Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Marlon Davidson
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: LB Rashad Smith
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from exempt/commissioner list: LB James Burgess
- Cut: OL Ben Braden
Houston Texans
- Released: RB C.J. Prosise
- Activated from exempt/commissioner list: DT Eli Ankou
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from exempt/commissioner list: DE Aaron Lynch
- Placed on IR: WR Dede Westbrook
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Johnathan Abram
New York Jets
- Claimed off waivers from Eagles: DE Daeshon Hall
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: DT Hassan Ridgeway
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DL Alex Barrett, CB Parnell Motley
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: OLB Quinton Bell
49ers RB Jeff Wilson Has High Ankle Sprain
The hits just keep on coming for the 49ers. San Francisco picked up a dominant win over the Patriots on Sunday to get them back on track, but not without picking up more significant injuries.
Running back Jeff Wilson Jr. is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain on a touchdown he scored late in the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced. That would mean Wilson is set to miss multiple games, and a stint on injured reserve (minimum three-game absence) is quite possible. San Francisco’s whole roster has been besieged by injuries, but especially their backfield.
Wilson was filling in for Raheem Mostert as the starter, who went down last week against the Rams shortly after returning from a previous injury. Fellow running back Tevin Coleman is currently on injured reserve with a knee issue, although he should be back soon.
For the time being the 49ers will likely go with a committee approach, with Jerick McKinnon and undrafted rookie JaMycal Hasty splitting time. Wilson was having himself a game before going down, turning 17 carries into 112 yards and three touchdowns. He originally signed with the 49ers as an UDFA out of North Texas in 2018.
Jimmy Garoppolo’s Future With 49ers In Doubt?
The 49ers have been ravaged by injury this year, but they’re hanging tough at 3-3. Though that mark presently has them in last place in the talented NFC West, the addition of a seventh playoff spot for each conference means that San Francisco is still very much in postseason contention.
Like so many of his teammates, starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was bitten by the injury bug this season, as a high ankle sprain forced him to miss two games and clearly impacted him in an embarrassing Week 5 loss to the Dolphins. Though Jimmy G did play well in last week’s victory over the Rams, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says the signal-caller’s future with the Niners is in doubt.
After San Francisco traded for Garoppolo partway through the 2017 campaign, the former Patriots’ second-rounder posted a 5-0 record and landed a five-year, $137.5MM contract the following offseason. But a torn ACL wiped out most of his 2018 season, and though he led his team to a Super Bowl appearance last year, questions about his consistency have persisted.
All of his guarantees will have been paid out by the end of the year, so if the 49ers look to move on, they will be able to save about $24.1MM against the cap. Of course, they would need to earmark at least some of that money for another signal-caller, but HC Kyle Shanahan believes he can win with any number of options under center.
One league source who has worked with Shanahan said, “Kyle thinks he can turn almost anyone into a star. He’s had a lot of success with a lot of different guys and the salary structure on that team has changed dramatically the last few years. He’s not a guy who thinks he needs a $30 million a year QB to win. And they aren’t exactly gushing about the guy that they have now.”
“It’s wait and see,” another source with knowledge of the situation said. “[Garoppolo is] still under evaluation. It could go in a few different directions, and is it possible he’s not the guy next year? That’s fair. I don’t think that’s lost on anybody.”
La Canfora names Matt Ryan and Kirk Cousins as potential replacements if the team chooses to go in a different direction, though Cousins in particular would seem to be be a downgrade from Garoppolo. However, many executives expect the QB market to be active again in 2021, and Shanahan and GM John Lynch may be active in that market. If they really want to save money in a year when the salary cap is expected to decrease, they could trade Garoppolo and find their next signal-caller in the draft.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/24/20
Here are Saturday’s practice squad decisions:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: S Marqui Christian
- Released: LB Sharif Finch
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Beau Benzschawel, P Arryn Siposs
- Released: RB Dalyn Dawkins, TE Matt Sokol
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Cassius Marsh
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR Jauan Jennings
Washington Football Team
- Signed: TE Marcus Baugh
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/24/20
Here is another spree of Saturday minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: DL Trevon Coley
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: DE Austin Edwards, LB Edmond Robinson
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: LB Tyrel Dodson
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: G Mike Horton, WR Marken Michel
Chicago Bears
- Moved from IR to reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Joseph
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from IR: DT Mike Daniels
- Promoted: CB Winston Rose
- Waived: DT Kahlil McKenzie
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: OL Cameron Erving
- Promoted: T Jordan Mills, C Adam Redmond
- Placed on IR: T Brandon Knight
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: LB Kamal Martin
- Promoted: S Henry Black, G Ben Braden, RB Dexter Williams, DL Billy Winn
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: RB Devine Ozigbo
- Promoted: S Doug Middleton, TE Eric Saubert
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Chris Thompson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: OL Danny Isidora, WR Marcus Kemp
- Placed on IR: DL Khalen Saunders
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: CB Dylan Mabin
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Tashawn Bower, DT Nick Thurman
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Austin Carr, OL Will Clapp, WR Juwan Johnson
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: OL Cameron Clark
- Promoted: K/P Sergio Castillo, LB Bryce Hager
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: FB Trey Edmunds, LB Jayrone Elliott
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: S Johnathan Cyprien, S Jared Mayden
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: LB Ray-Ray Armstrong
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: S Dane Cruikshank
- Promoted: LB Darren Bates, OL David Quessenberry
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Jeff Badet, WR Tony Brown, DT Devaroe Lawrence
- Placed on IR: OL Saahdiq Charles, WR Antonio Gandy-Golden
Shanahan: 49ers Shopping WR Dante Pettis
Kyle Shanahan has revealed one player on his team’s trade block this season. The 49ers are shopping Dante Pettis, per their fourth-year coach (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, on Twitter).
Pettis’ stock has plummeted considerably in San Francisco since he arrived as a 2018 second-round pick. The former Washington Husky standout has no catches this season and was a healthy scratch down the stretch for the 2019 NFC champion 49ers edition. He battled a knee injury as well last season and has missed the past two games with more knee trouble.
Pettis did submit some highlights as a rookie — 27 receptions, 467 yards, five touchdown catches — but has not been seen much on offense since. Shanahan confirming Pettis’ trade-block status also occurred on the wideout’s 25th birthday. John Lynch has fielded “a number” of calls on Pettis, Shanahan said before adding that nothing is imminent, per the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch (on Twitter). Pettis interest appears to be tepid at this point.
At Washington, Pettis caught 15 touchdown passes as a junior in 2016 and was dominant as a returner. In four seasons at the Pac-12 program, Pettis returned nine punts for touchdowns — including four his senior season. The 49ers have since used two more premium draft choices on wideouts, taking Deebo Samuel in the 2019 second round and Brandon Aiyuk in this year’s first round. Both quickly passed Pettis in San Francisco’s aerial pecking order.
The 49ers made their interest in trading Marquise Goodwin public previously and found a taker for the ex-Olympian, sending him to the Eagles during draft weekend. Pettis’ rookie contract runs through the 2021 season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/21/20
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad decisions:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DL Walter Palmore
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: G Ben Braden
Las Vegas Raiders
- Reinstated from practice squad IR: WR Marcell Ateman
- Released: WR De’Mornay Pierson-El
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Daniel Helm
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Ray-Ray Armstrong
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR John Hurst
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/21/20
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: DT Justin Zimmer
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Trent Scott, K Joey Slye
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: CB Chris Jones
- Placed on IR: DE Julian Okwara
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Byron Cowart, G Shaq Mason, DE Derek Rivers
- Placed on IR: T Jermaine Eluemunor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Matt Pryor
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: LB Joe Walker
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on IR: DB Delano Hill
Washington Football Team
- Signed off Packers’ practice squad: WR Robert Foster
Richard Sherman Out Until Week 12?
Kyle Shanahan provided a bleak update on Richard Sherman‘s availability Wednesday, continuing the theme of this 49ers season.
Shanahan said the Pro Bowl cornerback is not expected to return until after the 49ers’ bye week, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan (on Twitter). This would put Sherman’s return date in Week 12 — a Nov. 29 rematch with the Rams. Sherman has been on IR since Week 2 because of a calf injury.
Sherman, who re-emerged as a top-tier cornerback last season after his 2017 Achilles injury, returning from injury and re-establishing himself as a high-end defender will be key for his NFL future. This is the final year of his three-year, $27.2MM deal. Although the self-represented cornerback confirmed he and the 49ers had discussed an extension in September, the sides have not agreed on terms. The cornerback market has changed considerably this year, with Jalen Ramsey, Tre’Davious White and Marlon Humphrey signing for well above the position’s previous salary ceiling.
The 49ers saw Emmanuel Moseley return from injury last week and have observed Jason Verrett display rare availability this season, which is interesting in a year in which many 49ers have been lost with injuries. But Sherman and slot corner K’Waun Williams are on IR, joining the likes of Nick Bosa, Solomon Thomas and Dee Ford. The latter will also not be back until at least Week 12, per Shanahan.
Jets To Trade Jordan Willis To 49ers
After dealing starter Steve McLendon, the Jets are trading another defender. The 49ers will acquire edge defender Jordan Willis from the Jets, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).
This is a low-profile move ahead of the Nov. 3 deadline. The 49ers will send the Jets a 2022 sixth-round pick and get back a 2021 seventh in this swap, per Pelissero (on Twitter). Willis’ profile has lowered considerably over the past two seasons, but he will have another chance at raising it soon.
The former Bengals third-round pick has worked as a backup with the Jets. He has played 46 defensive snaps this season and was a nine-game backup in 2019, after the Jets claimed him off waivers from the Bengals. Willis, who was a regular rotational cog in 2017 and ’18 in Cincinnati, has not played since Week 3.
The 49ers have seen injuries deplete their once-vaunted defensive line this season. Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas are out for the season, and Dee Ford has no return date in sight. Willis has just three career sacks, but the 49ers will have some extra depth after Willis clears the lengthy COVID-19 protocols.