HEADLINES

Ronnie Bell

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/3/24

December 3rd, 2024 at 7:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

With Trevor Lawrence currently in concussion protocol, the Jaguars have added some QB depth to the organization. John Wolford brings four games of starting experience to Jacksonville, all coming with the Rams between 2020 and 2022. The Wake Forest product went 2-2 in those appearances, tossing one touchdown vs. five interceptions. He’ll slide in behind Mac Jones and C.J. Beathard in the franchise’s QB pecking order.

The Eagles added a veteran fullback to their roster in Khari Blasingame. The 28-year-old has appeared in 66 games since entering the league in 2019, collecting 131 yards from scrimmage on 24 carries. The Eagles recently lost part-time fullback Ben VanSumeren for the season, opening a role for a handful of blocking snaps per game.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/24

November 29th, 2024 at 8:23pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the NFL’s minor moves on Friday:

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed to active roster from practice squad: DB Daryl Worley

The 49ers waived Bell after a frustrating season from the 2023 seventh-rounder. He appeared in all 17 games in 2023 and played all but two games this year, but only managed two catches for 22 yards despite expanded opportunities after Brandon Aiyuk‘s ACL tear. Any team that claims Bell on waivers will take on the remainder of his 2024 salary as well as the $2.2MM owed to him across 2025 and 2026, though that money is not guaranteed. However, Bell’s struggles this year will likely dissuade any team from claiming him on waivers. If he clears waivers, he will be free to sign with any team’s active roster or practice squad.

49ers Medically Clear WR Brandon Aiyuk

August 28th, 2024 at 10:11pm CST by Ben Levine

As the 49ers continue their standoff with Brandon Aiyuk, the organization made a significant decision today. According to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, the team medically cleared their wide receiver, paving the way for Aiyuk to start facing fines.

Aiyuk has been engaged in a hold-in throughout the summer, although the team seemed to accommodate his stance. The player attended training camp on time and was present for team meetings, and since the organization attributed his on-field absences to back and neck soreness. the player was able to avoid daily fines of $40K. Following today’s medical clearance, the 49ers now have a clear path to start fining Aiyuk for “unexcused missed activities.” The organization also has the option to suspend the player for “conduct detrimental to the team,” per Wagoner.

While neither coach Kyle Shanahan nor general manager John Lynch would reveal if they’d slap Aiyuk with those punishments, they did express optimism that the medically clearance would coax the player into practicing. Predictably, that didn’t end up happening on Wednesday, as Wagoner notes that Aiyuk was absent from the portion of practice that was open to reporters.

Shanahan later admitted that he was preparing as if the wideout wouldn’t be available for Week 1. When asked about the regular-season status of Aiyuk and offensive tackle Trent Williams (who also continues to push for a new deal), the head coach said he’s planning for Week 1 with the players he currently has on the practice field.

“I’m optimistic that things will work out with Trent,” Shanahan said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “I’m not sitting here knowing what day it will be. I mean, we’re getting close to playing a game. So, like, my mind is completely on preparing for a game without those guys. But I feel when two sides want to get a deal done, usually it happens.”

Shanahan also told reporters that Aiyuk’s uncertainty played a role in the team’s decision to carry seven wideouts on their initial 53-man roster (per Wagoner). With Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, first-round rookie Ricky Pearsall, and fourth-round rookie Jacob Cowing seemingly safe regardless of Aiyuk’s status, the likes of Chris Conley and Ronnie Bell were the main beneficiaries of this continued saga.

49ers Finish Draft Class Deals

May 12th, 2023 at 5:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Without a first- or second-round pick in this year’s draft, the 49ers did not have an especially challenging task of rounding out their draft class signings. They cleared that low bar Friday, signing six draftees to their four-year rookie deals.

San Francisco agreed to terms with third-round safety Ji’Ayir Brown, third-round tight end Cameron Latu, sixth-round cornerback Dee Winters, seventh-round tight end Brayden Willis, seventh-round wide receiver Ronnie Bell and seventh-round linebacker Jalen Graham. The team began its rookie minicamp Friday, joining many other teams in this regard.

The two tight ends hail from Alabama and Oklahoma, respectively, with Latu arriving at pick No. 101, which the NFL gave to the 49ers as compensation for the Dolphins hiring Mike McDaniel as head coach in 2022. Willis stands to have a better path toward the 49ers’ 53-man roster as a result of 2022 backup Tyler Kroft joining McDaniels’ team earlier this week. Willis caught 39 passes for 514 yards for the Sooners as a senior. Fourth-year tight end Charlie Woerner resides as George Kittle‘s top veteran backup, though veteran Ross Dwelley remains on the team’s roster as well.

Brown came off the board to the 49ers with their first pick this year. The team moved up (via the Vikings) from No. 102 to select the Penn State product. Brown totaled 10 interceptions between the 2021 and ’22 seasons with the Nittany Lions, and the JUCO transfer added 4.5 sacks as a senior. He joins a 49ers team that lost Jimmie Ward in free agency. Scouts Inc. graded Brown as this year’s No. 67 overall prospect.

The 49ers have generated some production from recent seventh-round receiver draftee Jauan Jennings, whom they retained via an ERFA tender this offseason. Bell played five seasons at Michigan, finishing with 889 receiving yards as a senior. The 49ers traded their 2023 first-rounder to move up for Trey Lance two years ago and dealt their second-rounder in the Christian McCaffrey swap last year. Here is San Francisco’s 2023 draft class:

Round 3, No. 87 (from Vikings): Ji’Ayir Brown, S (Penn State) (signed)
Round 3, No. 99: Jake Moody, K (Michigan) (signed)
Round 3, No. 101: Cameron Latu, TE (Alabama) (signed)
Round 5, No. 155 (from Dolphins): Darrell Luter Jr., CB (South Alabama) (signed)
Round 5, No. 173: Robert Beal Jr., DE (Georgia) (signed)
Round 6, No. 216: Dee Winters, LB (TCU) (signed)
Round 7, No. 247: Brayden Willis, TE (Oklahoma) (signed)
Round 7, No. 253: Ronnie Bell, WR (Michigan) (signed)
Round 7, No. 255: Jalen Graham, LB (Purdue) (signed)