Tag: Trent Taylor

49ers re-sign son of team legend, 10 others to reserve/future contracts

Terique Owens, Trent Taylor and Tanner Mordecai lead a group of 11 players who signed reserve/future contracts with the 49ers on Monday.

After their season came to an end in disappointing fashion with a 47-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18 on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers got right back to business on the first day of the offseason on Monday.

The 49ers announced the signings of 11 players to reserve/future contracts on Monday, including the singing of Terique Owens, the son of franchise legend, Terrell Owens.

Along with Owens, veteran pass catcher Trent Taylor also signed a future/reserve contract with the 49ers. Taylor recorded one catch for 11 yards on Sunday against the Cardinals.

Former preseason standout passer Tanner Mordecai was also one of the 11 players to ink a future/reserve deal with the 49ers.

Here is the full list of practice squad players to sign future/reserve contracts with the 49ers on Monday.

  • DL – Jonathan Garvin
  • OL – Sebastian Gutierrez
  • DL – Tarron Jackson
  • OL – Zack Johnson
  • CB – Chase Lucas
  • S – Jaylen Mahoney
  • QB – Tanner Mordecai
  • WR – Terique Owens
  • TE – Mason Pline
  • WR – Trent Taylor

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

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49ers IR list grows with roster moves prior to Week 18 vs. Cardinals

The San Francisco 49ers made several final roster moves ahead of their Week 18 date vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

Ahead of their Week 18 finale at the Arizona Cardinals, the San Francisco 49ers revealed several final roster moves on Saturday.

The 49ers promoted linebackers Alex Barrett and DaShaun White to the active roster from the team’s practice squad. San Francisco offensive lineman Drake Nugent and wide receiver Trent Taylor were also activated from the team’s practice squad.

Meanwhile, offensive lineman Spencer Burford and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles were placed on the injured reserve list.

Per Pro Football Focus, Burford has appeared in five games this season and has slotted in for the 49ers at left tackle, left guard and right guard. Flannigan-Fowles started three games and played in seven this season for San Francisco, tallying 17 tackles, two passes defensed, one interception and one tackle for loss in 151 defensive snaps.

Barrett has logged 10 defensive snaps and two tackles across two games versus Miami and Detroit this season for the 49ers. White entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma with Buffalo in 2023 and joined the 49ers’ practice squad this past September.

Nugent signed with San Francisco as an undrafted free agent from Michigan last May before being waived in August. Nugent was then signed to the 49ers’ practice squad.

Taylor entered the NFL with San Francisco as a fifth-round pick by the 49ers in the 2017 NFL draft. Taylor has caught 87 passes for 834 yards and three touchdowns during his NFL career, with the bulk of that production coming during the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the 49ers.

Taylor combined to catch 69 passes for 645 receiving yards with three touchdowns during the 2017 and 2018 NFL seasons with the 49ers.

49ers defensive coordinator drops hint on how 53-man roster will go

Expect the 49ers to lean toward younger players when making their final roster cuts.

The San Francisco 49ers won’t have to make any final roster cuts until after their preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders.

This year is unique for the 49ers since they have a slew of roster spots that are yet to be spoken for. That’s particularly true on the defensive side of the ball where a couple of starting jobs are among the stack of available roster spots.

Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen on Wednesday in his press conference actually offered some insight into his thinking on the 53-man roster.

New practice squad rules allow teams to keep veterans around on an expanded 15-man unit. Sorensen said the new rules push teams to favor younger players over veterans when it comes to final cuts.

“Oh, it makes a huge difference,” Sorensen said. “It wasn’t too long ago you only had five practice squad players and there were so many limitations on that. The standard elevations now that you can do with players and how many times you can do it, I think it’s smart because back in the day or even in those days not too long ago, you would play through injuries. You wouldn’t report them or you would just play through them. Where now it’s you can be smarter because you can standard elevate guys. You’ve got guys that are in your program that you’re developing, the 16 and six of them are veterans, which I think also extends the careers of these guys that all feel like you could play longer if you just had a chance that you could hang around.”

This is noteworthy at a handful of positions. At linebacker a player like Curtis Robinson may now fall into a bucket where he’s let go at final cuts in hopes of returning him to the practice squad. Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin may have the same fate. The same may go on the other side of the ball for offensive linemen Chris Hubbard and Brandon Parker. Wide receivers Chris Conley and Trent Taylor may fall into that mix as well.

San Francisco may decide to roster some of those veterans, but Sorensen gave some clarity on how the 49ers defense could ultimately shake out at those hotly-contested positions. That philosophy may permeate to the other side of the ball as well.

Don’t be shocked if at final cuts some capable veterans are let go in favor of younger players. The practice squad provides an opening for those vets to return, and the 49ers appear ready to take full advantage of that.

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Veteran WR hard to ignore for 49ers after strong start to training camp

A familiar face could wind up landing a spot in the #49ers WR corps after returning this offseason.

It looked entering training camp like the 49ers receiving corps would be mostly set. Assuming Brandon Aiyuk returns it would be him, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, and then one of a handful of players ranging from Danny Gray to Tay Martin.

One player, a veteran free agent signing this offseason, didn’t appear to be heavily in the mix. After a full week of padless practices and one day of practice in pads, Trent Taylor has forced his way into the conversation.

Taylor, a 2017 fifth-round pick of the 49ers, has spent the last three years in Cincinnati and Chicago working primarily as a punt returner. He had only eight catches on 15 targets in 37 games across those three years.

His specialization as a punt returner made it hard to envision him securing a roster spot in a crowded wide receiver room. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday in his post-practice press conference made it sound like there’s a real chance Taylor winds up landing the final WR spot.

“I love having Trent back here,” Shanahan said. “Trent can help out anywhere. Trent’s such a good football player. The moment’s never too big for him. He knows the offense well. He can hop in at all three spots. Competes his ass off in everything he does and he’s very valuable as a returner too. So, especially having a lot of guys in and out, it’s good to have some versatility there with Trent.”

Between Aiyuk’s hold-in and injuries to WRs Tay Martin, Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing, snaps have been easy to come by in the receiving corps. Taylor’s snaps at receiver haven’t come solely because of injury, though. Shanahan said the plan wasn’t to strictly bring in Taylor to return kicks.

“No, you always want a group of receivers in camp,” Shanahan said. “And you know you’re going to get a few in the draft, possibly a free agency after the draft. You have the guys that you already have on the roster and you want to add harder competition. I always love getting some veterans in here who know how to play. Who the game is not too big for, that hopefully can add competition to possibly make your team, or make guys better who have to be very good to beat out some guys like that. And you always like guys like that as possible practice squad players too, because when they have experience and something happens on a Friday or Saturday, the game is never too big for them. You can get them up and they don’t blink.”

For now it looks like the practice squad is the much more likely outcome for Taylor. He’s perfect in that role as a reliable veteran option who can plug a bunch of holes in the 49ers’ receiving corps as needed, while also offering reliability as a punt returner.

This is something worth watching closely throughout camp. The 49ers don’t have a true slot receiver and Taylor showed when he first got to San Francisco some pass-catching chops. That was eight seasons and a couple injuries ago for him, but it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out if he develops any kind of rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy.

It might’ve been easy to overlook Taylor to start camp. Now he’s making sure he’s at least in the mix to make the team.

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Highlights of every new Bears roster addition

The Bears added four new faces to the roster, including Dan Feeney and Trent Taylor. Check out highlights of each player:

The Chicago Bears made several roster moves after setting their initial 53-man roster. They claimed two players off of waivers and added a couple of other players through free agency and trade.

Chicago traded for offensive lineman Dan Feeney, sending a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins. Feeney provides depth along the interior offensive line, where he’s played center and both guard positions.

The Bears claimed defensive end Khalid Kareem and safety Quindell Johnson off waivers, addressing depth concerns at both positions. They also went out and signed Trent Taylor to serve as punt returner.

In corresponding roster moves, Chicago waived defensive end Terrell Lewis and safety A.J. Thomas. They also placed left guard Teven Jenkins and center Doug Kramer on injured reserve.

The Bears have welcomed four new members to the roster. Here are highlights of each of them:

Bears sign QB Nathan Peterman, WR Trent Taylor to active roster

The Bears signed Nathan Peterman and Trent Taylor to the active roster while placing Teven Jenkins and Doug Kramer on IR.

It’s been a busy week for the Chicago Bears, whose roster has already changed a few times since Tuesday’s roster cut deadline. That includes a few roster moves that just became official.

The Bears signed quarterback Nathan Peterman and wide receiver Trent Taylor to the active roster. They also placed left guard Teven Jenkins and center Doug Kramer on injured reserve.

Both Jenkins and Kramer will miss the first four games of the season and are eligible to return in Week 5, when Chicago faces the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football.

Peterman’s signing was something general manager Ryan Poles alluded to during his Wednesday press conference with assistant GM Ian Cunningham. Peterman will serve as a veteran presence in a quarterback room featuring third-year starter Justin Fields and undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent.

Poles stopped short of naming Bagent the backup quarterback, as they sorted out the QB room. And with Peterman now on the active roster, there will be questions about who will serve as Fields’ backup in the Week 1 opener against the Green Bay Packers.

Taylor, who was recently cut from the Bengals, was brought in to serve as the punt returner. Poles clarified as much during his press conference. With Taylor serving as the punt returner, Velus Jones Jr. will be the kickoff returner.

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Grading the Bears’ waiver claims and signings from Wednesday

The Bears added three new players to their roster. Here are our initial grades of the moves.

Like every other NFL front office member, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was a busy man over the last 48 hours. Poles and the Bears worked to finalize the initial active roster on Tuesday, but did more tinkering the next day with a couple of waiver claims and a free agent signing.

On Wednesday, the Bears claimed safety Quindell Johnson from the Los Angeles Rams and Khalid Kareem from the Indianapolis Colts. They also signed recently released punt returner Trent Taylor from the Cincinnati Bengals. In order to make room for the two waiver claims, the Bears waived safety A.J. Thomas and defensive end Terrell Lewis. No corresponding roster move has been made as of this writing for Taylor’s arrival.

The Bears were looking for depth at a couple of defensive positions and had a need for a new punt returner. Poles was able to accomplish that and fortify his team for their upcoming Week 1 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

As for the players themselves, did the Bears hit the mark? Or were there other options on the market that would have been better pickups? Here are our initial grades for Wednesday’s acquisitions.

Former Bengals WR Trent Taylor signs with Bears

Trent Taylor finds a spot on an active roster.

Trent Taylor was one of the more notable cuts for the Cincinnati Bengals as the team formulated the final 53-man roster.

Taylor’s release wasn’t a surprise given the presence of rookie wide receivers Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas, but it did feel like Taylor might slip back onto the practice squad as an insurance policy.

But Taylor elected to sign with the Chicago Bears, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, a no-brainer move given that he’s going to be part of an active roster there, as opposed to a practice squad.

The Bengals figure to put other names at the position on the practice squad and as a result of this, might keep an eye on returners on the waiver wire and overall in the coming weeks.

Our live-updated Bengals roster cuts tracker is live.

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Bears sign former Bengals PR Trent Taylor

The Chicago Bears have a new punt returner.

The Chicago Bears have a new punt returner. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears are signing former Cincinnati Bengals return specialist and wide receiver Trent Taylor to their active roster. The Bengals released Taylor on Tuesday after he spent the 2022 season as their primary punt returner.

Taylor was drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and was their primary punt returner his rookie year. He also contributed at wide receiver, catching 43 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns.

As his career went on, Taylor became more of a dedicated specialist, primarily contributing on punt returns. He joined the Bengals in 2021 and, in 2022, was their primary punt returner. Taylor averaged 10.3 yards per return, the sixth-most in the NFL last year.

Now, Taylor comes to the Bears to give them a boost in that department. Chicago lost veteran Dante Pettis to injured reserve last week and didn’t have a stable punt returner. Now they do with Taylor, who will likely take the spot of someone like Velus Jones Jr. or Equanimeous St. Brown on the roster.

7 players Giants should consider adding following cutdown day

Cutdown day has come and gone across the NFL and the New York Giants should considering claiming or signing these seven available players.

More than 1,100 players were released, cut or waived on Tuesday as teams trimmed their roster to the required 53 men. Now the race is on to claim or sign those who are available, effectively rounding out rosters ahead of the regular season.

The New York Giants put in seven waiver claims a year ago and were awarded multiple players. General manager Joe Schoen certainly isn’t going to sit on his hands this time around, so expect Big Blue to be active.

Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll will be on the hunt for anyone they believe will help improve their roster.

With that in mind, here’s a look at seven players the Giants should consider claiming or signing on Wednesday.