49ers Shopped Ahkello Witherspoon
The 49ers have been accustomed to dealing with running back unavailability during Kyle Shanahan‘s tenure, but Jerick McKinnon is on track to make his 49er debut at long last. However, Tevin Coleman‘s status is now uncertain. The second-year 49ers back did not practice Friday because of the poor air quality in San Francisco, which has been affected by the recent wildfires raging in many west coast areas. Coleman, who has a sickle cell trait, also did not finish a practice earlier in training camp due to poor air quality, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Although the 49ers traded Matt Breida, they still have McKinnon, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson on their active roster.
- Prior to roster cutdown day, the 49ers considered trading Ahkello Witherspoon, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Witherspoon was aware of the team’s effort, which did not end up producing a deal. The 49ers are set to be without Jason Verrett, who missed all of last season and has dealt with injuries throughout his career, Sunday due to a hamstring injury. Witherspoon is in line to serve as a key depth player to start the season. Emmanuel Moseley replaced him in the starting lineup during the playoffs. A fourth-year player, Witherspoon is set for unrestricted free agency in 2021.
- The 49ers did not restructure Dee Ford‘s deal to set up a big move, John Lynch said (via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, on Twitter). The move, however, did create $9.5MM in cap space. That gave the team some breathing room; it holds $10.9MM in cap space as of Saturday. The move does, however, make Ford a more difficult cut in 2021. It would now cost the 49ers $14MM-plus in dead money to release the defensive end next year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/20
Here are Saturday’s minor moves. Many of these roster decisions involve practice squad promotions. Under the new CBA, teams are permitted to promote two P-squad players without corresponding roster moves per week. Teams can carry 55 players on their rosters for game days and can have up to 48 active.
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: RB D.J. Foster
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: S Jordan Richards
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: K Cairo Santos
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DE Amani Bledsoe, S Trayvon Henderson
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB Robert Jackson
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: G Kenny Wiggins, RB Jonathan Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Krys Barnes
- Promoted: LB Tipa Galeai, TE John Lovett
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: RB Nathan Cottrell, TE Ben Ellefson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: G Ryan Groy, FB Gabe Nabers
Miami Dolphins
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Nate Brooks
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: LB Hardy Nickerson
- Signed: DB Nate Meadors
New England Patriots
- Promoted: K Nick Folk, DT Xavier Williams
- Placed on IR: WR Gunner Olszewski
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Bennie Fowler, DL Margus Hunt
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DE Anthony Lanier
New York Jets
- Signed: QB Mike White
- Promoted: RB Josh Adams, WR Josh Malone
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: DT T.Y. McGill, G Sua Opeta
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: C Hroniss Grasu, CB Dontae Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: T Chad Wheeler
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: WR Cyril Grayson, DB Mazzi Wilkins
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Cam Sims
49ers To Place Deebo Samuel On IR
Deebo Samuel‘s return from a fractured foot will be on hold. The 49ers are placing their No. 1 wide receiver on IR, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
The second-year wideout, who underwent surgery after a Jones fracture in June, will miss at least the season’s first three games. The 49ers had held out hope he could play this week. Instead, they will be without him until Week 4.
Samuel came off the 49ers’ NFI list last week, providing optimism for his early-season availability. So this is a bit of a setback on that front. Samuel suffered the injury in mid-June, and with a roughly three-month recovery timetable — at minimum — the possibility always existed he would miss time to start the season.
The 49ers would likely not have made this move a year ago, but with the COVID-19 pandemic prompting the league to adjust its IR rule, they can have Samuel back by Week 4. Under the 2019 rule, Samuel would have needed to miss at least eight games if placed on IR. Teams can also return an unlimited number of players from IR this season.
This continues the 49ers’ unstable year at wide receiver. They lost Emmanuel Sanders in free agency and placed Jalen Hurd on IR. The 2019 third-round pick is set to miss a full season for a second straight year. Brandon Aiyuk is questionable for Sunday with a hamstring injury. The team signed several veteran wideouts during training camp but is not carrying any of them on its active roster. San Francisco’s healthy wideout contingent consists of Kendrick Bourne, Trent Taylor, Dante Pettis and Richie James. Taylor missed all of last season with a foot injury.
Samuel resides as San Francisco’s top non-George Kittle option in the passing game. The South Carolina product showed tremendous run-after-catch chops as a rookie and contributed in the run game frequently. The 49ers’ schedule, however, does not look particularly difficult to start out. They will be without Samuel for games against the Cardinals, Jets and Giants.
49ers, Richard Sherman Discuss Extension
Richard Sherman has done well to revitalize his career in San Francisco, earning second-team All-Pro acclaim last season while helping the 49ers back to the Super Bowl. Sherman confirmed Thursday he wants to keep playing after his 49ers contract expires.
While Sherman’s 49ers deal wraps up after the 2020 season, the standout cornerback said he has discussed an extension with the 49ers, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News (on Twitter).
Sherman, 32, is hoping to play four more seasons. He is set to make $8MM in base salary this year and count nearly $14MM toward the 49ers’ 2020 cap. The former Seahawks All-Pro signed a self-negotiated three-year, $27.15MM deal in 2018. As his own agent, Sherman has put those talks on hold going into the season, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco (on Twitter).
With Jalen Ramsey just blowing the lid off the long-stagnant cornerback market, Sherman can reasonably aim for a substantial raise from his $9MM-AAV 49ers pact. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 2 overall corner last season, returning to top form after two down seasons — one of which including an Achilles tear that ended his Seattle run.
San Francisco opted not to significantly address its cornerback corps this offseason. The team has Sherman, high-end slot corner K’Waun Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon going into contract years, pointing to the position being high 49ers priority in 2021.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/20
Here are Sunday’s minor moves. The players who landed on injured reserve are eligible to come off teams’ respective lists after three weeks. For 2020, teams can also activate an unlimited number of IR players — as opposed to the two-man max of 2019.
Atlanta Falcons
- Claimed (from Washington): T Timon Paris
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed (from Dolphins): G Deion Calhoun
- Signed: CB Torry McTyer
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Cowboys): DE Joe Jackson
- Claimed (from Bills): DT Vincent Taylor
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: WR Ventell Bryant
- Signed: CB C.J. Goodwin, LB Justin March-Lillard
- Released: LB Joe Thomas
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: T Brent Qvale, LS Jon Weeks
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed (from Eagles): TE Noah Togiai
Las Vegas Raiders
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed (from Giants): LB Ryan Connelly
New York Giants
- Claimed (from Chiefs): T Jackson Barton, S Adrian Colbert
- Claimed (from Browns): WR Damion Ratley
- Waived: S Sean Chandler, OL Chad Slade
- Placed on IR: LB David Mayo, S Xavier McKinney
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed (from Lions): RB Jason Huntley
- Placed on IR: S Will Parks, WR Quez Watkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: J.J. Nelson
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed (from Titans): LB D’Andre Walker
- Waived: DB Linden Stephens
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: C A.Q. Shipley
Washington Signs CB Aaron Colvin To Practice Squad
Aaron Colvin opted against lingering in free agency ahead of the 2020 season. The veteran slot cornerback — a Washington cut Saturday — agreed to stay in the nation’s capital, joining Washington’s practice squad.
A four-year Jaguars cog, Colvin signed a lucrative deal to join the Texans in 2018. He spent a season as Houston’s slot cornerback, but after the Texans’ final-seconds loss to the Saints in Week 1 of 2019, the team made Colvin a scapegoat and accepted a dead-money hit to cut him.
Washington claimed Colvin on waivers and used him in six games. This season’s Washington squad, however, did not include the 28-year-old cornerback. He will work as an emergency player and as one of the team’s veteran P-squad staffers.
Former 49ers first-round guard Joshua Garnett, a late-offseason Washington addition, also opted to avoid another long-term free agency stay. He signed with the Washington practice squad. Given the injury trouble Washington has experienced on its offensive line in recent years, Garnett may end up seeing game action for the first time since 2018.
Here is Washington’s practice squad, as of Sunday afternoon:
- DT David Bada
- DE Jordan Brailford
- WR Tony Brown
- CB Aaron Colvin
- G Joshua Garnett
- TE Hale Hentges
- QB Steven Montez
- LB Jared Norris
- DE Nate Orchard
- LB Donald Payne
- C Ross Pierschbacher
- S Jeremy Reaves
- WR Cam Sims
Johnathan Cyprien, Dion Jordan Land On 49ers’ Practice Squad
A 71-game starter throughout a seven-year career, Johnathan Cyprien expressed skepticism about joining the 49ers’ practice squad recently. Kyle Shanahan expressed intrigue about the opportunity to carry up to six experienced players on his 2020 practice squad. But the 49ers made the longtime safety one of their cuts Saturday, and he changed his tune.
Cyprien, 30, agreed to join San Francisco’s practice squad. He will make $12K per week for each week he is on the 49ers’ P-squad. Were he to be promoted to the active roster, that rate would change to at least the veteran minimum.
Cyprien was a full-time Jaguars starter for four seasons, from 2013-16, and started 10 games for the 2017 Titans. He has not been a regular first-stringer since, however. He will join former Bears top-10 pick Dion Jordan and Kevin White on the 49ers’ P-squad.
San Francisco signed White recently, but he did not make the active roster. The 49ers added Jordan this offseason as well. The former No. 3 overall pick played rotational roles with the Seahawks and Raiders over the past three seasons. While suspensions have defined the defensive end’s career, he will have another chance to stay with a team — albeit in unusual fashion.
Here is the 49ers’ full practice squad:
- WR River Cracraft
- DL Darrion Daniels
- OL Hroniss Grasu
- TE Chase Harrell
- CB Tim Harris
- RB JaMycal Hasty
- FB Josh Hokit
- WR Jauan Jennings
- CB Dontae Johnson
- S Jared Mayden
- OL Dakoda Shepley
- OL William Sweet
- LB Joe Walker
49ers Cut Dion Jordan, Kevin White
On Saturday, the 49ers put a pair of former first-round notables on the curb. Defensive end Dion Jordan and Kevin White were dropped from the roster as a part of the club’s 20+ cuts on Saturday. 
Jordan’s NFL career has taken some odd turns, to say the least. After being selected No. 3 overall by the Dolphins, Jordan did little to justify his pre-draft hype. After some underwhelming seasons, missed seasons, and a number of suspensions, Jordan found his way to the Seahawks in 2017. In 2018, he showed some promise as a rotational piece, and he parlayed that into a one-year deal with the Raiders. He hooked on with the Niners in early August, but he didn’t get to stay for long.
White, a former No. 7 overall pick of the Bears, came out of West Virginia with tons of hype. Over the last five years, injuries have limited him to just 14 games. The Niners have been decimated by injuries at wide receiver, but they still didn’t see enough out of White’s ~1 week audition to keep him. For his career, White has 25 catches for 285 yards and zero touchdowns.
Here’s the full rundown of the 49ers’ cuts:
- DL Alex Barrett
- WR River Cracraft
- S Johnathan Cyprien
- DL Darrion Daniels
- LB Evan Foster
- OL Hroniss Grasu
- TE MarQueis Gray
- TE Chase Harrell
- CB Tim Harris Jr.
- RB JaMycal Hasty
- FB Josh Hokit
- WR Jauan Jennings
- CB Dontae Johnson
- OL Jaryd Jones-Smith
- DL Dion Jordan
- DL Cameron Malveaux
- S Jared Mayden
- WR Shawn Poindexter
- OL Dakoda Shepley
- OL William Sweet
- CB Jamar Taylor
- LB Joe Walker
- WR Kevin White
49ers Plan To Activate Deebo Samuel From NFI List
The 49ers may have their top wide receiver ready to go in Week 1. They are planning to activate Deebo Samuel from the non-football injury list ahead of the regular season, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets.
This will make Samuel eligible to suit up against the Cardinals in Week 1. Samuel has been recovering from a fractured foot for multiple months.
The Jones fracture Samuel suffered in June put the early part of the season in question for the second-year wideout. Should San Francisco have Samuel back in action against Arizona, it will represent a significant win for the defending NFC champions — who have been beset with injuries at wide receiver this summer.
Samuel has not practiced fully yet but has made progress in recent weeks. He became one of the more successful rookie wideouts in recent memory, being a yards-after-catch maven during a 57-catch, 802-yard season.
Contract Re-Workings: Bucs, Evans, 49ers, Ford, Steelers, DeCastro, Seahawks, Moore
On this busy Saturday morning we’ve got a few contract re-workings to pass along. A few teams, all franchises hoping to compete for a championship this year, are freeing up some cap space, possibly to pursue some of the veterans left on the market:
- Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): Tampa freed up $9.5MM by converting some of Evans’ salary into a signing bonus, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Bucs are loading up for their potential Tom Brady title run, having just signed Leonard Fournette earlier this week, and it’s possible they aren’t done yet. Evans is under contract through the 2023 season.
- Dee Ford, DE (49ers): San Francisco also created $9.5MM in space by doing the same thing with Ford, Yates notes in the same tweet. Ford was a disappointment in his first year with the 49ers in 2019 as he battled various health issues that limited him to 11 games, and the organization reportedly shopped him before the draft. He’s signed through the 2023 season as well, although there are outs earlier. He’s also reportedly dealing with a relatively minor calf issue at the moment.
- David DeCastro, OL (Steelers): Pittsburgh created $3.85MM with the signing bonus trick with DeCastro, Yates notes. The veteran guard has two years left on his five-year, $50MM pact.
- David Moore, WR (Seahawks): Moore has reworked his deal to stay in Seattle, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. This one sounds like more of a pay cut in order to keep his roster spot rather than the vets above who just had salary converted to signing bonuses. Rapoport notes that Moore had been set to make $2.13MM under his RFA tender, and he presumably took less than that to make the 53. He had 17 receptions for 301 yards and two touchdowns last year.