49ers DL Arik Armstead Has Surgery
49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead is recovering from minor foot surgery, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The good news is that Rapoport’s source says teh procedure was a minor cleanup and he should be fine for most, if not all, of the spring drills. 
However, it’s a situation to keep an eye on as injuries have cut Armstead’s past two seasons short. In 2016, a shoulder injury cost him half of the season. Then, last year, he missed ten games after injuring his hand. He’s now dealing with some type of foot issue after the Niners exercised his $9.046MM option for the 2019 season, which is guaranteed for injury.
If Armstead misses time but heals up is able to pass a physical before the season starts, the Niners can still get out of their obligation for 2019. But, if he doesn’t get the green light from doctors, the 49ers will be forced to keep him at a salary of $9.046MM.
Armstead has played defensive tackle in the past, but last year he lined up at end in defensive coordinator Robert Saleh‘s 4-3 scheme. Had he been classified as a defensive tackle, his ’19 option would have been worth $7.154MM, about $1.9MM less than his scheduled rate.
Although the injuries have been frustrating, Armstead has been effective at creating pressure when on the field. Last year, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 44 ranked edge defender, which paints a more accurate picture of his performance than his total of 1.5 sacks. PFF’s ranking put him roughly in the same range as notables like Michael Bennett, Ezekiel Ansah, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Bruce irvin.
Reuben Foster’s Accuser Says She Lied
Reuben Foster’s accuser recanted her claims in court on Thursday, as Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group tweets. The ex-girlfriend of the 49ers linebacker says he did not hit her once and adds that she actually struck him. 
“I was threatening Reuben. … that I was going to [expletive] up his career,” Foster’s ex-girlfriend Elissa Ennis said.
When asked about why she dialed 911 three times, she responded, “I wanted to be extra. I wanted him to go down. I was pissed.” She went on to explain that she falsified claims about Foster as a part of “a money scheme.”
“It was all a money scheme. I didn’t want to get this far in the news. It was about money,” said Ennis on the stand.
After Foster’s arrest in February, Ennis says she bolted home for Louisiana and took Foster’s money and jewelry with her. Ennis’ injuries from around that same time were submitted as a part of the prosecution’s case against Foster, but she now says those were caused by a fight with another woman or two women in a road rage incident in San Francisco (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). A portion of the road rage fight was posted on Instagram, but has since been flagged and deleted.
Recently, 49ers GM John Lynch said that Foster would be released if it was found that he struck Ennis. However, if Foster is cleared of the charges without conclusive evidence of abuse, he’ll remain in SF. Right now, the odds of a conviction are looking slim.
“We do feel like patience is the right approach right now, that we are going to learn things through this legal process,” Lynch said. “But I do want to be very clear, abundantly clear, that if these charges are proven true, that if Reuben did indeed hit this young lady, he won’t be part of our organization going forward.”
Reuben Foster’s Ex-Girlfriend To Testify Thursday
Reuben Foster‘s ex-girlfriend is prepared to recant her allegations against the 49ers linebacker in court on Thursday, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
Elissa Ennis had previously maintained that Foster hit her 10 times and dragged her down stairs, but changed her story in late April, indicating that her injuries were the result of a fight with another woman. Ennis suffered a swollen lip and ruptured eardrum as a result of said fight, and Foster was subsequently charged with three felonies. Foster pleaded not guilty to all charges, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
The Santa Clara Count District Attorney’s office had previously vowed to forge ahead with its original charges, but that course of action would presumably become much more difficult if its victim publicly retracts her claims against Foster. The 49ers, for their part, have been adamant that if the allegations are proven true, Foster will be quickly released.
Per Barrows, Foster could still be in hot water in given that he was in possession of an assault rifle, and prosecutors could choose to go forward with gun charges even if the domestic violence charges are dismissed. However, a judge may also choose to reduce those gun charges from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/15/18
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DB Jason Hall
- Waived: RB Terrence Magee
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed: OL Anthony Fabiano (Colts), OL Avery Gennesy (Jaguars)
- Waived: P Michael Carrizosa, OL Christian Schneider
Detroit Lions
- Claimed: OL Adam Bisnowaty (Giants)
- Waived: OL Brett Kendrick
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed: RB Larry Rose (Titans)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB LaRoy Reynolds
- Waived: S Dominick Sanders
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Blaine Woodson
- Claimed: CB C.J. Goodwin (Giants)
- Waived: WR DeAndre Carter
Draft Pick Signings: 5/14/18
Here are Monday’s draft pick agreements.
- Two Chiefs Day 3 draftees agreed to terms on Monday. Kansas City signed Texas safety Armani Watts (Round 4, pick 124) and Tennessee lineman Kahlil McKenzie (Round 6, pick 198), Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). The son of Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie, Kahlil most recently played defensive tackle for the Volunteers. But the Chiefs are beginning his NFL career as a guard. Watts figures to push for a starting job for a Chiefs team that released Ron Parker.
- The Bengals signed their final pick of the draft in Florida State wide receiver Auden Tate, whom Cincinnati selected in the seventh round (No. 253 overall).
- Ohio’s other team signed a fifth-round pick Monday, with the Browns agreeing to terms with Memphis linebacker Genard Avery (Round 5, pick 150).
- Jon Gruden‘s presumptive Marquette King replacement also signed today. Florida punter Johnny Townsend (Round 5, pick 173) signed his four-year Raiders deal.
- The 49ers signed a fellow former Gator — No. 184 overall pick — in sixth-rounder Marcell Harris, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets. San Francisco now has six of its nine selections under contract.
Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/2018
Here are the rest of Friday’s draft-pick signings:
- In addition to signing Marcus Davenport, the Saints also inked Florida State offensive tackle Rick Leonard (Round 4, pick 127), Wisconsin safety Natrell Jamerson (Round 5, pick 164), Boston College cornerback Karmin Moore (Round 6, pick 189), Louisiana Tech running back Boston Scott (Round 6, pick 201), and LSU center Will Clapp (Round 7, pick 245), The Advocate’s Nick Underhill tweets.
- The Cardinals continued to ink their draft picks to deals, signing Fordham running back Chase Edmonds (Round 4, pick 134), cornerback Christian Campbell (Round 6, pick 182), and offensive tackle Korey Cunningham (Round 7, pick 254).
- The Giants followed suit, signing UTEP guard Will Hernandez (Round 2, pick 34), Georgia linebacker Lorenzo Carter (Round 3, pick 66) and Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta (Round 4, pick 108).
- The Panthers also inked cornerback Rashaan Gaulden (Round 3, pick 85) and linebacker Andre Smith (Round 7, pick 234).
- The Bills added another signing in Weber State cornerback Taron Johnson (Round 4, pick 121).
- The Bengals were also busy, tabbing cornerback Davontae Harris (Round 5, pick 151), defensive end Andrew Brown (Round 5, pick 158), quarterback Logan Woodside (Round 7, pick 249) and guard Rod Taylor (Round 7, pick 252).
- The 49ers signed their fifth pick so far in the offseason, inking Kansas State defensive back D.J. Reed (Round 5, pick 142).
- The Patriots added a slew of draft picks to the ranks, signing linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (Round 5, pick 143), linebacker Christian Sam (Round 6, pick 178), wide receiver Braxton Berrios (Round 6, pick 210), quarterback Danny Etling (Round 7, pick 219), cornerback Keiron Crossen (Round 7, pick 243), and tight end Ryan Izzo (Round 7, pick 250).
49ers Worked Out Three Other OL
Before signing Mike Person earlier today, the 49ers also worked out veteran offensive linemen Oday Aboushi, Josh LeRibeus, and Brian Schwenke, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). San Francisco was clearly on the lookout for an experienced lineman capable of playing multiple spots along the interior, and Person won the job. Each of Aboushi, LeRibeus, and Schwenke boast at least one season of regular starting work, but none have generated any known interest to this point in the offseason. If the 49ers are in need of more center/guard as the year progresses, however, it’s fair to assume they’ll circle back to these same candidates.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/9/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: S Harlan Miller, DT Peli Anau
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: G Isaiah Williams
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: G Daronte Bouldin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: WR Dom Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OT Mike Person
Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid Working Out
Former 49ers teammates Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid are training together as they look to get back into the NFL, Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group writes. The duo was spotted working out at Cal State East Bay, but declined to offer specifics on their plans. 
“We’re not doing interviews,” Kaepernick said. “We’re just here getting in a workout.”
From a talent perspective, both players should be rostered by NFL teams. However, their participation in anthem protests has apparently kept them from finding employment. Kaepernick, of course, sat out the entire 2017 season without drawing a concrete offer. Reid, meanwhile, has garnered very little interest this offseason outside of a meeting with the Bengals. The Bengals asked Reid about his plans regarding the anthem in 2018 and did not offer him a deal, prompting him to follow Kaepernick in his collusion grievance against the league. This week, the NFLPA backed the safety in his case.
Reid, 26, has made 69 starts in his career. The 49ers experimented with using him at linebacker at times, but the bulk of his work has come at safety since being taken in the first round of the 2013 draft.
49ers’ Reuben Foster Pleads Not Guilty
49ers linebacker Reuben Foster has pleaded not guilty to three felony charges stemming from his alleged domestic incident, as Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets. Foster’s trial is now set to begin on May 17.
Both Foster’s freedom and football future hang in the balance in the upcoming trial. If convicted, the Alabama product could serve up to eleven years in prison. Meanwhile, the Niners say they’ll cut Foster if he is found guilty of striking a woman.
“We do feel like patience is the right approach right now, that we are going to learn things through this legal process,” GM John Lynch said recently. “But I do want to be very clear, abundantly clear, that if these charges are proven true, that if Reuben did indeed hit this young lady, he won’t be part of our organization going forward.”
Two weeks ago, Foster’s accuser recanted her claim, which could make it more difficult for the prosecution to land a conviction in his case. Still, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office has vowed to forge ahead. For the time being, Foster has been barred from participating in team activities.
On the field, Foster has been a solid contributor for the Niners. As a rookie last year, he recorded 72 total tackles in ten games (all starts). In November, he earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors.