Minor NFL Transactions: 9/18/21
The customary Saturday minor moves avalanche:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: S Chris Banjo, CB Antonio Hamilton
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Kevon Seymour, T Andre Smith
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: DL Margus Hunt, T Alex Taylor
- Placed on IR: T Larry Borom
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: S Sean Davis
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: LB Elijah Lee
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: TE Jeremy Sprinkle
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: RB Damarea Crockett, OL Austin Schlottmann
Houston Texans
- Promoted: TE Antony Auclair, K Joey Slye
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: WR DeMichael Harris
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: WR Laquon Treadwell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: OL Lester Cotton, RB Trey Ragas
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: DL Joe Gaziano
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: LB Micah Kiser, DL Justin Lawler
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: CB Jamal Perry
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: RB Ameer Abdullah, S Myles Dorn, QB Sean Mannion
- Waived: TE Brandon Dillon
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Tashawn Bower, K Nick Folk
- Placed on IR: K Quinn Nordin (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: DE Jalyn Holmes, LB Wynton McManis, DB Jordan Miller, C Austin Reiter (story)
- Placed on IR: LB Chase Hansen
New York Jets
- Promoted: S Adrian Colbert, LB Del’Shawn Phillips
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: LB Dre Greenlaw (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: TE Tommy Hudson
49ers Discussed Trade For Vikings’ Cameron Dantzler; Richard Sherman Still On Radar
After entering the season with a thinner cornerback depth chart than they featured in recent years, the 49ers have needed to make multiple additions over the past several days.
Josh Norman and Dre Kirkpatrick are now on San Francisco’s roster, with injuries — most notably Jason Verrett‘s ACL tear — moving the team to add veterans. The 49ers have been in discussions to keep bolstering their corner corps, with The Athletic’s David Lombardi reporting Richard Sherman remains on the team’s radar (subscription required).
The 49ers and Sherman still have mutual interest in a reunion, according to Lombardi. Sherman, 33, played the past three seasons with the 49ers but has run into off-field trouble. A July arrest brought five misdemeanor charges for the former All-Pro, who had been on a few teams’ radars this offseason. This marks Sherman’s first known connection to a team since the arrest.
Initially, the 49ers and Sherman agreed to part ways ahead of free agency. But Sherman did not land anywhere in free agency. In May, the prospect of Sherman returning to San Francisco surfaced. The Raiders, Saints and Seahawks also held discussions with the acclaimed defender. Norman and Kirkpatrick’s arrivals notwithstanding, Sherman would help the 49ers further address a key need. After missing Week 1, outside corner Emmanuel Moseley is doubtful for San Francisco’s Week 2 tilt in Philadelphia with a knee injury.
These issues also prompted the 49ers to look to the trade market. The team inquired about Vikings corner Cameron Dantzler, Lombardi adds. Minnesota made the 2020 third-round pick a healthy scratch in Week 1. Dantzler started 11 games as a rookie but is now behind offseason additions Patrick Peterson and Bashaud Breeland. For now, the Vikings are holding off on a Dantzler deal. The 49ers then moved to Kirkpatrick, whom they auditioned earlier this year.
With Kirkpatrick and Norman in place as stopgaps, San Francisco’s cornerback spot certainly stands as a situation to monitor early in the season.
49ers LB Dre Greenlaw To Undergo Surgery
This 49ers September is starting to look somewhat familiar. After losing starters Raheem Mostert and Jason Verrett for the season, the team will be down linebacker Dre Greenlaw for a while.
The promising defender is set to undergo groin surgery, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows (on Twitter). Although this procedure is not set to knock Greenlaw out for the season, he is expected to miss four to six weeks, Barrows tweets. That timetable could be on the optimistic side, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting Greenlaw could be down for eight weeks (Twitter link).
While this does not quite match the injury misfortune September 2020 brought the 49ers, the team left its opener with some significant health issues. Greenlaw and Fred Warner serve as San Francisco’s three-down linebackers. The former returned an interception for a touchdown in the 49ers’ 41-33 Week 1 win.
A 2019 fifth-round pick, Greenlaw has been a starter since his rookie season. He joined Warner in helping the 49ers transition post-Reuben Foster at linebacker, with Greenlaw also making high-priced addition Kwon Alexander expendable. Greenlaw finished last season with 86 tackles in 13 games during a season in which he missed some time due to a quadriceps injury. He was still one of San Francisco’s healthier starters during an injury-defined 2020 slate.
Azeez Al-Shaair is expected to take over Greenlaw’s every-down role alongside Warner, Barrows tweets, with Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles moving into the 49ers’ base sets as their third starting linebacker. Al-Shaair has started 10 games in three seasons, including San Francisco’s opener last week. A former UDFA like Al-Shaair, Flannigan-Fowles made one start in 2020.
49ers Add RB Trenton Cannon
The 49ers have claimed Trenton Cannon off of waivers from the Ravens (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Cannon will help to fortify the Niners’ running back group in the wake of Raheem Mostert‘s season-ending injury. 
[RELATED: Raheem Mostert Out For Year]
The Niners also picked up Kerryon Johnson this week, adding him to their 16-man practice squad. Cannon might not be as big of a name, but he offers experience and special teams ability.
A sixth-round Jets pick in 2018, Cannon wound up with the Panthers last year and contributed mostly as a kick returner. He played on 40% of the Panthers’ special teams snaps in 2020. This all overlapped with Christian McCaffrey‘s injury, but Cannon took just ten handoffs in 14 games with Carolina, less than his 38 totes as a Jets rookie.
The Ravens turned to Cannon in the wake of their own backfield injury bug. They may look for additional RB help as Cannon moves on to his new club. He’ll have his chance to debut for SF on Sunday when they face the Eagles in Philadelphia.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/14/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: K Elliott Fry, WR Juwan Green, TE David Wells
Carolina Panthers
- Released: OL Mike Hortond
Dallas Cowboysmia
- Signed: WR Robert Foster, K Lirim Hajrullahu
- Placed on IR: CB Deante Burton, S Darian Thompson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Rojesterman Farris, WR Rico Gafford
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB Grayland Arnold
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OL Anthony Coyle
- Released: S Sean Davis
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: LB Omari Cobb
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Jamal Perry
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: T Caleb Benenoch, WR Kenny Stills (story)
- Released: DT Jaleel Johnson
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Noah Dawkins, OL Elijah Nkansah
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: C Harry Crider
- Placed on IR: OT Le’Raven Clark
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Curtis Bolton, RB Kerryon Johnson (story)
- Released: WR Isaiah Zuber
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Austin Fort, TE Tommy Hudson
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/21
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released from IR via injury settlement: CB Donnie Lewis
Detroit Lions
- Waived: G Tommy Kraemer
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed off Bears practice squad: DT Damion Square
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Michael Thomas; Thomas tested positive for COVID-19
- Signed: DL Montravius Adams, S Jeff Heath
- Waived: FB Adam Prentice
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: LB Blake Cashman, DB Lamarcus Joyner (story), P Braden Mann
- Signed: OL Isaiah Williams, S Jarrod Wilson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR via injury settlement: S Obi Melifonwu
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: CB Dontae Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Jon Rhattigan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Earl Watford
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: LB Jared Norris
Raheem Mostert Out For The Year, 49ers Signing Kerryon Johnson To PS
Unfortunate news for 49ers fans. It appears running back Raheem Mostert won’t be returning in a couple of months after all. Instead, Mostert will have surgery on his knee that will sideline him for the rest of the season, he announced himself on Twitter.
In a responsive move, the 49ers will be signing free agent running back Kerryon Johnson to their practice squad, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Johnson, a 2018 second-round pick of the Lions, was cut by the Eagles last month. He also visited with the Raiders last week, and is still only 24. Johnson operated as the Lions’ lead back for his first two years in the league, but took a backseat to D’Andre Swift last year and was soon jettisoned.
Mostert says that he weighed his options and ultimately determined this was the best course of action. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had said yesterday that Mostert would only undergo a scope for chipped knee cartilage, and that he would return in about eight weeks. He’ll instead have cartilage repair surgery that will have a six-month recovery, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. That should at least give him plenty of time to be 100 percent for the start of 2022.
It looks like the backfield will now be Elijah Mitchell‘s to lead going forward. Mitchell got 19 carries in the 49ers’ win over the Lions after Mostert went down, turning them into 104 yards and a touchdown. Fourth-round rookie Trey Sermon, who was a healthy scratch in Week 1, could get a crack at some point as well.
It’s a tough blow for Mostert, who has been an extremely effective runner when healthy but has struggled to stay on the field. He’s averaged a ridiculous 5.7 yards per carry on 284 career attempts, but injuries limited him to eight games last year and held him back in prior years as well. It’s especially tough considering Mostert is in a contract year, and will be an unrestricted free agent this spring.
It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of contract he lands in free agency. On the one hand he’s been remarkably efficient the past few years, but on the other hand has been plagued by injuries and has played in Shanahan’s system, in which virtually every running back seemingly thrives.
49ers Finalizing Deal With CB Dre Kirkpatrick
Following cornerback Jason Verrett‘s season-ending injury, the 49ers have brought in some reinforcement at the position. The 49ers are finalizing a deal with free agent cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
[RELATED: 49ers Fear Torn ACL For Jason Verrett]
Kirkpatrick has flirted with teams throughout the offseason, previously auditioning for the Saints, Patriots, and Texans. He also worked out for the 49ers recently, and that ended up turning into a contract. The 31-year-old saw time in 14 games (11 starts) for the Cardinals in 2020, finishing with 56 tackles, seven passes defended, and three interceptions. The longtime Bengals starter has totaled 358 tackles, three sacks, 72 passes defensed, and 13 interceptions across nine NFL seasons.
Verrett had a standout season for the 49ers in 2020, and the team brought him back on a one-year deal. Unfortunately, the veteran suffered an ACL tear during yesterday’s victory, ending his season after only one game. The team has already had to shuffle around their cornerbacks corps; the team needed rookie Deommodore Lenoir to fill in for Emmanuel Moseley, and they previously added Josh Norman. Before signing Kirkpatrick, head coach Kyle Shanahan seemed to imply that the team could look for some extra depth at the position.
“With that being the case, I feel we got enough guys in our building,” Shanahan said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). “But that’s something you always got to look to see if there’s anyway you can improve. You always do that.”
Raheem Mostert To Miss 8 Weeks With Knee Injury
Unfortunately, Raheem Mostert is dealing with another significant health issue. The 49ers’ talented but oft-injured running back has chipped cartilage in his knee, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday.
Shanahan said the knee issue will sideline Mostert for about eight weeks. He’ll have a scope on the knee and go on injured reserve for the time being. Elijah Mitchell, who became a workhorse against the Lions after Mostert went down early, figures to become the team’s new lead back in his place. Mitchell turned 19 carries into 104 yards and a touchdown against Detroit.
The injury likely also means fourth-round rookie Trey Sermon, who was a surprise inactive against the Lions, will get a crack at the first action of his pro career. Mostert was a 2015 UDFA from Purdue who spent time with six different teams in less than two seasons before finding a permanent home with the 49ers.
He signed with San Francisco’s practice squad in November of 2016, and has been with the team ever since. Impressively, he’s averaged 5.7 yards per rush on 284 career carries. Last year he had 521 yards in only eight games as he dealt with various ailments.
It’s an especially tough blow for Mostert since he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. Hopefully he can return and have a lot of success in the second half to help him cash in next spring. Mostert briefly requested a trade in the summer of 2020 before he and the team patched things up with a revised contract.
49ers Fear Torn ACL For Jason Verrett
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan believes that Jason Verrett has a torn ACL (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). This marks yet another frustrating setback for the cornerback who has missed a significant portion of his career with injuries. 
A first-round pick of the Chargers back in 2014, Verrett initially looked like a star in the making and made the Pro Bowl in 2015. Then a torn ACL limited him to four games in 2016. After that, he saw one game in 2017, zero in 2018, and one more game in 2019.
Then, last year, Verrett was one of the best stories in the NFL last season. He was finally able to stay healthy as he started 13 games, racked up seven passes defensed, and notched two interceptions. In March, the Niners brought him back on a one-year, $5.5MM deal with incentives.
Running back Raheem Mostert was also forced out of Sunday’s game with a knee injury, so the Niners may be searching for support on both sides of the ball. On the plus side, the 49ers won their season opener, beating the Lions 41-33.