Getty Wide receiver River Cracraft #86 of the San Francisco 49ers runs against cornerback Chidobe Awuzie #24 of the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Arlington, Texas.
The San Francisco 49ers are making their final adjustments before the NFC Championship clash with the Los Angeles Rams.
Nailing down each roster spot before a game like this is imperative, and the 49ers are setting themselves up for the biggest running back stable possible against their NFC West rivals.
The team announced their final roster moves before the January 30 game, activating running back Trenton Cannon from the injury reserve. Cannon was placed on the IR back on December 11, and has been eligible for activation since Week 17, but is just now returning after a concussion.
The team also made two “standard” elevations for Sunday, linebacker Mark Nzeocha and quarterback Nate Sudfeld. It’s hard to see Sudfeld being active for the NFC Championship, but Nzeocha has a chance.
Meanwhile, the move that prompted a somewhat sad reaction online was the waiving of River Cracraft. The 27-year-old receiver was waived on Saturday after a sustained period on the main roster since being promoted to the main roster on December 11.
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49ers Universe Reacts to News
Cracraft fits the archetype of a fringe/special teams player that works hard. In his eight appearances this year, he appeared on 115 special teams snaps with three total tackles, per PFR.
49ers media members and fans reacted to his release on Twitter, with NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco referring to the move as why the business is “rough.”
It’s a rough business. River Cracraft played the past eight games as a core special-teams contributor. But the #49ers determined they could not have both Trenton Cannon and Cracraft among the 48 players to suit up tomorrow.
One fan expressed their displeasure with a simple, but effective GIF reaction.
Of course, some of this reaction is played up for fun but, during a special playoff run like the one the 49ers are currently on, no fan ever wants to see any contributing player be cut.
Another fan pointed out that Cracraft was nearly the touchdown scorer on the all-important blocked punt touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in the 13-10 Divisional Round win.
“Awww River Cracraft was nearly the guy to pick up the blocked punt, but Talonoa Hufanga got there first,” Yolanda49er tweeted.
Another user, @LylesMovieFiles, asked if Cracraft could come back.
“Feel bad for River Cracraft since he’d been around all season. Any chance he’ll be back on the practice squad?”
The answer is yes. If Cracraft goes through the waiver wire without being picked up, the 49ers can elect to bring him back to the practice squad or the active roster.
49ers Running Back Room
With Cannon activated, the 49ers have six running backs to choose from for the NFC Championship game. Raheem Mostert is obviously still recovering from a knee injury in Week 1 and not active, but the team has quite the stable still.
Elijah Mitchell will more-than-likely get the starting nod on Sunday as he continues his breakout rookie season, while veteran Jeff Wilson Jr. is the primary backup. Trey Sermon, JaMychal Hasty, and now Cannon rounds out the guys who’s primary job is carry the ball. Although, expect Cannon to see the majority of his playing time on special teams, especially since Cracraft has been waived.
Last but certainly not least is Deebo Samuel, the star receiver who has seen more and more touches on the ground this season. Samuel averaged 6.2 yards per carry in the regular season, and has 110 yards in the two playoff games.