Tag: kevin givens

49ers add player to Reserve/COVID-19 list for 2nd consecutive day

Amidst a slew of roster moves on Thursday, the San Francisco 49ers placed running back Austin Walter on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

After placing offensive lineman Colton McKivitz to the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers have added running back Austin Walter to the list on Thursday. While Walter is far from an integral piece of the 49ers roster, a potential second positive test could be a dangerous sign for the team.

Players can be placed on the list if they have been deemed a high-risk close contact with someone who tested positive, but in different position groups, it’s hard to imagine that being the case with Walter and McKivitz.

Walter has played in three games this season. He has one carry for three yards, one reception for 27 yards and he’s worked in as a kick returner as well.

The 49ers also announced that defensive lineman Kevin Givens was back with the team after receiving a roster exemption to be in attendance for the birth of his daughter last week. Tight end Chase Harrell was re-signed to the practice squad a day after getting released, and wide receiver Shawn Poindexter was placed on the practice squad injured reserve.

49ers defensive line depth continues to stand out in camp

Solomon Thomas and Kerry Hyder could be two huge keys in the 49ers replicating their stout defensive line.

The 49ers’ defensive front was the catalyst to the club’s run to the Super Bowl last season. While the starting unit was strong, it was the depth that allowed the line to be relentless and impact quarterbacks for all 60 minutes. Despite losing defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Sheldon Day, training camp returns indicate depth on the defensive line should continue to be one of the team’s biggest strengths.

Following the team’s Friday practice inside Levi’s Stadium, ESPN’s Nick Wagoner noted that two potentially key rotation pieces had strong outings on the defensive line.

He said Solomon Thomas and Kerry Hyder both stood out during the session. Thomas had a couple of sacks, and Hyder contributed another while applying consistent pressure. Defensive tackle Kevin Givens was also a player Wagoner singled out form the defensive line.

With rookie defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw still finding his way in the NFL, having a bulked up Thomas playing well on the interior is a significant development for San Francisco. He’s entering his fourth season and has bounced around inside and outside during his career. Now he’s set to play almost exclusively inside where he’s more comfortable, and the change has him playing well in camp. If he translates that into the regular season and the 49ers can rely on him to push the pocket from the inside on passing downs — it’ll help alleviate some of the stress put on the defensive line following the loss of Buckner in the offseason.

Hyder’s name has surfaced a few times throughout camp as well. There was some thought when he signed in San Francisco after one year with Dallas that reuniting with defensive line coach Kris Kocurek would help Hyder regain the form that carried him to a career-best 8.0 sacks in 2016. Now three years removed from an Achilles tear and playing under the same coach that helped guide him to his best season as a pro — Hyder looks to be in line for a spot as a rotational edge rusher who can effectively spell Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Dee Ford. Depth at the edge is especially important for the 49ers.

Givens coming on as a potential player on the interior would be welcome for San Francisco too given their depth issues there. He played in one game last year as an undrafted rookie after spending most of the year on the practice squad. The 49ers have Kinlaw, Thomas and DJ Jones inside, with Arik Armstead also kicking inside on passing downs. Having another capable player to chew up snaps would only bolster San Francisco’s best unit.

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Jaquiski Tartt officially ruled out for 49ers vs. Seahawks

Jaquiski Tartt was one of the seven 49ers ruled out against the Seahawks.

The 49ers on Sunday officially ruled out strong safety Jaquiski Tartt when they listed him among their seven inactives for their Week 17 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.

Here are the seven players who won’t suit up for San Francisco:

QB CJ Beathard
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
WR Jordan Matthews
TE Daniel Helm
DE Dee Ford
DB Dontae Johnson
SS Jaquiski Tartt

Tartt was a limited participant in practice all week while he works his way back from a rib injury. However, he was officially listed as ‘doubtful,’ and now he won’t play against the Seahawks.

A win for the 49ers secures a first-round bye in the playoffs, which becomes even more important knowing Tartt’s status could be compromised in that game as well.

Two names that aren’t on the inactive list are the team’s two new defensive linemen, Kevin Givens and Anthony Zettel.

Givens is an undrafted rookie who was activated off the practice squad when Jullian Taylor was put on IR with a torn ACL. Zettel is a former sixth-round pick San Francisco signed as a free agent after they waived defensive lineman Jeremiah Valoaga.

Both the new defensive linemen should see time against Seattle as the 49ers look to revitalize the defensive line depth that made that unit so dominant for them early in the season.

Here are the Seahawks’ inactives:

49ers to place DL Jullian Taylor on IR, activate DL Kevin Givens

The 49ers’ defensive line was hit with another injury.

The 49ers’ defensive line depth took another hit just as it was getting ready to improve. Defensive lineman Jullian Taylor was due to return Sunday vs. the Seahawks after missing the last three games with an elbow injury, but he tore his ACL on Thursday and will go on injured reserve according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Taylor’s move to IR will open a roster spot for undrafted rookie defensive lineman Kevin Givens, who’s spent the year on the 49ers’ practice squad. Givens had a nice preseason after signing with the club in 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State.

Givens played for three years with the Nittany Lions and had 83 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in 36 games. He should make his NFL debut Sunday on a depleted 49ers defensive line.

Taylor will join Ronald Blair, Damontre Moore and DJ Jones among defensive linemen on the 49ers’ IR. Dee Ford is also out Sunday while he nurses a hamstring injury.

Taylor hasn’t had a ton of action since joining the 49ers as a seventh-round pick out of Temple in last year’s draft. He played in six games as a rookie and saw time in six games before his injury this season. Taylor was good in limited snaps this year with nine tackles, four tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.

Defensive line depth has been a huge problem for the 49ers late in the season, but if Givens can pick up where he left off in the preseason and offer a handful of effective snaps, it would be a huge boost for San Francisco’s banged up defensive front.