The 49ers on Saturday announced a series of roster moves ahead of their game against the Philadelphia Eagles. They officially activated Deebo Samuel off Injured Reserve, placed tight end Jordan Reed and defensive end Dee Ford on IR, and promoted linebacker Joe Walker, cornerback Jamar Taylor and running back JaMycal Hasty from the practice squad.
Samuel was originally placed on IR before Week 1 with a foot injury. He was only on the injured list for the required minimum of three weeks. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Samuel will ease into his role as the team’s top receiver, so don’t expect a full workload from him in his season debut. He’ll take one of the spots vacated by Ford and Reed.
Ford will head to IR while he tries to get healthy from a back injury. Originally the team believed he was just dealing with neck spasms, but further evaluation deemed it something more serious. He’s had back issues before so the 49ers are being extra cautious in waiting on his return. There’s no timetable for his return.
Reed is out six-to-eight weeks with a knee sprain he suffered last week vs. the Giants. The good news is he won’t be limited when he has rehabbed and returns to the field according to Shanahan. A fully healthy Reed would be a nice late-season addition for San Francisco.
There weren’t any surprises among the practice squad promotions. Walker and Hasty were both active last week with Dre Greenlaw and Raheem Mostert sidelined by injuries. Their roles will likely be relatively minimal barring injuries in front of them on the depth chart, but there’s a subtle distinction in their two promotions.
Walker was “flexed” per the Athletic’s Matt Barrows. That means he’s on a temporary promotion and will revert back to the practice squad following Sunday night’s game.
Hasty was added to the active roster, which means he’ll not go back to the practice squad following Sunday’s contest. He’ll be the fourth running back with Raheem Mostert, Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson Jr. while Tevin Coleman remains on IR with a knee sprain. He gets the other roster spot opened by Ford and Reed going to IR.
Taylor on Saturday was signed to the practice squad. His promotion, like Walker’s, is temporary. He spent the last three weeks of training camp working in the slot while K’Waun Williams worked through a calf injury. Now Williams is dealing with a hip issue that’s left him ‘questionable’ for Week 4. Taylor would likely work as the nickel corner should Williams be unavailable.
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