The 49ers on Thursday continued their pre-training camp roster tweaking as they aim to move forward with the minimum possible amount of players to help mitigate some of the risk of holding camp in the COVID-19 pandemic.
They made a trio of moves that included releasing two players and placing running back Jeff Wilson Jr. on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Wilson will be on the reserve/COVID-19 list until he’s deemed healthy enough to return. A placement on that list doesn’t guarantee a positive test. It could also mean the player was in contact with someone who tested positive. Teams aren’t at liberty to specify.
The former undrafted running back enters his third season with a chance to take advantage of Matt Breida’s departure in a trade on Day 3 of the NFL draft. Wilson has acquitted himself well in minimal action, and carved out a role as a short-yardage back thanks to his hard-nosed running style when the team had injuries in the backfield last year. He could find his way into a similar role this year behind Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert, and Jerick McKinnon if McKinnon is able to return from a pair of ACL injuries.
San Francisco also waived defensive lineman Alex Barrett, and released offensive lineman Leonard Wester.
The removal of Barrett and Wester puts the 49ers’ training camp roster at 79 players. Wilson and wide receiver Richie James Jr. don’t count toward the roster total while they’re on the reserve/COVID-19 list. San Francisco will probably let at least one more player go once James and Wilson are back on the roster.