Obviously, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would like to keep his entire roster intact. However, he will have some difficult decisions to make by Tuesday afternoon. That's when NFL teams are required to trim their rosters down from 80 players to 53.
Some of the toughest decisions will come with the defensive line. Depth along the defensive front is important for a unit that depends heavily on its pass rush and winning in the trenches. Still, there are only so many roster spots available, and every decision at one position could impact another group.
Shanahan spoke with reporters after Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The 49ers defense racked up three sacks against its one-time cross-city rival. Shanahan was asked if the defensive line decisions might be his most challenging leading to Tuesday's deadline.
"Yeah, probably. I mean, it is tough," Shanahan responded. "We'll see how many we end up keeping there and how it goes. I mean, if we're allowed to keep a bunch, it could be a little bit easier. But you guys have seen them, in all three of these games, they've played good from the beginning to the end. I think our D-line has been pretty good here these last three years, and I feel the same this year."
The 49ers may have options, though. This past week, general manager John Lynch said that he has been fielding calls from other teams inquiring about the 49ers' defensive linemen. Why would an NFL team trade for a player who may be on the cutting block? To make sure that the player doesn't land elsewhere.
"[W]e're also extremely deep at that position, and believe me, we're taking a lot of calls because people are interested in some of our depth. But we're hanging on to it because we want to be a group -- we want to be strong there."
One player who is probably safe is last year's No. 14 overall pick, Javon Kinlaw. Although, he explained why he hates the idea of losing anyone this week. The defender explained why Tuesday might be difficult for him.
"I want them to keep everybody we've got," Kinlaw told reporters after today's game. "We've bonded so much over this training camp, and if some guys go, it's going to be hard to see them go. It's like a real brotherhood, real family-type vibe."
Kinlaw added that he has high expectations for the 49ers' defensive line this season.
"From top to bottom, everybody has been playing at a very high level," Kinlaw said. "No matter who it is, everybody has just been excelling. Everybody's been getting better every day. It's just very encouraging to see, and I feel like I'm very blessed to be in the position that I'm in, to be around the group of guys that we have."