Tag: 49ers roster

49ers waive RB, pave way for Christian McCaffrey return

49ers roster move, but no CMC activation yet.

The San Francisco 49ers are officially gearing up for the return of running back Christian McCaffrey.

While they haven’t officially activated McCaffrey off IR, they did make a roster move Friday to clear a 53-man roster spot for the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.

The 49ers on Friday announced running back Patrick Taylor was waived. There was no corresponding move announced, presumably because the spot is being given to McCaffrey.

Taylor joined the 49ers in the offseason and primarily contributed on special teams. He wound up seeing some action on offense while RB Jordan Mason dealt with a shoulder injury. Taylor posted seven carries for 25 yards and one catch for 12 yards on 21 snaps in Weeks 6 and 8.

McCaffrey’s return lessens the need for RB depth in San Francisco. He’ll be backed up by Mason and rookie RB Isaac Guerendo.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Taylor re-sign with the 49ers’ practice squad to work as internal depth since they don’t carry an RB on that portion of their roster.

The roster move to officially activate McCaffrey will likely occur Saturday before the 49ers visit the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. McCaffrey has missed the entire season with Achilles tendinitis. His practice window was opened Monday and he is expected to play in Week 10.

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Christian McCaffrey injury update great news for 49ers

A positive Christian McCaffrey update after his return to practice.

The San Francisco 49ers are on the verge of getting running back Christian McCaffrey back in games.

McCaffrey, who has missed the entire season and been on IR since Week 2 with Achilles tendinitis, returned to practice Monday after the team opened his 21-day practice window.

That he returned to practice Monday was a positive update since he spent the Bye week ramping up his rehab with more intense workouts that simulated practices.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday told reporters the Monday session went well for McCaffrey, who experienced no pain after the post-Bye bonus practice.

McCaffrey is projected to be a limited participant Wednesday.

While full participation is preferable, that McCaffrey got through Monday pain-free is a great sign for his potential Week 10 return when the 49ers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The next steps will be getting through three consecutive practices without any pain. McCaffrey’s return is essential to a potential 49ers playoff run, but they’re also unlikely to try and push him into action if he deals with even a minor setback in his recovery.

We’ll likely see limited sessions all week from McCaffrey, but they may give him a full go in Friday’s walk-through.

McCaffrey was the Offensive Player of the Year last season after leading the NFL with 339 touches, 1,459 rushing yards, 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns. His return will give the 49ers’ offense a boost after they struggled to score touchdowns without him in the first eight weeks.

If McCaffrey does play Sunday, he’ll be officially activated off IR on Saturday.

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49ers add WR to practice squad, open practice window for injured DL

Some good news in these 49ers roster moves!

The San Francisco 49ers announced a handful of roster moves ahead of Wednesday’s practice.

They officially announced the acquisition of defensive lineman Khalil Davis from the Houston Texans. San Francisco dealt a 2026 seventh-round pick in that move.

The 49ers also announced the signings of wide receiver Russell Gage and safety Tashaun Gipson to the practice squad.

Gage is an intriguing veteran option who missed all of last season with a torn ACL. Before hurting his knee late in the 2022 campaign, he’d played in 74 games across five NFL seasons. Gage as a sixth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in the 2018 draft out of LSU.

In his 74 games he racked up 244 receptions for 2,491 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s the exact type of receiver the team likely would have aimed to acquire via trade. Instead of trading draft capital to acquire that player, they added Gage to the practice squad where he’ll get a chance to acclimate to the offense while they determine whether he can help their wide receiver depth.

Gipson spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the 49ers. He was recently released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and gives San Francisco some much-needed veteran safety depth.

In a corresponding move to clear a practice squad spot, the 49ers released WR Malik Turner.

Finally, the 49ers have opened the practice window for defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos. He’s a key piece of the defensive line rotation and his pending return may have been why the club wasn’t more aggressive in looking to add defensive end help at the trade deadline.

Gross-Matos has been dealing with a knee injury since the final game of the preseason, and he’s been out since Week 6. He’s played in three games this year and has one tackle and one QB hit.

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NFL trade deadline: No major trade isn’t bad news for 49ers

The 2024 NFL trade deadline came and went with the 49ers making only one, very under-the-radar move.

The 2024 edition of the NFL trade deadline came and went with the San Francisco 49ers staying relatively quiet.

The day was headlined by CB Marshon Lattimore going from the New Orleans Saints to the Washington Commanders, edge rusher Za’Darius Smith heading from the Cleveland Browns to the Detriot Lions and wide receiver Mike Williams going from the New York Jets to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite multiple veteran pieces in potential positions of need being available, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan decided to hold onto their premium draft capital and add some depth on the defensive line. Just before the deadline, San Francisco dealt a future seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans for veteran defensive tackle Khalil Davis.

While they didn’t make a major move on Tuesday, help is on the way for the 49ers.

While they’ve posted an underwhelming 4-4 record through nine weeks, it’s fair to say the 49ers have yet to be healthy at any point in the first half of the season. While they will still be missing players like Brandon Aiyuk, the 49ers will be getting a boost with the return of several key players.

For the first time all season, reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey is nearing a highly-anticipated return to the field after being sidelined due to an Achilles injury. Along with McCaffrey, Brock Purdy will welcome more help offensively with the soon return of Jauan Jennings.

Jennings, who has posted a breakout campaign in 2024, has missed the last two games with a hip injury. Jennings, with the addition of McCaffrey and rookie Ricky Pearsall, will give Purdy and the 49ers offense more playmakers and depth for the stretch run of the 2024 season.

While Purdy’s offensive weapons will have more flexibility, so will the 49ers’ offensive line. Veteran offensive lineman Jon Feliciano recently had his practice window opened. Feliciano started every playoff game last season. While Dominick Puni likely wont be going anywhere, Feliciano’s return fills a whole in the 49ers offensive line depth. His return also provides competition for players like center Jake Brendel.

While the 49ers still have some question marks on the defensive line, the defensive line unit was a popular group on Tuesday’s trade deadline with players like Smith and Preston Smith being on the move. With Lynch and company not making a move, the 49ers will need to lean on one their free agent signings from the summer – Leonard Floyd.

The veteran pass rusher has had a quiet start to his campaign with the 49ers, recording 24 tackles and three sacks in eight games. Yet, over his last four games, Floyd has notched two of those sacks. If he continues that pace for the second half of the season, Floyd could check many boxes on the 49ers’ defensive front.

Coming off the bye week, the 49ers will enter the post-trade deadline run on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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USA TODAY has intriguing idea for how 49ers can use offensive superstar

Could something of a position change be coming for Christian McCaffrey?

There are clear ways the return of running back Christian McCaffrey will help the San Francisco 49ers.

They’ve been one of the most efficient offenses in the NFL through eight weeks. They’re No. 2 in the league in yards per play and No. 2 in percentage of drives that end in a score. Despite that, they’re No. 8 in total scoring because they’ve struggled to find the end zone.

McCaffrey’s return should help them dramatically in that area. However, they’ll have to be judicious in the way they deploy the reigning Offensive Player of the Year. That’s where USA TODAY’s Nate Davis offered an interesting idea for how the 49ers can use McCaffrey.

In his weekly power rankings, Davis called for something of a position change for McCaffrey:

If Christian McCaffrey and his Achilles issues are indeed on the other side of this week’s bye, you wonder if the Niners should maybe deploy him more heavily in the slot to bolster a weakened receiver corps and let RBs Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo continue doing their spectacular work out of the backfield.

This is an interesting idea!

McCaffrey’s Achilles tendinitis will require a little bit of management from the 49ers, meaning they’re unlikely to be able to lean on him for 21-plus touches per game like they did last year.

Using McCaffrey as a receiver isn’t a novel idea. He lined up in the slot or out wide on 17.7 percent of his snaps last season, and averaged 11.1 snaps at those two spots per game.

Perhaps if the 49ers want to lighten McCaffrey’s overall workload without removing him from the field, they can utilize him as a receiver on something closer to 30 percent of his snaps. From there they can sprinkle in Mason and Guerendo to ensure they’re getting touches for the other players in their backfield as well.

At the same time, they’d be taking some of the onus off of WRs Chris Conley, Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing and Ronnie Bell to be playmakers in the passing game.

Don’t be surprised if the 49ers utilize some form of this strategy once McCaffrey returns. It may not be a 30 percent snap rate at receiver, but we can expect an uptick in his playing time at that spot as the club tries to ensure they’re keeping him as healthy as possible to try and make a playoff run.

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Did Kyle Shanahan hint that 49ers plan to keep pending free agent CB?

Deommodore Lenoir has been awesome this season.

There aren’t many players on the San Francisco 49ers playing better than cornerback Deommodore Lenoir through the first eight weeks.

Lenoir, a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft, is entering the final year of his contract and appears to be on track for a sizable payday in the offseason. The 49ers have some financial constraints ahead considering the lucrative contract extension quarterback Brock Purdy figures to fetch this offseason, but Lenoir may be another player they prioritize.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday was asked about Lenoir’s terrific start to the 2024 campaign. In his answer he made an interesting comment about Lenoir’s playing style that may signal the team’s intent to pay him in free agency.

“Yeah, DMo’s been a stud,” Shanahan said. “He is exactly what you want a 49er to play like. He came in his first rookie camp and stood out, got me fined for illegally jamming people too hard and putting on the internet. So, I always mess with him for that. But he started out real well, made a couple mistakes early on as a rookie and lost his confidence just a little bit I thought his rookie year. Then that second season, the way he came back in the offseason, kind of just possessed to get that job back and he’s kind of owned it ever since. He’s been a stud for a while to me and he gets better each year. He’s having a hell of a year.”

It’s not a slam dunk that the 49ers will keep a player just because the head coach said “he is exactly what you want a 49er to play like,” but it’s an indication of how highly regarded Lenoir is in the team’s building.

He has the versatility to play in the slot or outside, and he’s steadily improved over his four years to become the most reliable member of a very good secondary.

Lenoir figures to get a big-time contract in free agency, and his market may dictate that he’s owed more than the 49ers can or will spend at corner.

However, his importance to their team is growing and Shanahan’s quote on him is indicative of that.

If the 49ers’ pass rush continues to struggle and their secondary continues playing well, we may see a shift in philosophy where the 49ers prioritize a very good coverage corner like Lenoir, then see if they can go bargain hunting to fill in their pass rush instead of the other way around.

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49ers offense gets boost from unlikely source vs. Cowboys

Shoutout to Isaac Guerendo.

The San Francisco 49ers’ offense was stuck in a little bit of a rut Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, but an unlikely hero helped them turn it around.

In the first half of a 30-24 win over the Cowboys, the 49ers scored only six points. Their run game in particular struggled with running back Jordan Mason churning out only 18 yards on six carries in the first quarter and change.

A shoulder injury wound up forcing Mason into the locker room before halftime, opening the door for rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo. He entered the game with just 23 carries on the season, including only one in Week 7 against the Chiefs.

Sunday wasn’t the first time Guerendo got an opportunity for extended playing time, but it was certainly his best outing. He rushed for 85 yards on 14 carries and scored his first-career touchdown. He also got to 85 yards with a long run of just 19.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game that the improvement for Guerendo has been clear.

“I think he’s learned from each run he’s gotten,” Shanahan said. “There are a couple runs earlier in the year that he did alright on, but we grade him pretty hard, everybody pretty hard. And he had a couple, like four-yard runs we thought he could have got seven yards on. We go pretty hard on him. And then you watch how he takes that to practice and everything we’ve really kind of been pushing him with, he’s been real coachable, he’s not a sensitive guy, he’s real detailed and he’s very poised for a rookie. Things aren’t too big for him and didn’t get a lot of preseason, but once he got healthy there and throughout this year, I feel he’s gotten better each week.”

Guerendo also played a big role in the 49ers’ Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks, but he struggled to find running room in that game before a 76-yard run late in the fourth quarter helped the 49ers seal the victory. He finished the game with 10 carries for 99 yards.

He was more consistent Sunday night with runs of 19 and 15 yards on his first two touches. He flashed his speed and his power, and in general looked more patient in waiting for running lanes to develop.

Shanahan also said Guerendo was running well enough that they didn’t even try to put Mason back in the game after he came out for the second half with his helmet on — a sign he was ready to go.

Guerendo rewarded the 49ers’ faith in him by going for 47 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in the second half. He also contributed as a pass catcher, hauling in three of his four targets for 17 yards.

The talent has always been apparent with Guerendo, he just wasn’t catching on the way we’ve seen other RBs do in Shanahan’s scheme. Sunday night was his coming out party and it came in a game where the 49ers desperately needed their run game to get rolling to help them turn things around after a rough first half.

With Christian McCaffrey set to return soon, Guerendo may not get another opportunity as a lead RB this season, but he took his opportunity Sunday night and played well enough to be a major cog in a huge 49ers victory.

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49ers roster moves may be good news for 2 49ers offensive stars

49ers roster moves for Week 8:

The San Francisco 49ers on Saturday announced a pair of practice squad elevations that bode well for wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle.

San Francisco elevated kicker Anders Carlson and safety Adrian Amos from the practice squad for their Week 8 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

Carlson is the only healthy kicker in the building while Jake Moody nurses a high ankle sprain, so it’s not a surprise the 49ers used one of their two elevations on the kicker. He drilled a pair of field goals in Week 7, but missed an extra point.

Amos gives the 49ers some safety depth behind Ji’Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha. George Odum dealt with a knee injury during the week and is officially questionable on the injury report.

By not elevating a wide receiver or an additional tight end, the 49ers may be hinting that Samuel and Kittle are expected to play Sunday night. Samuel has been dealing with pneumonia that hospitalized him, and Kittle has a foot sprain he suffered in Week 7. Both players are officially questionable on the injury report after missing Wednesday’s session, and getting limited practices in Thursday and Friday.

The 49ers have WRs Terique Owens, Trent Taylor and Malik Turner on the practice squad. Taylor and Turner in particular appeared to be viable options because of their special teams contributions. Neither will be up for Week 8.

Undrafted rookie Mason Pline is the only tight end on the practice squad. He’s yet to be elevated for a game this season.

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49ers release DL for 3rd time as part of practice squad tweaks

More practice squad moves for the 49ers:

The San Francisco 49ers on Thursday announced a small tweak to their practice squad.

Defensive end Jonathan Garvin, who spent most of August with the 49ers in the preseason, was released to make room for defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera.

This marks the third time Garvin has been let go by the 49ers. They released him as part of final cuts on August 27, but re-signed him to their practice squad shortly after. He was released from the practice squad in mid-September, then re-signed to that unit in early October. Now he’s been released again to become a free agent.

Jade Silvera spent the first portion of this season with the Las Vegas Raiders after they made him a seventh-round pick in last year’s draft. As a rookie he posted two tackles in two games. This season he played in all seven games for Las Vegas and racked up eight tackles.

It makes sense the 49ers would want to add some defensive tackle depth to the practice squad after undrafted rookie DT Evan Anderson was promoted to the active roster. San Francisco has dealt with a slew of injury problems on the DL, so having an additional DT in the building helps insulate them from another injury up front.

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49ers promote undrafted rookie DL to active roster, place Brandon Aiyuk on IR

The San Francisco 49ers made the move to put Brandon Aiyuk on IR after his season-ending knee injury.

The San Francisco 49ers have officially placed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on Injured Reserve after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 7 against the Kansa City Chiefs.

In a corresponding move, the 49ers promoted undrafted rookie defensive tackle Evan Anderson to the active roster from the practice squad.

Anderson has performed well in limited action this season. He debuted as a pro in Week 4 against the New England Patriots and came up with a strip sack against quarterback Jacoby Brissett. He played 19 total snaps in that game. Anderson was also elevated for the 49ers’ Week 6 matchup with the Seahawks and posted a pair of tackles in 13 total snaps.

Football analytics site Pro Football Focus has given him a sterling 91.8 overall grade through his first couple of games. He’s graded out particularly strong as a pass rusher, where PFF has awarded him a 92.3 overall grade.

If he can help improve their pass rush by pushing the pocket from the interior, it would go a long way toward filling the void left by defensive tackle Javon Hargrave who suffered a season-ending injury back in Week 3.

There’s no surprise Aiyuk was placed on IR. It was a matter of ‘when,’ not ‘if’ he was placed there after suffering a torn ACL and MCL. By putting him on IR on Wednesday it cleared a roster spot for Anderson, and cleared a practice squad spot, giving San Francisco two open spots on their practice roster.

They filled those two spots with offensive lineman Dieter Eiselen and wide receiver Malik Turner.

Turner spent time with the 49ers in the last couple of offseasons. They may need his experience, particularly on special teams, while they deal with a rash of injuries at wide receiver.

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