Mike Person Favorite To Be 49ers' RG
- Under optimal circumstances, Mike Person may have been third in the running for the 49ers’ right guard job. Jonathan Cooper and Joshua Garnett are ex-first-rounders both are out-earning the 30-year-old UDFA who is attached to a league-minimum contract. But Person is the odds-on favorite to open the season with the starters, Kyle Shanahan said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, on Twitter). Despite Cooper’s one-year, $4.95MM contract, Person is competing to hold off Garnett, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic (on Twitter).
- One of the 49ers’ Reuben Foster insurance policies may not make the roster. A 16-game Chargers starter between the 2016 and ’17 seasons, linebacker Korey Toomer is on the bubble going into the 49ers’ final preseason game, Barrows writes (subscription required). Foster’s return induced the 49ers to move Mark Nzeocha to outside ‘backer, where he has a chance to start, and Elijah Lee is also competing for a roster spot. Toomer may make the team’s initial 53-man roster, because of Foster’s two-game suspension, but Barrows notes he’s not a lock to be one of San Francisco’s backups this season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Darius Victor
Buffalo Bills
- Released: S L.J. McCray
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Darius Hillary
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL Kyle Bosch, OL Matthew Diaz
- Waived: WR Ricky Jeune, OL Dustin Stanton
Houston Texans
- Released: WR Chris Thompson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR: S Don Carey
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed off waivers (Texans): DT Marcus Hardison
- Waived/injured: OL Zachary Crabtree
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB Larry Rose
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Anthony Denham
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Ja’Quan Gardner
- Waived: S Chanceller James
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: LB Deontae Skinner
49ers Inquired About Tom Brady Trade
Before being given the green light on a seminal Jimmy Garoppolo trade, John Lynch discussed the Patriots’ other prominent quarterback with Bill Belichick. It was not a long conversation.
The then-first-year 49ers GM did not receive the answer he wanted regarding a Garoppolo deal when he spoke will Belichick early in the 2017 offseason, and he said he then asked if the Patriots would trade Tom Brady.
“Yeah, we were calling about Jimmy and we did have that conversation and got quickly rebuffed,” Lynch said of the Brady trade inquiry during an appearance on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast (via the San Francisco Chronicle). “I figured what the heck, you gotta take your shot right? You can’t score if you don’t shoot, so I had to summon up the courage. Bill laughed at me and basically hung up on me. But hey, I took my shot.”
Kyle Shanahan was told at the 2017 Combine Garoppolo wasn’t available, but at the trade deadline, he received a phone call from Belichick and quickly agreed to send the Patriots a second-rounder for the player who is now entrenched as the 49ers’ quarterback of the future. Shanahan had Kirk Cousins on his radar prior to that move.
Brady enters his 19th season with the Patriots and is set to start Week 1 for a 17th straight season. This figures to be an amusing footnote associated with Lynch’s GM legacy.
Eli Harold Wasn't Going To Make 49ers
- Eli Harold lined up with the 49ers‘ starters throughout the offseason, but the now-Lions linebacker didn’t stay on the field during nickel sets and wasn’t a quality special-teamer, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Kyle Shanahan and his staff realized Harold wasn’t going to make the team, Barrows notes. Traded for a conditional 2020 seventh-rounder, Harold started for most of the past two seasons. However, his departure leaves just 12 49ers left from the Trent Baalke years. Fellow 2015 draftee Mark Nzeocha took Harold’s place with the starters at San Francisco practice Thursday, Barrows notes. A former Cowboys seventh-round pick, Nzeocha played in 10 games for the 49ers last season but has yet to start an NFL contest.
- One of the Baalke-era 49ers, though, returned to the team this week. The 49ers re-signed defensive lineman Chris Jones after Cedric Thornton decided to retire. Jones will see reps at both defensive tackle spots while spending time at San Francisco’s “big end” position as well, DC Robert Saleh said (via Barrows, on Twitter). Jones last played in 2016 for the 49ers, but he started all six contests in which he participated.
49ers Trade Eli Harold To Lions
The Lions have acquired outside linebacker Eli Harold from the 49ers, a source tells Kyle Meinke of MLive Media Group (on Twitter). San Francisco will receive a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick in the trade. 
Harold has to be on Lions’ roster for four weeks in order for the pick to be conveyed to the 49ers, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. So, if Harold doesn’t make the final cut on Sept 1 – or doesn’t last until the Lions’ Week 3 contest against the Patriots – the Niners will get nothing in return.
Harold, a third round pick in the 2015 draft, has played in all possible 48 games since entering the league. He started ten games last year and seemed to be in the mix for a starting job this year before the trade. Without Harold, Dekoda Watson is likely to start at outside linebacker in San Francisco with Pita Taumoepenu as his primary backup.
In Detroit, Harold will compete for an OLB job in support of presumptive starters Devon Kennard and Christian Jones. The Lions have yet to record a sack through two exhibition games, so they’re open to making changes in the front seven.
For some, Harold may be best known for his anthem protests, but he has been standing for the anthem so far in the preseason.
49ers DT Cedric Thornton Retires
49ers defensive tackle Cedric Thornton is retiring from football, the team announced. The move came without any real warning, though the team should be alright without him after signing defensive tackle Chris Jones. 
A former three-year starter for the Eagles, Thornton signed a four-year deal with the Cowboys prior to the 2016 campaign but lasted only a single season. He latched on with the Bills just before the 2017 season got underway and ultimately appeared in 15 games, playing on roughly a third of Buffalo’s defensive snaps. In late July, he signed a lost-cost deal with the Niners.
It’s not clear why Thornton is retiring, but it’s possible that he decided to quit before the Niners potentially left him off of their 53-man roster.
49ers To Sign DT Chris Jones
The 49ers are bringing back defensive tackle Chris Jones, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jones played in six games (all starts) for the Niners in 2016 but lost the 2017 season to injury. 
After undergoing hip and groin surgeries, Jones is said to be fully healthy. And, now that Cedric Thornton is stepping away from football, he’ll have a chance to be a contributor. He’ll join Earl Mitchell, DeForest Buckner, D.J. Jones, and Sheldon Day on the team’s defensive tackle depth chart.
When healthy, Jones has proven that he can be a productive player. In his first two seasons with the Patriots, Jones put up a combined nine sacks and 88 tackles.
Jones, not to be confused with the Chiefs defensive tackle of the same name, turned 28 in July.
49ers Still Interested In Eric Reid For Minimal Role
The 49ers are still interested in re-signing free agent safety Eric Reid, but only for a backup role and on something close to a league-minimum salary, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters, including Matt Barrows of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, Shanahan doesn’t believe Reid would interested in such an offer.
Reid has previously indicated that he’d accept a one-year deal from San Francisco, but only at his 2017 base salary of $5.676MM, so it’s highly unlikely he’d take a pact that pays less than $1MM. But it’s still unclear if and when Reid will receive a serious offer from a defensive-back needy club.
The NFL’s safety market has been stagnant this offseason, but Reid is likely also being rebuffed due to his intentions to kneel during the national anthem. Reid did take a visit with the Bengals earlier this year, but later filed a grievance after Cincinnati asked him about his anthem stance. He was scheduled to meet with the Titans earlier this month, but multiple flight cancellations prevented Reid’s visit.
Reid, 26, was something of a playmaker during his first two NFL campaigns, as he posted seven total interceptions from 2013-14. While he hasn’t kept up that rate of turnover creation, Reid is still a solid starter, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s No. 30 safety a year ago.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: G Kyle Bosch
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: T Leon Johnson
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Bryce Jones
- Waived/injured: CB Josh Thornton
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Nick DeLuca
- Placed on injured reserve: S Don Carey
- Waived/left squad: LB Brooks Ellis
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: C Jacob Judd
- Claimed off waivers: RB Luke McNitt
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: WR Josh Huff
- Waived/injured: S Rickey Jefferson
New York Jets
- Waived: WR Jonah Trinnaman
Oakland Raiders
- Claimed off waivers: CB Antwuan Davis (Lions)
- Waived/injured: CB Tevin Mitchel
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived from injured reserve: S Terrell Williams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Matt Weiser
- Waived/injured: TE Colin Jeter
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Jeff Knox, LB Nyles Morgan, LB Deontae Skinner
- Waived: LB Brandon Chubb, LB Davond Dade, OL Matthew Diaz
Elvis Dumervil Still In Play For 49ers
- Another NFC West team has questions on the edge, and Kyle Shanahan (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, on Twitter) still has Elvis Dumervil in mind as a contingency plan in case the second-year HC deems the 49ers as being too light on defensive ends. Shanahan said earlier this offseason the 12-year veteran probably wouldn’t need much preseason work to be effective, so San Francisco still remains a possibility for the now-34-year-old edge player. Dumervil, who began his career under Mike Shanahan and alongside John Lynch in Denver, led the 49ers with 6.5 sacks last season. No other 49er registered more than three.
- More running back injury trouble’s come the 49ers’ way. With Jerick McKinnon and No. 2 back Matt Breida out until Week 1, 2017 fourth-rounder Joe Williams fractured a rib and suffered a “very bad” bone bruise, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Shanahan said Williams will miss Week 1. Shanahan urged Lynch to trade up to select Williams, but this setback figures to pose a problem for his chances of making an impact this season. The 49ers, who also lost offensive lineman Erik Magnuson to a hamstring strain that will shelve him until possibly October, are going to make IR decisions regarding this duo this week (Twitter links, via Maiocco and the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman). A 2017 UDFA out of Michigan, Magnuson played in four games as a rookie and started two. If the 49ers place either on IR before roster-cutdown day, they cannot use one of their IR-return spots on them.