49ers Meet With G Robert Jones
A 30-game starter in Miami, Robert Jones joined the Cowboys in free agency last year. But the former UDFA offensive lineman suffered a season-nullifying injury, hitting free agency on a low note a year later.
Two-plus weeks into this year’s FA period, Jones remains unsigned. But he is drawing interest. The 49ers met with the veteran guard Monday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
The 49ers have Dominick Puni penciled in as their right guard starter, and they signed veteran swingman Brett Toth as a potential LG option. As of now, Toth and part-time 2025 starter Connor Colby would battle for the 49ers’ starting LG position, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch writes. Jones’ visit shows the 49ers still likely have this position on their radar.
No relation to the former Cowboys linebacker of same name, this Robert Jones turned is going into an age-27 season after his lost year in Dallas. Jones suffered a broken bone in his neck in August and ended up on Dallas’ season-ending IR list. The Cowboys had signed him to a one-year, $3.75MM deal with $3MM guaranteed. While that move conceivably put Jones in position to be the Cowboys’ Zack Martin RG successor, the team drafted Tyler Booker 12th overall to pair with Tyler Smith.
Pro Football Focus graded Jones 41st and 35th among guards in 2022 and ’23, respectively, though the advanced metrics site viewed Jones’ 17-game starter season (2024) as less impressive (59th overall). Jones played left guard throughout the 2024 season in Miami, which did not see its Isaiah Wynn signings lead to much work. Jones logged more than 150 snaps at both LG and RG in 2023 and played 431 LG snaps in 2022.
Toth joined the 49ers on a one-year, $2.5MM deal, Wilson adds. The 49ers guaranteed the ex-Eagle $2.22MM at signing. Colby and Nick Zakelj, whom the team re-signed in February, are in place as guard options on a line that returns starters Puni, Jake Brendel, Colton McKivitz and, as of now, Trent Williams.
In other 49ers contract news, their deal with linebacker Luke Gifford is worth $5MM over two years, according to Wilson. Gifford secured $2MM fully guaranteed. Defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu joined the team on a one-year, $2.3MM accord that comes with $1.8MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson adds. Punter Corliss Waitman signed a one-year, $1.29MM deal that includes $475K fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets.
Mac Jones To Start Week 3; Brock Purdy Potentially Available In Case Of Emergency
Brock Purdy‘s return to practice this week inspired some hope that he could suit up for the 49ers in Week 3, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic) that it is “highly unlikely” he starts on Sunday. Instead, it will be Mac Jones under center in San Francisco against the Cardinals. 
Purdy missed Week 2 due to injuries to his toe and shoulder. The shoulder issue no longer seems to be preventing him from playing, but the fourth-year quarterback practiced in a limited capacity for the last three days as the toe continued to ail him. His comments on Thursday suggested that he could be a game-time decision, depending on how he feels on Sunday.
Instead, it appears that decision will be made on Saturday, when the team is required to make roster decisions like inactives and practice squad elevations. Shanahan indicated that Purdy could still be active as the team’s second- or third-string quarterback, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Pelissero’s partner at NFL Network, Ian Rapoport, expanded on that topic, explaining that, while a QB2 role may be a possibility, a QB3 role as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option makes far more sense.
If it’s determined tomorrow that Purdy can’t go or that he can only suit up as an emergency quarterback, practice squad passer Adrian Martinez will, once again, be called on to back up Jones. How they do that will be determined by Purdy’s situation. If Purdy is unable to suit up, Martinez would simply need to be designated a standard gameday practice squad elevation as he was last week. If Purdy suits up with the intention to serve in an emergency role, Martinez would need to be signed to the 53-man roster, since emergency third quarterbacks need to be on the active roster.
In other injury news, two rookies were injured in practice yesterday, per Barrows. While seventh-round guard Connor Colby is only listed as questionable with a groin injury, fourth-round wide receiver Jordan Watkins is reportedly a candidate for injured reserve with a calf injury.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/9/25
We saw a busy day of 2025 NFL Draft pick signings today. Here are the mid- to late-round picks who inked their four-year rookie deals:
Arizona Cardinals
- OLB Jordan Burch (third round, Oregon)
- CB Denzel Burke (fifth round, Ohio State)
- G Hayden Conner (sixth round, Texas)
- S Kitan Crawford (seventh round, Nevada)
Buffalo Bills
- DE Landon Jackson (third round, Arkansas)
- CB Jordan Hancock (fifth round, Ohio State)
- TE Jackson Hawes (fifth round, Georgia Tech)
- CB Dorian Strong (sixth round, Virginia Tech)
- T Chase Lundt (sixth round, Connecticut)
- WR Kaden Prather (seventh round, Maryland)
Cincinnati Bengals
- G Dylan Fairchild (third round, Georgia)
- LB Barrett Carter (fourth round, Clemson)
- T Jalen Rivers (fifth round, Miami)
- RB Tahj Brooks (sixth round, Texas Tech)
Detroit Lions
- G Miles Frazier (fifth round, LSU)
- DE Ahmed Hassanein (sixth round, Boise State)
- S Dan Jackson (seventh round, Georgia)
- WR Dominic Lovett (seventh round, Georgia)
Houston Texans
- S Jaylen Reed (sixth round, Penn State)
- QB Graham Mertz (sixth round, Florida)
- DT Kyonte Hamilton (seventh round, Rutgers)
- TE Luke Lachey (seventh round, Iowa)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- CB Caleb Ransaw (third round, Tulane)
- G Wyatt Milum (third round (West Virginia)
- LB Jalen McLeod (sixth round, Auburn)
- S Rayuan Lane III (sixth round, Navy)
- C Jonah Monheim (seventh round, USC)
- RB LeQuint Allen (seventh round, Syracuse)
Las Vegas Raiders
- WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. (fourth round, Tennessee)
Los Angeles Chargers
- DT Jamaree Caldwell (third round, Oregon)
- OLB Kyle Kennard (fourth round, South Carolina)
- WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith (fifth round, Auburn)
- TE Oronde Gadsden II (fifth round, Syracuse)
- G Branson Taylor (sixth round, Pittsburgh)
- S RJ Mickens (sixth round, Clemson)
- S Trikweze Bridges (seventh round, Florida)
Minnesota Vikings
- WR Tai Felton (third round, Maryland)
- DE Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (fifth round, Georgia)
- LB Kobe King (sixth round, Penn State)
- TE Gavin Bartholomew (sixth round, Pittsburgh)
New England Patriots
- WR Kyle Williams (third round, Washington State)
- C Jared Wilson (third round, Georgia)
- DT Joshua Farmer (fourth round, Florida State)
- OLB Bradyn Swinson (fifth round, LSU)
- K Andy Borregales (sixth round, Miami)
- T Marcus Bryant (seventh round, Missouri)
- LS Julian Ashby (seventh round, Vanderbilt)
- CB Kobee Minor (seventh round, Memphis)
New York Giants
- G Marcus Mbow (fifth round, Purdue)
- TE Thomas Fidone II (seventh round, Nebraska)
New York Jets
- CB Korie Black (seventh round, Oklahoma State)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB Kaleb Johnson (third round, Iowa)
- OLB Jack Sawyer (fourth round, Ohio State)
- DT Yahya Black (fifth round, Iowa)
- QB Will Howard (sixth round, Ohio State)
- LB Carson Bruener (seventh round, Washington)
- CB Donte Kent (seventh round, Central Michigan)
San Francisco 49ers
- LB Nick Martin (third round, Oklahoma State)
- CB Upton Stout (third round, Western Kentucky)
- WR Jordan Watkins (fourth round, Ole Miss)
- RB Jordan James (fifth round, Oregon)
- S Marques Sigle (fifth round, Kansas State)
- G Connor Colby (seventh round, Iowa)
- WR Junior Bergen (seventh round, Montana)
Tennessee Titans
- S Kevin Winston Jr. (third round, Penn State)
- WR Elic Ayomanor (fourth round, Stanford)
- G Jackson Slater (fifth round, Sacramento State)
- CB Marcus Harris (sixth round, California)
- RB Kalel Mullings (sixth round, Michigan)
Washington Commanders
- WR Jaylin Lane (fourth round, Virginia Tech)
- LB Kain Medrano (sixth round, UCLA)
- RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt (seventh round, Arizona)