I love Jennings–he’s a tenacious run blocker, gritty pass-catcher, and has a knack for the big play. That said, he’s barely on the level statistically of a No. 2 wideout, let alone the top-10 player he’s looking to be paid as. Asking for that contract from a team already burnt by giving out big contracts to receivers who haven’t lived up to them was also a choice. He’s not going to get that money from the 49ers, but should he give us another fully-committed, no-nonsense year, he’ll find his way to some money next offseason. Just not in Santa Clara.

Still, having him back for Week 1 is a huge boon. The team needed any competent pass-catchers, frankly ... now threatens to start a foursome of Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Gage, and recently-acquired Marques Valdez-Scantling. Who knows how it’ll shake out on gameday, especially with former wideout Kendrick Bourne visiting on Monday (possibly reuniting with Kyle Shanahan after being useful in 2019’s Super Bowl run?), but at least it looks like there’s some players to throw to now. Add in George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey, and suddenly things look brighter for Brock Purdy and company, especially with Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins and, yes, Brandon Aiyuk waiting in the wings.

Quickly on Bourne: while he might not move the needle in terms of a "wow" signing, a veteran receiver that Kyle Shanahan trusts (given how much he seems to detest playing rookie or young receivers) could actually be a useful get. He's one to watch, as I know there are some doubts over his health.

A Seattle Sunday in Week 1 is a Baptism of Fire

Let’s move on to talk about this Sunday’s game against Seattle. While there is some advantage to playing a divisional rival so early in the year–particularly if the 49ers can gain some ground early–I think I would’ve liked an easier game to start off with. There’s plenty of veteran nous in the 49ers, but the fact is, this is a team cashing in a number of draft picks to put out an inexperienced lineup. Running into the Seahawks, in Seattle, feels like one of the most difficult ways they could start. It’s always a cauldron in Seattle (pumped-in crowd noise or not), and the team's record there is interesting at best.

It’s often quasi-Gladitoral combat between these two sides, and I expect nothing different on Sunday afternoon (or, evening, if you’re me). Something that also troubles me is Purdy versus Mike Macdonald’s defense; while he has his moments against Macdonald’s scheme, his Christmas Day meltdown against them lingers in my memory. They need a fast start, and some of the spirit that led the Niners past the Seahawks in Seattle last year, aka one of the many false dawns in what ended up being a stuttering year.

Of course they can win it, but the key I feel is to stay level regardless. You can’t win a championship in Week 1 of the NFL season, and you can’t lose it either. Mostly, I’m excited to see this 49ers team take the field. There’s some energy in the air this year, perhaps more akin to 2019 than 2023; we don’t know how good they are yet, but getting to find out live on the field is always good fun. It’s important that we, as fans, are patient and allow the team to grow, and that might mean some pains along the way, especially in tough road games. Alternatively, perhaps the fire of Seattle’s atmosphere will forge some iron in this new 49ers team.

Seattle, meanwhile, do have a good-looking roster, although I have questioned all offseason their decision to go with Sam Darnold at quarterback. I’m always wary of quarterback "redemption runs" netting huge contracts, and given the way Darnold’s season ended–essentially picking grass out of his teeth in his Vikings’ surprise playoff loss to the Rams–I wouldn’t have been as confident as Seattle’s brass apparently were in putting up serious money to land him. Get after him early and often, and I feel the 49ers can unsettle him, particularly since he didn’t exactly light up our intolerably bad defense last year.

So, having successfully straddled the fence, do the 49ers win their opener this Sunday? I’m going to say yes, but in a narrow, hard-fought, tense game. You know, just like every other Seattle-Niners game for about the last 20 years. Who’ll write themselves in this rivalry’s folklore this time?

Per David Lombardi, between the roster and practice squad, the 49ers have 28 linemen on the team. You’ll get no argument from me on the soundness of this planning. As a former OL coach myself, you can’t have enough developmental pieces in the building, and it’s something the 49ers have massively failed to do over the last decade. On a similar note, Drew Moss made it, so I can safely assume our scouts are not blind. Chase Lucas made the roster, so mark me 0-1 for predictions on the year. Good for him. Darrell Luter Jr. also survived, as Shanahan continues to fail to quit his own draftees. Speaking of draftees, all of them bar Junior Bergen made it. Not necessarily surprising, but encouraging, as each of them seems to have carved out a role on the team.