The San Francisco 49ers announced a pair of roster moves ahead of Wednesday’s practice.
Veteran defensive lineman Nick Williams was officially signed. The team released linebacker Zeke Turner in a corresponding move.
Williams is a 10-year veteran who has played in 97 games with 48 starts. He was with the Chargers last season where 49ers assistant head coach Brandon Staley was the head coach.
His insertion into the DL room alleviates some of the pressure created by Kalia Davis’s knee injury that will keep him out the first half of the season.
Typically players added this late in camp are just there to help the team get through camp and the preseason, but Williams should have a legitimate shot at making the 53-man roster. The 49ers don’t have a ton of surefire rotational players at defensive tackle, and Williams’s experience gives him an opportunity to hit the ground running in the lead up to the second preseason game.
Turner’s release comes as a mild surprise. He was a special teams ace for the Cardinals before joining the 49ers this offseason as a free agent. San Francisco’s kick coverage units could use some help and Turner appeared ready to provide that. However, the 49ers are deep at linebacker and the opportunities for Turner to land on the roster were dwindling.
Now he’ll get a chance to catch on elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent.
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