Tag: 49ers roster moves

49ers activate one DL off IR, place another DL on IR

49ers roster moves ahead of Week 5:

The San Francisco 49ers announced a handful of roster moves Saturday before their Week 5 showdown against the Arizona Cardinals.

Defensive tackle Kalia Davis was activated off IR after getting three full practices in during the week. Davis hurt his knee in the preseason and was expected to miss about half the season. Instead he only missed about a quarter of the year, and his return provides some depth on a banged up defensive line for San Francisco. Davis has one sack in three games since being selected in the sixth round of the 2022 draft.

Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos was placed on IR as part of Saturday’s moves. He missed all of the Week 5 practices with a knee injury. It’s unclear if or when he’ll return in 2024. Gross-Matos had one tackle and no sacks in three games.

The 49ers also elevated wide receiver Trent Taylor and defensive tackle T. Y. McGill from the practice squad. Taylor may wind up returning punts if WR Jacob Cowing can’t go. Cowing is questionable with a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 4.

McGill gives the 49ers depth on the D-line. He’s entering his ninth NFL season. He flashed a few times in 2022 when he played in nine games for San Francisco. He played two games for the 49ers last season after spending time on the practice squad.

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49ers place 2 on season-ending IR, sign DE to active roster

Tons of roster moves for the 49ers.

The San Francisco 49ers announced a slew of roster moves Saturday ahead of their Week 4 matchup with the New England Patriots.

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker Curtis Robinson were both placed on IR after suffering season-ending injuries.

Hargrave tore his triceps in the 49ers’ Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Robinson, a reserve and key special teams contributor tore his ACL during Thursday’s practice.

The 49ers had three open roster spots after placing that pair on IR. They filled one of those spots by promoting defensive end Sam Okuayinonu to the active roster from the practice squad. Okuayinonu posted the first full sack of his career in Week 3 when he was up on a standard practice squad elevation. He figures to be a key piece of the 49ers’ defensive line rotation, and he may even see time rushing from the interior.

Two players were also elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.

Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Evan Anderson will make his NFL debut, beating out veterans T.Y. McGill and Shakel Brown for the one-week roster spot. He’ll get playing time as a run stopper on the interior.

The other elevation is another undrafted rookie. Safety Jaylen Mahoney will make his NFL debut. He gives the 49ers added depth at safety with Talanoa Hufanga officially listed as questionable after rolling his ankle in practice on Friday.

Kickoff between the 49ers and Patriots is slated for 1:05pm Pacific Time from Levi’s Stadium.

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49ers officially add veteran OL to practice squad, release DE

The 49ers announced a practice squad swap on Wednesday.

The San Francisco 49ers traded out some internal defensive line depth for some offensive line depth.

In a practice squad move ahead of Wednesday’s practice, San Francisco signed veteran offensive lineman Chris Hubbard to the 17-man unit. To make room they released veteran DE Jonathan Garvin.

Hubbard was with the 49ers during the preseason and battled for the swing tackle job. He was let go and the team opted to bring back veteran Brandon Parker instead of Hubbard when they made some offensive line moves prior to Trent Williams’s return from his hold out.

Having Hubbard gives the 49ers quality OL depth on their practice squad. He joins Isaac Alarcon and undrafted rookie Drake Nugent on that portion of San Francisco’s roster.

Garvin’s release isn’t a huge surprise and it may bode well for Yetur Gross-Matos’s chances to play in Week 2. The 49ers elevated Sam Okuayinonu from the practice squad in Week 1 to provide depth while Gross-Matos missed the game with a knee sprain. If he can’t go in Week 2, Okuayinonu would be the likely replacement again with Garvin no longer on the club.

The 49ers added Garvin during the preseason when injuries started to hit their defensive line. He played 77 snaps across three preseason games, tallying three pressures and five run stops according to Pro Football Focus.

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49ers roster moves include addition of All-Pro OT ahead of season opener

The 49ers added OT Trent Williams to their roster and elevated a pair of defenders from the practice squad.

The San Francisco 49ers announced a handful of roster moves before their season opener against the New York Jets.

All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams was officially added to the 49ers’ roster after spending the entire preseason on the reserve/did not report list. Veteran offensive tackle Brandon Parker was released to clear a roster spot for Williams.

Parker’s time with the 49ers was a whirlwind since his signing leading up to Week 1 indicated that Williams’s contract negotiations may bleed into the regular season. Now that Williams is back, Parker’s services are no longer required and he was let go. Jaylon Moore will serve as the team’s backup OT.

San Francisco also elevated two players from the practice squad.

Defensive end Sam Okuayinonu is up for Week 1 to help out with DE depth while Yetur Gross-Matos nurses a knee sprain. Okuayinonu spent the preseason with San Francisco and made the initial 53-man roster before getting waived. He re-signed with the 49ers practice squad after clearing waivers.

Veteran safety Tracy Walker was a late add to the 49ers’ preseason roster, and he’ll be up for the season opener. He’ll provide safety depth with Talanoa Hufanga officially listed as doubtful while he finishes up his rehab from an ACL tear he suffered last year. Walker will likely contribute on special teams while Ji’Ayir Brown and veteran George Odom hold down the starting safety roles.

The 49ers and Jets are slated to kick off at 5:15pm Pacific Time at Levi’s Stadium.

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49ers practice squad moves may hint at good news for star offensive tackle

The 49ers made practice squad moves that come with some added intrigue given their high-profile holdout.

The San Francisco 49ers on Monday did some shuffling on their practice squad.

According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, the 49ers officially signed defensive end Sam Okuayinonu to their practice squad. In a corresponding move they released offensive tackle Sebastian Gutierrez.

The potential Okuayinonu addition was first reported by the Athletic’s Matt Barrows shortly after San Francisco released Okuayinonu from their initial 53-man roster. It’s not a huge surprise they wanted him back given their lack of depth at defensive end – a position of major importance on that side of the ball.

He joins Alex Barrett and Jonathan Garvin as internal depth options at the DE spot. San Francisco may rely on someone from that group in Week 1 if Yetur Gross-Matos’s knee injury pushes him out of action.

While the DE position is important, Gutierrez’s release is perhaps the more notable of the two moves because it may signal confidence that Trent Williams’s holdout will end before the season opener.

The 49ers have Jaylon Moore and Colton McKivitz on their 53-man roster, but no additional offensive tackle depth. Internally they had Gutierrez and Isaac Alarcon on the practice squad, but now Alarcon is the only offensive tackle depth they have and he’s an international pathway player who has yet to make his NFL debut.

It’s hard to imagine the 49ers will want to go into a season opener with no depth at OT. Perhaps they envision elevating Alarcon from the practice squad. International pathway players can be elevated up to three times per season. However, given where we are on the calendar and the team’s ongoing negotiations with Williams, the Gutierrez release could signal that the 49ers are getting their star OT back and bolstering their depth as a result.

San Francisco has a bonus practice on Tuesday before getting to work with their normal practice schedule Thursday.

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49ers add familiar face at RB, former 2nd-round WR to practice squad

The 49ers now have a full practice squad.

The San Francisco 49ers officially have a full practice squad.

On Thursday they announced the signing of running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn and wide receiver Terrace Marshall to their 16-man practice roster. They’re now at 17 players, including Isaac Alarcon who’s with the club via the NFL’s international player pathway program.

Vaughn was with the 49ers during the preseason. He played only seven snaps in one exhibition contest this year. In that game he racked up 12 rushing yards on two carries.

He gives San Francisco some internal running back depth after undrafted rookie Cody Schrader was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams. Vaughn was a third-round pick of the Buccaneers in the 2020 draft. In four years with Tampa Bay he had 384 yards and two touchdowns on 102 carries.

Marshall is an interesting player. He was taken by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2021 draft. Despite measurables that project a ton of upside, he never put it together with the Panthers. In 36 games he had 64 catches for 767 yards and one touchdown across three seasons.

The 49ers may want to see if they can squeeze any untapped potential out of him. He joins Tay Martin and Trent Taylor as receivers on the practice squad. San Francisco may be aiming for internal depth with so much uncertainty around Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall. If one or both aren’t available for the season opener it may force the 49ers to move their depth chart up where they would have a need for some special teams contributions at WR.

If San Francisco wants to make any more practice squad additions it will have to come with a corresponding move to drop a player since that portion of their roster is maxed out.

That could come into play soon. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reported the 49ers are hoping to bring back defensive end Sam Okuayinonu who they waived Wednesday.

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49ers officially sign veteran defensive lineman, release linebacker

The #49ers added a 10-year veteran on the defensive line.

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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49ers release DE to make room for TE Logan Thomas

Logan Thomas is officially signed and the 49ers waived a DE to make room on the roster for him.

The 49ers on Tuesday announced the signing of tight end Logan Thomas to a one-year contract. To make room on their 90-man roster they released defensive lineman Raymond Johnson III.

Thomas was originally a fourth-round pick of the Cardinals in the 2014 draft as a quarterback out of Virginia Tech. He converted to TE and returned to the league with Buffalo in 2017.

Since that point he’s played in 92 games with 57 starts and racked up 219 receptions for 2,002 yards and 16 touchdowns. He’ll provide a proven veteran depth option for San Francisco behind George Kittle while also giving them an opportunity to pass more out of multiple TE sets – something they’ve not been able to do during Kyle Shanahan’s tenure.

Johnson joined the club in February of this season after spending the last three years with the Giants, Bengals and Lions.

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49ers officially announce release of DL Arik Armstead

It’s official: Arik Armstead has been released.

The Arik Armstead era is over in San Francisco. The 49ers on Wednesday announced his release as part of their roster moves to kick off the new league year. They also officially announced the return of quarterback Brandon Allen and a one-year extension for offensive lineman Colton McKivitz.

There was a little optimism entering Wednesday that the 49ers might be able to find a deal with Armstead where he returned at a lower salary number, but he opted for free agency as was originally reported. It became clear his return wasn’t happening once the 49ers’ acquisition of defensive tackle Maliek Collins in a trade with the Texans was reported.

By waiting until the start of the new league year to let Armstead go the 49ers can designate him as a post-June 1 release which saves them a ton of money against the cap. They’ll still eat $10,313,824 in dead cap, but they’ll save $18,039,412 against the cap in June by giving him a post-June 1 designation.

Armstead is now free to sign with another club.

The 49ers selected Armstead No. 17 overall in the 2015 draft. He put together a terrific nine seasons in San Francisco where he posted 33.5 sacks and became a vital piece of their defensive line after dealing with a slew of injuries in the early part of his career. Armstead is still a versatile defender and run stopper, and he won’t be 31 until November.

Injuries forced him to miss 13 games the last two seasons, but when he’s been healthy he’s been a productive player who should be able to help a defensive line.

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49ers add DE depth to practice squad, release RB

The #49ers added some DE depth to their practice squad on Tuesday.

The 49ers on Tuesday announced a change to their practice squad.

Defensive end Austin Bryant is back with the club. Running back Jeremy McNichols was released to make room for the veteran DE.

Bryant was with the 49ers earlier this season and saw action in Weeks 1 and 5, with one tackle in the Week 5 win over the Cowboys. He joined the Vikings practice squad, but got released on January 15. This move gives the 49ers internal DE depth while Clelin Ferrell deals with a knee injury that’s expected to keep him out a couple weeks.

McNichols saw time in three games after joining the 49ers’ practice squad in late September. In those three games he played 20 special teams snaps.

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