49ers Mailbag: Will Jerick McKinnon ever play a down with San Francisco?

Only 60 minutes remain in the 49ers’ preseason -- please, let there be no overtime on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi’s Stadium.

After the final preseason game, coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch will get to work on the paperwork needed for the 37 moves required for the 49ers to trim their regular-season roster to 53 players.

Those questions will be answered on Friday and Saturday. But, first, we have our own questions to answer from fans who submitted their inquiries via Facebook:

Do you think Jerick McKinnon will ever play a down as a 49er. Also, do you feel we are OK if he never does play a down for us? (Jay Morris)
The 49ers remain in good shape at running back with Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida sharing the load. Raheem Mostert will suit up for games, too, mostly for his special-teams contributions. The 49ers must decide whether to keep Jeff Wilson on the 53-man roster or take the risk of losing him.

As for McKinnon’s future, not enough information is known about his physical condition. The 49ers are still trying to figure out what’s going on with his surgically repaired right knee.

This was a player that had Shanahan so excited a year ago. He was going to revamp his entire offense to fit McKinnon’s rare skills as a runner and receiver. As your question suggests, now there is a real possibility he never plays a down for the club.

Do you think we cut McKinnon? (Michael Monico)
There is no reason to cut him any time soon. Teams cannot cut injured players without a financial settlement and, also, his entire 2019 salary is fully guaranteed. So, again, there’s no reason to cut him.

If McKinnon goes on injured reserve and misses the entire season, the 49ers would likely part ways with him after the season before April 1, when $2.6 million of his salary would become guaranteed. The other alternative would be the work out a new deal to keep him around without the guaranteed money.

With Street going to IR, what would you say is the chance Moore makes this roster? (Matthew J Azar)
Damontre Moore still faces an uphill climb because it’s far from certain that he would be among the 46 players to suit up on game days, as long as all the linemen are healthy.

Moore has been in the NFL since 2013. In 54 career games, he has 10 sacks. The 49ers would likely have promising young players filling out the back end of the roster -- a player such as Kevin Givens might be better suited for that roster spot.

Outside of Jimmy G, who is the most critical to keep healthy? (Joe Ruggero)
The answer is Joe Staley – perhaps the man most responsible for keeping Jimmy Garoppolo healthy.

The 49ers’ depth took a hit in the first preseason game when swing tackle Shon Coleman went down with a season-ending ankle injury. The 49ers do not have much depth at tackle, as veteran Sam Young and rookie Justin Skule are among those competing for that job.

Staley had an up-and-down training camp and preseason. At 34, Staley continues to hold a vital role on this team.

OK, Matt, in your honest opinion, is this more Mullen’s team than Jimmy G? As far as chemistry and who they gravitate to. (Antoine Speedy Battle)
Here’s my honest opinion ... and it might surprise you ...

This is Jimmy Garoppolo’s team. And nobody in the locker room or in the entire organization doubts that.

Nick Mullens has done a nice job, for sure. But Garoppolo is the guy everyone follows.

What is the thought process in keeping 3 quarterbacks IF we do, and what position do you see that 3rd spot take away from? (Adolfo Chapa)
The thought process is that NFL quarterbacks are difficult to find. The 49ers believe Garoppolo, Mullens and C.J. Beathard are all NFL players. They think other teams would want any of those guys, so they do not want to give one of them away.

But the impact of keeping a third QB would be felt at any number of spots on the roster. It might impact players at other positions, such as Wilson, linebacker David Mayo or safety Adrian Colbert.

How many WRs do you see making the 53 roster? (Colin Ashby)
Ordinarily, I’d say the 49ers will keep six receivers. But with Trent Taylor unavailable early in the season after undergoing foot surgery, I’m going with seven.

Taylor, Deebo Samuel, Dante Pettis, Marquise Goodwin, Jalen Hurd and Richie James seem like solid bets. Then, it comes down to Kendrick Bourne or Jordan Matthews. Flip a coin.

Between the two rookie receivers, which one could be a candidate for ROY, Deebo, or Hurd? (Clint Rhyno)
Definitely, Deebo Samuel.

Samuel continues to make strides and should have a major role in the offense – most likely as a starter. Hurd, meanwhile, faces some uncertainty because of a back condition that has kept him sidelined now for a couple of weeks.

Would Verrett make a run at starting corner next to Sherman? (Christopher Dupas)
Jason Verrett was very much in the mix to compete with Ahkello Witherspoon for a starting job until he sustained an ankle injury in practice on Aug. 7. Now, it’s clear that Witherspoon will open the season as the starter opposite of Richard Sherman.

But once Verrett returns to practice and shows he’s moving well, the 49ers will have the option of turning to him if Witherspoon falters.

[RELATED: Sherman criticizes fans who booed Luck over retirement]

I’ve read that the Niners are 2nd in line for anyone waived. Is that for every player? All year? (Jason Stein)
Players with fewer than four years of NFL service are subject to the waiver wire upon getting cut. Players with more than four years of experience become immediately free to sign with any team after being released.

For the first three weeks of the regular season, the draft order is used to determine waiver priority. The Arizona Cardinals are No. 1, and the 49ers are second. After Week 3, the current standings are used to determine the order of waiver priority.