Tag: 49ers roster moves

49ers combat injuries with roster moves ahead of Week 16

The 49ers made a bunch of roster moves before Week 16.

The San Francisco 49ers on Saturday made a slew of roster moves leading up to their Week 16 matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

They promoted two practice squad players to the active roster with offensive lineman Austen Pleasants and linebacker Jalen Graham both getting called up.

Graham will fill out LB depth with De’Vondre Campbell’s suspension, while Pleasants gives them more bodies on the offensive line after injuries to Trent Williams and Ben Bartch.

Pleasants was added to the practice squad early in Week 16 and quickly got promoted. The 27-year-old offensive tackle has played in two games during his NFL career.

To clear the necessary roster spot, the 49ers waived OL Sebastian Gutierrez.

They also elevated two players from the practice squad who will revert to the practice roster after Sunday’s game. Running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn will help fill out the backfield. Vaughn has worked in as the backup behind Patrick Taylor who is in line to start with RB Isaac Guerendo listed as out for Sunday.

Defensive lineman Alex Barrett will help out a banged up defensive front that has both DEs Nick Bosa and Robert Beal listed as questionable.

The 49ers and Dolphins are slated to kick off at 1:25pm Pacific Time from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday.

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Recently-waived former 49ers 3rd-round pick claimed by Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are a popular place for former San Francisco 49ers CBs to land.

The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday as part of a slew of roster moves waived former third-round pick Ambry Thomas.

Thomas, a cornerback from the University of Michigan, was claimed Wednesday by the Indianapolis Colts according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

San Francisco kept Thomas on their initial 53-man roster despite a rough preseason that was further derailed by an injury. Thomas was quickly placed on IR because of a broken forearm he sustained in the team’s preseason opener. He was never activated before being placed on waivers.

Thomas is due to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after an up-and-down tenure in the Bay Area.

He stepped into a starting role as a rookie and wound up sealing a postseason berth by intercepting Matt Stafford in overtime of a Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Rams. He wound up missing out on a starting job in Year 2 and started none of the 15 games he appeared in. Last season he was in-and-out of the starting lineup as a third CB while the team struggled to find consistency in the secondary.

His training camp and preseason left him without a role heading into 2024. Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir locked down two of the starting jobs, while Isaac Yiadom and rookie Renardo Green were the clear third and fourth CBs in some order. Thomas stayed around as an internal depth piece San Francisco never needed.

Thomas played in 42 games with 11 starts for the 49ers and posted 79 tackles, 12 pass breakups, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He’ll now get a fresh start with a Colts club that also claimed former 49ers CB Samuel Womack after he was let go at final cuts.

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49ers place breakout star RB on IR ahead of Week 14

Jordan Mason is officially on IR.

The San Francisco 49ers on Saturday officially placed running back Jordan Mason on IR as part of a slew of roster moves leading up to a Week 14 matchup against the Chicago Bears.

Mason suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 13 vs. the Buffalo Bills. He’ll be out at least four of the final five weeks now that he’s been placed on the injured list.

Safety George Odum was also sent to IR after sustaining a knee injury in practice leading up to the Bears game. He wasn’t on the report Wednesday, then was listed as a non-participant Thursday and Friday before getting ruled out on Friday’s injury report. The extent of his knee injury is unclear.

In a corresponding move the 49ers activated safety Talanoa Hufanga off IR. He suffered a wrist injury in Week 5 and figures to make his return Sunday against the Bears. Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated Hufanga will play with a contraption to protect his injured wrist.

Offensive lineman Sebastian Gutierrez was also promoted to the active roster to fill the spot vacated by Mason. He spent the offseason with the 49ers and was recently re-signed to their practice squad. He’ll provide depth on a banged up offensive line.

Practice squad elevations for Week 14 include linebacker Jalen Graham and running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn. Both will revert to the practice squad after Sunday’s game.

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Christian McCaffrey injury fallout continues with more 49ers roster moves

More roster moves for the 49ers on Wednesday.

The San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday continued adjusting to life without running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason.

They announced running back Patrick Taylor’s promotion to the active roster from the practice squad, along with the addition of RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn to the practice squad. Defensive tackle Kevin Givens has also been placed on IR.

Taylor’s promotion isn’t a surprise since San Francisco was so thin at running back. Rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo figures to sit atop the depth chart, but until Tuesday the 49ers didn’t have any healthy players behind him. They claimed former New York Jets RB Israel Abanikanda off waivers to give Guerendo a backup. Taylor gives them a third player on the depth chart, while Vaughn re-joining the club adds internal depth.

This is Taylor’s second stint on the active roster this season. He was let go ahead of McCaffrey’s return in Week 10, but he re-signed to their practice squad after clearing waivers. Now he’ll return to the active roster with a chance to carve out an RB2 role behind Guerendo.

Vaughn was with the 49ers during the preseason and also spent time on their practice squad before being released in mid-November. He’s now back with the club.

Givens suffered a torn pec in the 49ers’ Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills. His injury-riddled season is over after only eight games. The 2019 undrafted free agent signee posted 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a career-high 3.5 sacks this season.

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49ers fill open roster spot with CB, elevate 2 others before Week 13

Roster moves for the 49ers:

The San Francisco 49ers made a handful of roster moves ahead of their Week 13 showdown with the Buffalo Bills.

One day after waiving wide receiver Ronnie Bell, the 49ers filled his roster spot by promoting cornerback Nick McCloud from the practice squad. He’ll now hold a place on the 53-man roster after signing with the practice squad in November.

McCloud has played in two games for the 49ers this season, contributing 19 special teams snaps and no defensive snaps. He figures to continue being a special teams ace for San Francisco, but he also provides depth at CB with Deommodore Lenoir ruled out and Renardo Green listed as questionable.

The 49ers also elevated linebacker Jalen Graham and offensive lineman Sebastian Gutierrez to the roster for Sunday’s game. Graham will provide depth at LB and play on special teams. Gutierrez, who was re-signed to the practice squad Friday, will be a depth piece on the OL after injuries ruled out Trent Williams and Aaron Banks.

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49ers promote veteran safety to active roster ahead of Week 12

49ers roster moves before Week 12. Tashaun Gipson is back:

A familiar face is back in the San Francisco 49ers secondary.

The 49ers on Saturday announced veteran safety Tashaun Gipson has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster as a part of a handful of roster moves leading up to a Week 12 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.

Gipson has been elevated for the last two games, but now he’ll be permanently on the 53-man roster. He started 33 games across the 2022 and 2023 seasons for San Francisco. They signed him to their practice squad in early November after he was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Gipson will give the 49ers depth behind Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha.

In a corresponding move, the 49ers placed linebacker Tatum Bethune on IR. Bethune suffered an MCL injury in Week 11. It’s unclear if the rookie seventh-round pick will be able to return this season. He’ll be out a minimum of four weeks per the NFL’s IR rules.

The 49ers’ pair of standard elevations for Week 12 are linebacker Jalen Graham and cornerback Nick McCloud. Both should contribute on special teams. San Francisco is shorthanded there with Bethune and CB Darrell Luter Jr. both on IR.

Special teams has been an issue for San Francisco this season, but they’ll need those units to be at their best if they’re going to swing an upset over the Packers.

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49ers roster moves good news for defensive line ahead of Week 11

49ers roster moves ahead of Week 11:

The San Francisco 49ers are getting a key piece of their defensive line back ahead of their Week 11 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.

Defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos has been activated off IR according to an announcement from the team. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky and cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. were both placed on IR, and punter Pat O’Donnell was promoted from the practice squad.

Wishnowsky is dealing with a back injury that initially cropped up in training camp and forced him to miss the preseason. He’ll now be out at least four weeks before he’s eligible to return. The team signed O’Donnell to the practice squad early in the week, signaling bad news for Wishnowsky’s status.

The Gross-Matos return could be significant for a 49ers defensive end rotation that has struggled to produce this season. Gross-Matos tried playing through a knee injury he suffered in training camp, but eventually it landed him on IR. That knee issue may have slowed him down some because in three games he posted only one tackle, one quarterback hit and five pressures according to Pro Football Focus.

Ideally Gross-Matos will fit as a defensive end who can also rush the passer from the interior. His return may help make up for the lack of acquisitions on the defensive line at the trade deadline. Sunday will mark his first action since the 49ers’ Week 4 win over the New England Patriots.

San Francisco also brought up cornerback Nick McCloud from the practice squad on a standard elevation. McCloud is a standout special teams player who will replace Luter who is now out for at least four weeks after suffering a pelvis injury in the lead up to Week 11.

Veteran safety Tashaun Gipson was also elevated from the practice squad to provide depth at a position where the 49ers have Ji’Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha and George Odum on the roster.

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49ers roster move isn’t good news for ailing specialist

The 49ers added a new punter to their practice squad while Mitch Wishnowsky deals with an injury.

The San Francisco 49ers might once again be dealing with a missing specialist.

Punter Mitch Wishnowsky has been dealing with a back injury that flared up during the team’s Week 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday said the team would be evaluating treatment options, and left Wishnowsky’s status for Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks up in the air.

San Francisco’s practice squad tweak before Wednesday’s game wasn’t a good sign for Wishnowsky’s availability.

The 49ers on Tuesday announced the addition of punter Pat O’Donnell to their practice squad. They released veteran defensive tackle T.Y. McGill in a corresponding move to make room on their 16-man practice squad roster.

O’Donnell, 33, was a sixth-round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2014 draft out of the University of Miami. He played in 145 games across nine years, including eight with the Bears, and one each with the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons. His stint with the Falcons last year was only on their practice squad.

He’s averaging 45.1 yards per punt across 616 kicks in his career.

Ideally the 49ers wouldn’t need to replace Wishnowsky, who also missed time in the preseason. However, this is something they’ve dealt with on the kicking side where kickers Jake Moody and Matt Wright both suffered injuries that caused them to miss time.

Given the team’s special teams struggles, having to replace reliable players on those units could be a significant issue moving forward.

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49ers re-sign one RB, release another in practice squad shuffle

A familiar RB is back with the 49ers.

The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday announced a couple of corresponding roster moves before they begin their on-field preparations for Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Running back Patrick Taylor Jr. re-signed with the 49ers on their practice squad. To make room on the 16-man practice roster, the team released Ke’Shawn Vaughn.

Taylor spent the first nine weeks of the season with the 49ers, but was released Friday before their Week 10 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make room for Christian McCaffrey when he returned from IR.

It isn’t a huge surprise to see Taylor back in the team’s facility. He was with the club throughout training camp and the preseason and was fine when called upon. He primarily contributed on special teams, but he did see 21 snaps on offense and posted 25 rushing yards on seven carries.

Taylor will provide internal depth for the 49ers behind McCaffrey, Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo on the 53-man roster.

Vaughn also spent significant time with the 49ers in the preseason, but he never broke through to carve out any kind of role. He was released ahead of final cuts and re-signed to the practice squad. Vaughn didn’t appear in a regular-season game.

The 49ers will open their Week 11 practices Wednesday.

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49ers waive veteran S to make room for CB on practice squad

Renardo Green’s injury may have catalyzed a change on the 49ers’ practice squad.

The San Francisco 49ers on Monday announced a couple of roster moves that impacted their practice squad.

Cornerback Nick McCloud was signed to the 16-man practice squad, and veteran safety Adrian Amos was released in a corresponding move.

The addition of McCloud is likely related to an injury suffered by rookie cornerback Renardo Green during the 49ers’ Week 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Green injured his toe and didn’t return according to head coach Kyle Shanahan immediately after the game. Shanahan should have additional information about Green’s injury when he speaks with reporters Monday. McCloud provides some internal depth if Green misses time.

The Buffalo Bills signed McCloud as an undrafted rookie after the 2021 draft. He’s spent four seasons in the NFL and played in 40 games for the Bengals and Giants. McCloud has 10 pass breakups, one interception, three forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks in his career.

Amos became expendable for the 49ers when they added veteran safety Tashaun Gipson. Gipson was up over Amos for Sunday’s game in Tampa Bay because rookie Malik Mustapha was working through a calf injury. Mustapha wound up playing the entire game, and having two veteran safeties on the practice squad didn’t make a ton of sense.

The 49ers will begin Week 11 practices Wednesday.

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