Tag: Ross Dwelley

Falcons sign former 49ers TE Ross Dwelley, 3 tryout players

The Falcons signed veteran tight end Ross Dwelley along with three tryout players on Monday afternoon

The Atlanta Falcons officially added four players to their 90-man roster on Monday afternoon. Former 49ers tight end Ross Dwelley, who started 17 games over his six seasons in San Francisco, is the most notable of the four signings.

In addition to Dwelley, the Falcons signed defensive back Dane Cruikshank, defensive lineman Bradlee Anae and wide receiver Dylan Drummond. All three players tried out over the weekend during the team’s rookie minicamp.

Anae, 26, was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He spent his first two NFL seasons in Dallas, appearing in 11 total games.

Cruikshank, 29, was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans, where he spent the first four years of his career. As for Drummond, the 24-year-old spent last season with the Detroit Lions after going undrafted out of Eastern Michigan.

Check out the Falcons’ updated 90-man roster and our latest 53-man roster projection.

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Another former 49ers TE signs with Falcons

A Ross Dwelley reunion is no longer on the table for the #49ers.

Former 49ers tight end Ross Dwelley is following fellow former 49ers tight end Charlie Woerner to the Atlanta Falcons. The team announced Monday they’d added the free agent TE as part of a handful of roster moves.

Dwelley originally joined the 49ers in 2018 as an undrafted free agent. He debuted as a rookie where he played in 11 games. Over the next five years he turned into a staple on the 49ers’ offense as a reserve TE behind George Kittle. He was a do-everything player for a time when he worked in as a replacement for fullback Kyle Juszczyk in 2019 when the veteran fullback was out for a short stint.

That makes two former 49ers TEs to sign with the Falcons this offseason. Woerner signed a three-year deal with Atlanta earlier in free agency. Former 49ers wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud also signed a free agent deal with the Falcons this offseason.

In his six seasons with the 49ers Dwelley played in 84 games with 17 starts. He caught 44 of his 60 targets for 518 yards and five touchdowns.

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WATCH: 49ers’ Ross Dwelley holds on to deflected pass from Trey Lance for touchdown vs. Raiders

Ross Dwelley held on to a deflected Trey Lance pass for the 49ers’ first touchdown of the 2023 preseason.

After a slow start to the preseason in the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers are officially on the board in 2023. However, it didn’t come easy.

Following a solid drive down the field, Trey Lance dropped back on first and goal from the Las Vegas nine-yard line and appeared to be looking for veteran wide receiver Chris Conley over the middle of the endzone. Raiders corner Duke Shelley closed Lance’s window quickly on an arrant throw for a near interception.

However, the Raiders’ defensive back couldn’t hold on for the turnover as the ball was deflected right into the hands of tight end Ross Dwelley for a touchdown. Despite the late throw, Dwelley was able to get the 49ers’ on the board to tie the game at 7-7 in the second quarter.

Stay tuned to Niners Wire for more updates from the 49ers’ preseason opener in Las Vegas.

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

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49ers roster moves: TE Ross Dwelley is back

The #49ers announced 2 more signings.

The 49ers on Monday announced a pair of signings, including the re-signing of free agent tight end Ross Dwelley. They also officially announced the addition of defensive back Myles Hartsfield.

Dwelley joined the 49ers as an undrafted free agent following the 2018 draft. He developed into the team’s second TE during the 2019 campaign where he also earned six starts while playing a full 16-game slate. He held that TE2 distinction until being overtaken by Charlie Woerner during the 2021 campaign.

Still, Dwelley’s versatility has made him a valuable cog in San Francisco’s offense and now he’s returning to battle for a roster spot in his sixth season.

Hartsfield’s signing was first reported last week. He spent the last three seasons with the Panthers after they signed him following the 2020 draft where he wasn’t selected.

In three seasons he played in 41 games with 19 starts. Hartsfield posted 118 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks and seven pass breakups.

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7 tight ends Vikings could target with Irv Smith Jr. injured

The news regarding Irv Smith Jr. isn’t great, but there are options out there at tight end for the Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings got dealt a rough blow at the end of the win over the Arizona Cardinals 34-26 on Sunday when Irv Smith Jr. injured his ankle on the final offensive possession of the game.

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With word that he likely has a high ankle sprain, that means he could be out for upwards of six weeks.

With that in mind, the Vikings will need to look outside the organization for depth at tight end because Ben Ellefson is on injured reserve. Here are seven tight ends the Vikings could target at the trade deadline and in free agency.

What we learned from ugly end to 49ers’ preseason

What we learned in the #49ers’ preseason finale. (via @nicholasmcgee24)

The 49ers’ preseason is over following a shutout loss to the Texans, which served as a compelling case for further trimming the exhibition season.

San Francisco produced a sloppy, error-strewn effort in which they were flagged for 11 accepted penalties for 104 yards.

Trey Lance played three series, finishing seven of 11 for 49 yards but rarely getting into a rhythm amid continually poor pass protection.

It was tough to take much from Lance’s display, but there were some things good and bad to be gleaned from a game that will have left everyone who watched clamoring for competitive regular-season football.

 

 

 

 

 

 

49ers re-sign tight end Ross Dwelley to 1-year deal

The wait is over: the #49ers re-signed Ross Dwelley.

The 49ers on Monday announced the re-signing of tight end Ross Dwelley to a one-year deal.

Dwelley joined San Francisco as an undrafted rookie in 2018 and by 2019 he’d carved out a substantial role as the team’s No. 2 tight end behind George Kittle.

While he’s typically used as a blocker, he’s also produced 40 catches for 401 yards and four touchdowns in his four seasons as a pro. His versatility allowed him to fill in for fullback Kyle Juszczyk when Juszczyk was unavailable due to injury. It was during that period head coach Kyle Shanahan called Dwelley one of the team’s best players.

Last season Dwelley was out-snapped by TE Charlier Woerner, which led to some question about whether he’d return in 2022. Now he’s back on the roster with a chance to climb back into the TE2 role. He’ll compete for roster spots with Woerner, Tanner Hudson and converted wide receiver Jordan Matthews.

49ers TE Ross Dwelley, DL DJ Jones miss practice

Ross Dwelley and DJ Jones both missed Saturday’s practice with injuries.

The 49ers were without two of their five tight ends in Saturday’s practice. Ross Dwelley, last year’s No. 2 TE, missed the session with a foot injury. DJ Jones was also out, but he did receive good news about the shoulder injury that forced him to leave Friday’s practice early.

Dwelley was a key player for the 49ers last year because of his versatility as a blocker. When fullback Kyle Juszczyk went down, Dwelley took on fullback duties. He also slotted into the starting TE role for two games when George Kittle was out.

The 49ers are already pretty thin at tight end after releasing Daniel Helm and with Jordan Reed still doing individual work before entering full practices. Losing Dwelley for an extended period would be a tough blow for San Francisco’s offense.

He’s not much of a factor as a pass catcher, but he’s valuable as a blocker. He’s also the most experienced player at the position behind Kittle. Sixth-round pick Charlie Woerner and undrafted rookie Chase Harrell are their only other options with Dwelley and Reed out of practice.

Jones’ MRI on his shoulder came back clean, which is good news for the 49ers’ starting nose tackle. He was driven to the ground on a goal line play late in Friday’s practice and left with a shoulder injury. While his shoulder is healthy, he was put into concussion protocol and will have to clear that before returning to practice.

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5 49ers who could take on larger roles in 2020

Dante Pettis headlines a group of players that may have a bigger impact on the 49ers roster next season.

The 49ers in 2020 will return largely the same group of players they took to the Super Bowl last season. It stands to reason that most of last year’s key players will again emerge as essential pieces for San Francisco on both sides of the ball.

There are a handful of players from last year’s roster though that could wind up making a bigger impact in 2020 than they did in 2019. Despite the fact they’ll return most of their stars, the 49ers will need some additional players to step into larger roles next season to repeat a deep playoff run. Here are five players that could wind up securing bigger roles:

WR Dante Pettis

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

This seems inconceivable given how Pettis’ second NFL season went. He caught just 11 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns in a year where he was supposed to emerge as a No. 1 receiver. In fact, he fell so far out of the rotation that he wasn’t even active for the Super Bowl.

It’s easy to just give up on the former second-round pick, but he flashed enough toward the end of his rookie year to provide some optimism that he can be a contributor in a good receiving corps. It’s a make-or-break third season for Pettis, who’ll go into the year battling  for a roster spot. If he responds well to that challenge, he could emerge as a reliable target in a receiving corps that desperately needs a playmaker or two to step up.

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Kyle Shanahan: Ross Dwelley is 49ers best football player

Tight end Ross Dwelley received high praise from his head coach after his two-touchdown game and ever-changing role.

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Ross Dwelley has worn a ton of hats for the 49ers this season. Most recently he took on the role of the No. 1 tight end with George Kittle out. He turned his new job into a pair of touchdown catches and a crucial third-down grab to extend the game-winning drive in the 49ers’ 36-26 win over the Cardinals on Sunday.

Prior to that, he served as the fullback while Kyle Juszczyk was hurt, and before that he was primarily a blocking tight end who was playing fewer than half the snaps each game.

His wide-ranging skill set and ever-changing job description earned him high praise from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan during his Monday press conference.

“I mean, we respect the heck out of him, I said he was the best football player on our team yesterday, so I don’t mind messing with his average,” Shanahan told reporters when asked about Dwelley’s 3.5 yards per catch vs. Arizona. “He also had a 14-yarder called back, so that’s where he got messed up, or it was 10 yards, I’m not sure, but it’s better to keep his average down just so we keep him humbled. We don’t want him to get carried away.”

Shanahan was speaking in jest about the second-year tight end, but what Dwelley’s been able to do this season as a former undrafted free agent from the University of San Diego is very impressive. He played a combined 194 snaps the first eight games combined.

With Kittle nursing ankle and knee injuries and out for Weeks 10 and 11, Dwelley saw his snap count increase to 145 in those games. He’s been a different kind of Swiss Army knife for the 49ers’ offense, and having players like him is invaluable in a scheme that thrives on deception.

It’s hard to quantify the ‘best football player’ on the 49ers, but Dwelley’s ability to adapt to different roles on the fly certainly earns him a spot in the conversation.