Tag: Cameron Latu

San Francisco 49ers part ways with former third-round pick, Alabama TE Cameron Latu

On Tuesday, the San Francisco 49ers released former Alabama tight end Cameron Latu.

In a series of moves, the San Francisco 49ers have parted ways with former third-round pick and Alabama tight end Cameron Latu. Today is the day where NFL teams are required to cut their roster down to 53 players. Unfortunately, Latu was one of the players that was cut by the organization.

Latu had a strong preseason with the 49ers. In three games, Latu reeled in eight receptions for 84 yards. The Utah native did not play in any games during his rookie season after suffering a torn ACL prior to the start of the season. To many, it seemed like Latu was well on his way to earning a spot on the active roster. However, it appears that the two sides have moved on.

There will likely be multiple suitors for Latu. He is a receiving threat that can be an in-line blocker when called upon. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see which organization gives Latu an opportunity to prove his worth.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding former Alabama players in the NFL.

First 49ers surprise cut, 2 TE let go

The 49ers have reportedly released a pair of tight ends from the 2023 draft class.

The San Francisco 49ers’ tight room is coming into shape. However, it won’t include either sophomore tight ends. On the NFL’s final day of roster cuts before the start of the 2024 NFL season, the 49ers have reportedly released a pair of tight ends from the 2023 draft class.

According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, the 49ers have waived both Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis. Latu was a 2023 third-round pick out of Alabama and Willis was a 2023 seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma.

Barrows reported both Willis and Latu are candidates for the practice squad if they clear waivers.

Via @mattbarrows on Twitter:

Latu spent five seasons at Alabama before being drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. Latu never recorded a catch for the 49ers after his rookie season ended before it started due to a torn meniscus that landed him on the injured reserve.

Willis played in seven games last season for the 49ers but did not record a reception.

With Latu and Willis waived, the 49ers depth behind George Kittle currently includes a pair of veterans, Logan Thomas and Eric Saubert.

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

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers roster: TE suddenly a question mark after release of proven veteran

Now what do the 49ers do with the depth chart behind George Kittle?

The San Francisco 49ers have been on a years-long journey to find a quality backup tight end behind George Kittle.

They’ve had good blocking options, but they’ve tended to lack in the pass-catching department. It looked this offseason like that would change when the 49ers signed veteran Logan Thomas.

Last season Thomas posted 55 catches for 496 yards and four touchdowns for the Washington Commanders. Those numbers aren’t far off the combined career totals of the 49ers backup TEs last year combined.

Thomas could have been the reliable pass catcher San Francisco has been searching for. Then he got hurt early in training camp, and the 49ers released him Friday before their preseason opener against the Titans.

His release leaves a pretty big question mark on the depth chart behind Kittle.

Veteran Eric Saubert has been a frequent contributor in camp. He’s a six-year veteran with 36 career receptions for 292 yards. If there’s a frontrunner for the TE2 job, he’s probably it.

Second-year TE Brayden Willis is an interesting athlete, but his ability to produce in the NFL is still a huge question mark after he spent most of his rookie season contributing on special teams.

Jake Tonges has played in just four NFL games since joining the league in 2022 as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears. He spent time on the 49ers practice squad last season and offers some versatility at fullback. He’s still an unknown as an NFL player, though.

Cameron Latu, another second-year TE, is still aiming to find his footing as a pro. Mason Pline is an undrafted rookie who’s in the same boat.

Maybe some combination of Saubert and Willis will provide more playmaking than previous backup TEs, but Thomas’ release tells us the 49ers will still prioritize blocking above all else at that position. Their search for another pass-catching TE will likely move into next offseason.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

 

Former 49ers 3rd-round pick has nightmare 3-play stretch in practice

A practice to forget for this 49ers 2nd-year TE:

The 2023 season went about as poorly as it could have possibly gone for rookie tight end Cameron Latu.

Latu, a third-round pick, had a rough first training camp that included dropped passes and an overall inability to make any progress climbing the depth chart. Then he got hurt and knee surgery ended his season before final cuts were made.

With an overhauled tight end room, Latu in his second season has a chance to take on a role with real playing time. Unfortunately for the former third-round pick his second camp hasn’t gotten off to a great start either.

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner on Twitter detailed a disastrous stretch of plays for Latu to close out Friday’s practice:

In a three play stretch during move the ball with QB Josh Dobbs, Latu made a catch for a decent gain on one play. On the next, he appeared to have trouble knowing where to lineup and/or motion which led to a false start on Zakelj and then it snowballed into Latu making another catch but fumbling on a hit from LB Tatum Bethune that became a scoop and score for CB Chase Lucas on the final play of practice.

Ouch!

Ball security was an issue for Latu last season. Seeing that carry over isn’t a great sign.

His lack of knowledge of the offense is a direct result of how his rookie season went. All practice reps are extremely valuable for first-year players and after training camp he was sidelined for the rest of the year. Latu never had a chance to take strides after some early setbacks, and he’s paying the price now trying to dig himself out of an already sizable hole.

There’s still time for Latu to make a good impression. The 49ers’ tight end depth isn’t so stellar that he can’t make headway in the hunt for a roster spot. For now he’s on the outside looking in, and practices like Friday won’t help his case.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers injury update: TE Cameron Latu expected back for training camp

Cameron Latu is expected back for training camp, but the road to a roster spot is steep for the #49ers 2nd-year TE.

The 49ers tight end room is going to be crowded come training camp. Second-year TE Cameron Latu is expected to return for camp after undergoing a procedure on his knee that cost him all of last season. He’ll join recently-signed TE Logan Thomas in the competition for roster spots behind George Kittle.

Latu, who is entering his second season after the 49ers selected him No. 101 overall in last year’s draft, missed his entire rookie season because of a knee injury. San Francisco placed him on IR before final cuts which made Latu ineligible to return even if he’d been healthy enough to.

The expectation was always that he’d be back in time to compete for a roster spot in 2024. Now that he’s gotten through his rehab without any setbacks he is officially on track to return for camp according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Latu did not participate in OTAs and is not participating in mandatory minicamp.

It’ll be a bit of an uphill climb to a roster spot for Latu. His fellow 2023 draft pick Brayden Willis made enough inroads last season to be active for the Super Bowl. Thomas is probably the frontrunner for the TE2 spot going into camp. Newcomers Mason Pline and Eric Saubert will also be in the mix during camp, along with Jake Tonges who spent most of last year on the 49ers’ practice squad.

Still, the competition behind Kittle is wide open and getting a full training camp should help Latu make some headway in that battle.

Last preseason Latu played in all three games and caught four of his six targets for 55 yards and one touchdown.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers 2023 rookie report card is mostly useless at halfway point

The #49ers rookie report card is … bare.

The 49ers didn’t pick until late in the third round of the 2023 draft. It didn’t seem like a big deal considering they still walked away with a nine-player class that had a chance to fill a couple of key needs.

There was never a realistic possibility the 49ers’ rookie class had a wide swath of contributors. However, the early returns from that group can’t even be labeled as “not promising” because the reality is a vast majority of the players haven’t had any chance to make a real contribution.

We went through the rookie class and dished out “grades” for their first half performances. It won’t take long to notice a pattern:

Update on 49ers injured reserve list after Week 6

Here’s what the #49ers injured reserve list looks like with a third of the season down:

The 49ers through six weeks have avoided any major injuries, leaving their injured reserve list much less active than it’s been in recent years.

Cornerback Samuel Womack is the only player who’s gone on IR since the season began., and with six weeks down San Francisco has a couple players eligible to come off of injured lists who still haven’t been activated.

Here’s a quick rundown of what the 49ers’ injured reserve and physically unable to perform lists look like heading into Week 7:

San Francisco 49ers place former Alabama tight end Cameron Latu on Injured Reserve

On Tuesday, the San Francisco 49ers placed former Alabama tight end Cameron Latu on Injured Reserve. Latu suffered a knee injury in the 49ers final preseason game against the Chargers.

The San Francisco 49ers placed former Alabama tight end Cameron Latu on Injured Reserve on Tuesday. Latu was selected in the third-round of the 2023 NFL draft by the 49ers.

During Week 3 of the preseason, Latu suffered a torn meniscus. As a result, Latu will undergo surgery which will cause him to miss the entire 2023 season.

The news is a huge blow for the 49ers as the team anticipated Latu being a part of its offense during his rookie season.

Latu will work his way back from injury with hopes of returning for the 2024 season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Cameron Latu and other former Alabama players in the NFL.

49ers injuries: 4 placed on season-ending IR at final cuts

The #49ers placed 4 players on season-ending IR at their final roster cuts:

The 49ers on Tuesday placed four players on injured reserve as part of their maneuvers to get their roster cut down.

Kicker Zane Gonzalez, safety Tayler Hawkins, tight end Cameron Latu and cornerback AJ Parker were all sent to IR as part of the final cuts, which means their seasons are over with the 49ers. Players placed on IR after being named to the 53-man roster are eligible to return.

All four players who went on IR were banged up during the preseason finale vs. the Chargers.

Gonzalez is dealing with a calf injury he suffered during pregame warmups. Hawkins broke his hand and needs surgery per head coach Kyle Shanahan. Latu will also likely need surgery on a meniscus injury, and Parker is dealing with a hamstring strain he sustained while covering a punt.

That group will have a couple options.

They can stay on IR all year and rehab with the 49ers, or they can reach an injury settlement where they’re released from IR and become unrestricted free agents. Players released with injury settlements can’t re-sign with San Francisco until they length of their agreed-upon injury settlement has elapsed, plus an additional three weeks.

Another injury-related move was with cornerback Darrell Luter Jr., who was moved to the reserve/PUP list and will be required to miss at least the first four weeks. He’s working through a knee injury he sustained on the last day of OTAs.

There could be some additional injured list-related moves for the 49ers, but now that they’ve announced a 53-man roster those players will be eligible to return in 2023.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Watch: 49ers’ Trey Lance finds Cameron Latu down the seam for touchdown vs. Broncos

Trey Lance ripped a pass down the seam to Cameron Latu for a fourth quarter touchdown pass in the preseason against the Broncos.

After Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold got reps under center in the preseason against the Denver Broncos, Trey Lance was next up. The third-year passer entered the game late in the third quarter.

Following a shaky start that included a tipped pass interception at the line of scrimmage, Lance lead the 49ers down the field for back-to-back scoring drives. Following a field goal on his drive after the interception, Lance pushed the 49ers down the field for a fourth-quarter touchdown drive.

From 22 yards out, Lance ripped a pass down the seam to rookie tight end Cameron Latu for a touchdown. To cap off the touchdown drive, Lance completed six consecutive passes, with his last going for a score to Latu.

With Lance’s second touchdown pass of the preseason, he cut the Broncos’ lead to only two points.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

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

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]