49ers To Send Ahkello Witherspoon To IR
Ahkello Witherspoon left early during the 49ers’ upset win over the Seahawks, and his Week 15 action will be his last of the season.
The 49ers will place Witherspoon on injured reserve, Kyle Shanahan said Monday. This will wrap up the former third-round pick’s second NFL season. Witherspoon left Sunday’s game with a sprained right PCL.
San Francisco’s starting cornerback opposite Richard Sherman, Witherspoon struggled this season. Only one corner (Denver’s Jamar Taylor) has a lower grade, per Pro Football Focus, exiting Week 15. Witherspoon has started 21 games since coming to the 49ers out of Colorado.
Two seasons remain on his rookie contract, so he’ll have a chance to bounce back in 2019. The mid-round pick enjoyed a more promising rookie season and will presumably be part of San Francisco’s corner rotation next season. Rookie third-rounder Tarvarius Moore will start in Witherspoon’s place, Shanahan said.
49ers Likely To Cut Pierre Garcon?
- Although the 49ers have many needs entering the offseason, wide receiver is clearly one of them. Marquise Goodwin and Dante Pettis will be part of next year’s core, but Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area expects San Francisco to release Pierre Garcon. Two underwhelming years have included just 16 total Garcon games (and one touchdown). This would be an interesting move because the 49ers would only save $1MM in cap space by cutting Garcon after two years; they would incur more than $7MM in dead money.
- Expected to land a high draft pick again, the 49ers will not take a wideout with their first pick, Maiocco notes. But one may be available in Round 2, and Maiocco expects the draft to be the 49ers’ primary avenue to upgrade this position. Ole Miss talents D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown could be available. Kyle Shanahan said this offseason the 49ers were did not aggressively pursue Sammy Watkins or Allen Robinson, due to the escalating markets for those solid starters but players who don’t profile as true No. 1s.
Fritz Pollard Alliance Recommends GM Candidates
The Fritz Pollard Alliance has released its annual list of minority candidates for general manager vacancies. Much like the latest batch of recommended coaching hires, the suggested GM list is more than twice as long as last year’s. 
[RELATED: Fritz Pollard Alliance Recommends Head Coaching Candidates]
Here’s the full rundown, via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link):
- Ray Agnew (Rams)
- Joey Clinkscales (Raiders)
- Quentin Harris (Cardinals)
- Alonzo Highsmith (Browns)
- Brad Holmes (Rams)
- Champ Kelly (Bears)
- Martin Mayhew (49ers, ex-Lions GM)
- Will McClay (Cowboys)
- Jimmy Raye III (Lions)
- Jerry Reese (ex-Giants GM)
- Doug Whaley (ex-Bills GM)
- Doug Williams (Redskins)
Clinkscales, Highsmith, McClay, and Williams were all featured on last year’s list, but none of those executives landed GM jobs. The only executive from the last round of recommendations who did not carry over to this year was Ray Farmer, the former Browns GM who is currently serving as a senior consultant with the Rams.
Of the dozen suggested executives on this list, only three sat for GM interviews in the last cycle: Mayhew (Panthers), Raye (Texans), and Whaley (Packers). McClay was asked to interview for the Texans opening, but declined the opportunity and instead signed a two-year extension to stay with the Cowboys. McClay may garner consideration again this time around, but he might not be interested in leaving Dallas.
49ers Likely To Cut Veterans
- The 49ers are already armed with the eighth-most projected cap space in 2019, and they could create even more by parting ways with several veterans this offseason, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Sunday was a pointed example of exactly which aged players could be on the chopping block: wideout Pierre Garcon missed a fourth consecutive game with injury, while linebacker Malcolm Smith and defensive tackle Earl Mitchell saw their snaps either reduced or eliminated altogether. With their quarterback of the future already locked into a long-term deal, San Francisco could spend the upcoming offseason re-tooling other parts of its roster.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/12/18
Today’s workout updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):
Buffalo Bills
Chicago Bears
- LBs Josh Forrest, Jameer Thurman, James Vaughters; CBs Doran Grant, Sterling Moore
Green Bay Packers
Miami Dolphins
- T Chris Durant; G Landon Turner
New Orleans Saints
- RBs Martez Carter, Jalen Simmons; FB Dimitri Flowers
San Francisco 49ers
- CB Michael Hunter; S Harlan Miller.
49ers’ Kentavius Street Cleared To Practice
The 49ers have opened the practice window for rookie defensive end Kentavius Street. Street remains on the PUP list but may have an opportunity to see the field before the year is through. 
The Niners selected Street in the fourth round of this year’s draft after he suffered a torn ACL. Prior to the injury, the N.C. State product had some second/third round buzz, so the Niners were happy to take the patient approach with the 21-year-old.
Street appeared in 51 games (35 starts) during his collegiate career, compiling 9.5 sacks. He had one of his best seasons as a senior in 2017, finishing with 38 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 13 games.
If activated for the 49ers’ final games, the rookie figures to support starters Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas along with rotational players Cassius Marsh and Ronald Blair. Depending on team needs elsewhere, activating Street may require waiving seventh-round rookie Jullian Taylor.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/11/18
Here are the latest NFL practice squad decisions:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Shay Fields
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Joel Bouagnon, LB Jonathan Celestin
- Released: S Tyvis Powell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Josh Hawkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Marcus Lucas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Emmanuel Smith
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/11/18
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Jonathan Anderson
- Signed from Seahawks’ practice squad: DT Vincent Valentine
- Placed on IR: LB Thurston Armbrister
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: CB Taron Johnson
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Trevon Young
- Placed on IR: Dominique Hatfield
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: OL Cameron Hunt, OL Denver Kirkland
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed off Cowboys’ practice squad: S Tyree Robinson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Tanner Hudson
- Placed on IR: LB Kevin Minter
Washington Redskins
- Signed off Texans’ practice squad: G Kyle Fuller
- Waived: C Demetrius Rhaney
Titans Place RT Jack Conklin On IR
The Titans have formally placed right tackle Jack Conklin on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. The club also officially placed tight end Jonnu Smith on IR. 
Both Conklin and Smith went down in Thursday night’s game against the Jaguars. For Smith, the seriousness of the injury was readily apparent – the Titans learned on Friday that he would be sidelined for the year with a severe MCL injury. However, the Titans were hoping to get Conklin back on the field for the postseason, should they qualify.
Conklin, the No. 8 pick in the 2016 draft, played in every possible regular season game over the first two years of his career before going down with a torn ACL in the Titans’ divisional round loss to the Patriots. That injury cost Conklin time this year, as he missed the first three games of the season before returning in Week 4. Since then, Conklin played nearly every snap for Tennessee (save for Week 5 when he suffered a concussion), grading as the NFL’s No. 42 offensive tackle among 78 qualifiers in the process, per Pro Football Focus.
Unfortunately, Conklin’s knee issue will keep him out of action the rest of the way. The Titans, meanwhile, still have a 34% chance of reaching the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight.
To fill the gaps, the Titans signed tight end Cole Wick off of the 49ers’ practice squad and signed veteran offensive lineman Austin Pasztor.
Kentavius Street May Practice This Year
- The 49ers drafted N.C. State’s Kentavius Street shortly after he tore his ACL in a pre-draft workout with the Giants, but the rookie defensive end may be on the verge of practicing, Kyle Shanahan said Monday. Street is on the 49ers’ NFI list and will not play in a game this season, though, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports (on Twitter). Still, practice work would help as Street prepares for a hopefully healthy 2019 offseason.