Tag: 49ers roster

49ers new starting RB ‘ready to go’ after rough stretch

49ers RB Isaac Guerendo suddenly has an expanded role. How ready for it is he?

Given the current state of affairs in its backfield, the San Francisco 49ers find themselves in need of a quick learning curve from rookie running back Isaac Guerendo.

San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a PCL injury in the 49ers’ defeat at Buffalo. McCaffrey’s injury won’t require surgery but he is expected to miss six weeks, which sidelines the Pro Bowler throughout the remainder of the regular season.

49ers running back Jordan Mason also sustained an ankle injury against the Bills and has likewise being placed on injured reserve.

That means San Francisco is turning to its rookie running back in Guerendo. A fourth-round selection out of Louisville in the 2024 NFL draft, Guerendo has carried 42 times this season for 246 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns.

San Francisco claimed running back Israel Abanikanda off waivers from the New York Jets, but the expectation is that Guerendo will be the 49ers’ featured runner in San Francisco’s Week 14 date against the Chicago Bears.

Thrust into a starring role, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan feels good about Guerendo’s readiness for that opportunity.

“I think he is ready to go. We were excited about, he got off to a late start with injuries in preseason. I thought he finished in those games well, especially that kick return he had versus the Raiders, I think.

“Did some decent things when he started out, didn’t get a lot of carries, had some ups and downs but got better through everything. And then when he got the bulk of the carries, I want to say some more versus Seattle, he only got better and he’s gotten better throughout the year. So, I think he’s ready for this,” Shanahan said.

Guerendo’s two best games of the season came during San Francisco’s Week 6 win at Seattle and in the 49ers’ Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

The 6-foot, 221 pound running back rushed 10 times for 99 yards in that 36-24 win at Seattle and 14 times for 85 yards and a 4-yard rushing touchdown against the Cowboys.

Shanahan said Guerendo is starting to get his feel for what it takes to run effectively in the NFL.

“I think just the urgency of running the ball in the NFL. I think it takes guys some time. You start to get a feel for it the more, if you’ve got the right stuff, the more you get reps, the more you can adjust to it.

“How hard you’ve got to hit stuff, how quick those holes close, how when there is a hole how you have to hit it full-speed and can’t hesitate at all or it closes like that. We’ve seen that stuff get better in practice and we’ve seen it carry over into games,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan also commented on the 49ers’ addition of Abanikanda.

“I liked him coming out of college. I haven’t studied him a ton in the NFL, but he was a guy that I had good notes on from college and liked. And I know our scouting department thought he was the best guy out there being available and stuff. So in our situation, especially glad to get him here,” Shanahan said.

The 49ers (5-7) host Chicago on Sunday with kickoff set for 1:25 p.m. PT and the game set to be televised on Fox. San Francisco is looking to end a three-game losing streak.

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 sign Christian McCaffrey’s replacement, add WR to practice squad

The 49ers have a new running back.

The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday announced how they’d replace running back Christian McCaffrey.

In a slew of roster moves the 49ers placed McCaffrey on IR, claimed RB Israel Abanikanda off waivers from the New York Jets and signed wide receiver Ronnie Bell to the practice squad.

McCaffrey suffered a season-ending PCL injury in his knee during the 49ers’ Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated on Monday McCaffrey would go on IR with only five games to go and McCaffrey expected to miss at least six weeks.

While Abanikanda will replace him on the roster, the expectation is that rookie RB Isaac Guerendo will carry a lion’s share of the workload in the backfield. Abanikanda may work his way into the backup RB role depending on how the team feels about RB Patrick Taylor who is on the practice squad and spent the first nine weeks on the active roster before McCaffrey returned.

Abanikanda was a fifth-round pick of the Jets in the 2023 draft. He played in six games as a rookie and churned out 70 yards on 22 carries.

Bell was waived by the 49ers on Friday before Week 13. The 2023 seventh-round pick gives San Francisco a reliable internal option if they need depth at WR or on special teams.

We may see additional roster moves in the backfield with RB Jordan Mason also potentially hitting IR after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 13.

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49ers should part ways with $84 million DL in offseason

The 49ers may have to part with some good players this offseason as part of a roster overhaul.

There are a handful of tough calls for the San Francisco 49ers to make in the wake of a disastrous 2024 season.

This year was one that may push the 49ers to make wholesale changes to their roster in hopes of re-opening a new Super Bowl window after the window with this year’s group appeared to close in a blaze of injuries, special teams woes and red-zone issues.

One of the biggest changes they can make is along the defensive line where parting with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave may become a necessary move for salary cap purposes.

Hargrave signed a four-year, $84 million deal in the 2023 offseason and never quite hit the level of game-wrecker the 49ers hoped he would be. He did have a terrific Week 3 game vs. the Los Angeles Rams this season, but he also suffered a triceps tear in that contest that ended cut his season short.

The 49ers need an overhaul on the defensive line and letting the 31-year-old walk ahead of his Age 32 season is a step the team can take in revamping a defensive position group that, bluntly, hasn’t been good enough the last two years.

Signing Hargrave was supposed to help the 49ers replicate some of the success they had along the defensive front in the 2019 season. While the veteran defensive tackle was productive as a pass rusher with 72 pressures and nine sacks in 22 games (including the postseason) per Pro Football Focus, he wasn’t a particularly effective run defender and he didn’t make life much easier on the rest of the defensive line.

Hargrave’s release would cost the 49ers $24.86 million in dead cap next year, while saving them $3.245 million and opening a spot on the defensive line for a younger player to get snaps. Not to mention the additional $3 million in cap savings will be significant for a team that will have to carefully manage the cap with a sizable contract likely due soon for quarterback Brock Purdy.

They could also designate him as a post-June 1 cut where his dead cap number would fall to $7.375 million and the savings would leap to $20.73 million.

There’s still something in the tank for Hargrave who can still be productive on a good defensive line. The 49ers are just in a place now where the cap savings of cutting him may outweigh the reward of keeping him in red and gold for another 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 waive maligned former 7th-round WR before Week 13

Ronnie Bell is gone.

The San Francisco 49ers on Friday announced wide receiver Ronnie Bell was waived.

Bell was a seventh-round pick in the 2023 draft and he struggled to carve out a regular role in a crowded 49ers WR corps.

He played in nine games this season and primarily contributed on special teams. Bell caught two passes for 22 yards this season on six targets. As a rookie he hauled in six receptions for 68  yards and three touchdowns.

Bell also contributed as a punt returner in his first year, but he was eclipsed by rookies Jacob Cowing and Ricky Pearsall at that position.

The 49ers are getting healthier at WR which made Bell expendable. Pearsall is joined by Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings atop the depth chart. Chris Conley and Jacob Cowing contribute on special teams. With injuries elsewhere, the club can utilize his roster spot to help in the trenches on either side of the ball.

Bell drew the ire of 49ers fans after a key drop in the 49ers’ Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He could conceivably be a practice squad addition if he clears waivers.

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49ers add familiar OL to practice squad, release former 1st-round pick

A practice squad move for the 49ers.

The San Francisco 49ers are making another adjustment to their practice squad offensive line.

On Friday the team announced the addition of offensive lineman Sebastian Gutierrez. They released recently-signed former first-round pick Cameron Erving.

Gutierrez was most recently with the Colts practice squad, but he spent the offseason with the 49ers and was with their practice squad for part of the year.

With injuries along the OL it makes sense the 49ers would want a player more familiar with their offense. Erving was added Wednesday and made it through only two practices before his release.

The 49ers have a trio of starting offensive linemen banged up going into their Week 13 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Left tackle Trent Williams has an ankle issue that knocked him out of the 49ers Week 12 loss. In that Week 12 loss, left guard Aaron Banks suffered a concussion and right guard Dominick Puni sustained a shoulder injury. Both players’ statuses are in question for Sunday night in Buffalo.

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49ers add OL depth to practice squad as injuries stack up

As injuries stack up, the San Francisco 49ers went and found some offensive line help to sign to their practice squad.

As injuries continue to pile up along the interior of their offensive line, the San Francisco 49ers went out and found some help.

The 49ers signed veteran offensive lineman Cameron Erving to their practice squad.

Since being selected No. 19 overall out of Florida State by the Cleveland Browns in the 2015 NFL draft, Erving has been a part of six NFL franchises.

The 10-year NFL vet spent the 2015-16 seasons in Cleveland, 2017-19 in Kansas City, 2020 in Dallas, 2021-22 in Carolina and 2023 in New Orleans.

Before his release on Nov. 20, Erving spent this season in Houston with the Texans’ practice squad.

The 32-year-old has versatility to play a number of different positions along the offensive line. Throughout his NFL career, Erving has played snaps at all five offensive line positions.

According to Pro Football Focus, Erving saw 208 snaps at right tackle last season in New Orleans.

San Francisco starting left guard Aaron Banks entered the concussion protocol following the 49ers’ loss in Week 12 at the Green Bay Packers.

The 49ers included starting right guard Dominick Puni among its injury update exiting Week 12 with a shoulder injury that is awaiting MRI results.

Banks has seen 675 snaps at left guard, while Puni has played 711 snaps at right guard per PFF.

San Francisco (5-6) returns to action at Buffalo (9-2) on Sunday, Dec. 1, with kickoff set for 5:20 p.m. PT and the game televised on NBC and streaming on Peacock.

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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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New starting QB may actually help 49ers offense

Could Brandon Allen’s start be a blessing in disguise for the 49ers’ offense?

The San Francisco 49ers will face a steep uphill battle Sunday when they face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

Injuries will leave quarterback Brock Purdy on the sideline with veteran signal caller Brandon Allen slated to start in his stead. While Allen’s start will make an already tough game more difficult for the 49ers, it could facilitate some offensive innovation from a group that was starting to get stagnant on that side of the ball.

San Francisco is coming off a loss to the Seattle Seahawks where they posted only 17 points, averaged 4.9 yards per play and churned out only three designed explosive plays.

Now they’ll start Allen in a pivotal road game. It’ll be his first start since Week 18 of the 2021 season and the 10th start of his career. He’s 2-7 as a starter with a 56.5 percent completion rate, 6.2 yards per attempt, nine touchdowns and six interceptions.

His job Sunday should come down to converting third downs and avoiding turnovers, which may push head coach Kyle Shanahan to try some things he hasn’t been doing with Purdy under center.

In Green Bay we could see the 49ers lean more heavily on their run game, and in particular utilize sets where running back Jordan Mason is on the field with RB Christian McCaffrey. Those two haven’t been on the field together this season with McCaffrey dominating the snap count.

That’s the other shift we may see. More run-focused offense could require more from Mason who posted 13 yards on his only two carries against the Seattle Seahawks. The 2022 undrafted RB proved himself to be a viable offensive weapon while McCaffrey was out, and the 49ers have all but abandoned him since the reigning Offensive Player of the Year returned.

McCaffrey is certainly a better all-around player than Mason, but Mason averaged better than 5.0 yards per carry as the 49ers’ starter and he’d be extremely useful in a situation where San Francisco needs to lean on its rushing attack.

Aside from the run game, Allen’s presence may also facilitate a return toward something close to normalcy in the passing attack. Allen isn’t as mobile as Purdy, so he may be more apt to hit some of the throws Purdy has turned down this year. Not that the 49ers will want him dropping back 40 times, but Allen should be capable of connecting on the easy throws Shanahan figures to dial up.

If the 49ers can get back to their roots as a creative, relentless running team who gets the passing game going out of play action, we may see them not only stay afloat with Allen under center, but we could see them flip an offensive switch that gets them back on track in time to make a late playoff push.

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