49ers Sign CB Asa Jackson
The 49ers have signed cornerback Asa Jackson, according to a team announcement. To make room, the team waived/injured fellow corner Zach Franklin.
Jackson, 27, is best known for his four seasons spent with the Ravens. The former fifth round pick was cycled through Baltimore’s roster last year before being plucked from the practice squad by the Lions. Upon being reunited with Teryl Austin, Jackson appeared in four games with two starts.
Franklin joined San Francisco as an undrafted rookie free agent in May out of Washburn University. In his college career, he appeared in 45 games (34 starts) and recorded 109 tackles, 32 passes defensed, six tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.
Fun fact: Jackson is the fifth Sacramento native on the Niners’ roster, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee (on Twitter). If you include DeAndre Carter’s college days at Sacramento State, the count is actually up to six.
Joshua Garnett To Miss One Month
- While he could still return in time for the start of the regular season, 49ers guard Joshua Garnett will be hard-pressed to do so as he’s expected to miss one month after suffering a knee injury over the weekend, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reported Saturday, veterans Brandon Fusco and Zane Beadles are now working as San Francisco’s starting guards. Garnett, the 49ers’ first-round pick in 2016, started 11 games during his rookie season, but graded near the bottom of Pro Football Focus‘ guard rankings.
Malcolm Smith Out For Season
The MRI Malcolm Smith underwent after a chest injury Saturday revealed the worst for the seventh-year linebacker. He tore a pectoral muscle and is expected to miss the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The team formally announced that he will be placed on IR. To take his place, former Villanova linebacker Austin Calitro was signed to a two-year deal.
The 49ers signed Smith to a five-year, $26.5MM deal but will now move on to other options at weakside linebacker. Reuben Foster, who has been working with the second-team defense at Smith’s spot, stands to be the highest-profile talent of those vying for next-in-line status in San Francisco.
Both Rapoport and Matt Maiocco from CSNBayArea.com (Twitter links) expect the Alabama linebacker, a player the new-look 49ers brass said they considered at No. 3 overall, to move into that spot alongside NaVorro Bowman and Ahmad Brooks.
Smith, who missed just one game during his two-year Oakland stint, led the Raiders in tackles in 2015 and ’16 but was given mediocre grades from Pro Football Focus. The 49ers, who hired former Smith position coach Robert Saleh as DC, nonetheless submitted a lucrative contract offer to the 28-year-old off-ball ‘backer.
Smith is set to make $3.7MM this season and carry a cap number of $4.7MM in 2018. It would cost the 49ers $8.1MM in dead money to release Smith in 2018, so the objective for the team and Smith will be a recovery that puts him on course to contribute next season.
The 49ers also have former Raider Ray-Ray Armstrong and ex-Bronco Dekoda Watson in the fold. Former Seahawks backup Brock Coyle resides behind Bowman at middle linebacker.
NFL Hires Former 49ers GM Trent Baalke
Trent Baalke is back in football. The former 49ers GM has accepted a job within the league office, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
Baalke will serve as a “Football Operations Consultant,” a job which is composed of several micro-jobs. He’ll have “an advisory role on game-related matters, officiating, player development and evaluation, and officiating video review,” sources tell Schefter.
Baalke was canned by San Francisco in January after five years as the team’s GM. Prior to that, he spent six years in the Niners’ front office. Under his leadership, the Niners advanced to the Super Bowl after the 2011 season, but that wasn’t enough for him to keep his job after a two-win season.
At one point this winter, Baalke was in the mix for a job in the Packers’ front office, but that never materialized.
Joshua Garnett Could Require Surgery
- Malcolm Smith‘s pectoral injury dealt a significant blow to the 49ers defense, but their offense won’t have the services of Joshua Garnett for a while. The second-year guard is expected to miss a “period of time” because of a knee injury Kyle Shanahan said could require surgery. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports the 2016 first-round guard is not believed to have damaged his ACL, but his chances of competing for a starting job appear to be over during camp. Brandon Fusco and Zane Beadles are now working as San Francisco’s first-team guards. Shanahan described the uncertainty around Garnett by saying he “hoped” the interior lineman could help the team this season, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
49ers Fear Malcolm Smith’s Season In Jeopardy
The 49ers signed Malcolm Smith to a five-year deal this offseason, and the recent Raiders starter entered training camp expected to start at weakside linebacker in San Francisco.
But the veteran off-ball ‘backer suffered a chest injury during practice Saturday the team fears is serious enough to put his season in jeopardy, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports. Smith went in for an MRI today, but Kyle Shanahan said the malady could keep Smith sidelined for “a while.”
Smith signed a five-year, $26.5MM deal this offseason. He and new 49ers DC Robert Saleh worked together in Seattle. Maiocco notes this injury could summon first-round pick Reuben Foster into the starting lineup sooner than expected, writing this is likely to bring the Alabama product onto the first unit at weakside ‘backer.
Smith served as the Raiders’ chief presence at off-ball linebacker over the past two seasons. He made more than 100 tackles in each of the past two seasons and missed just one game for Oakland in that span.
49ers Sign LB Jayson DiManche
Following a brief stint with the organization earlier this offseason, the 49ers have once again signed journeyman linebacker Jayson DiManche. The 26-year-old will be taking the roster spot held by wideout Bruce Ellington, who was cut by the 49ers earlier this week.
Following a successful career at Southern Illinois University, DiManche entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He ultimately caught on with the Bengals, and he proceeded to play in 28 games for Cincy between 2013 and 2014, compiling 28 tackles and one forced fumble. DiManche has also spent time with the Chiefs, Browns, and Lions. He signed with the 49ers in early April, but he was released by the organization less than a month later.
DiManche is probably a long shot to make the 49ers roster considering the team’s depth at linebacker. The team already added several players to the unit this offseason, including first-rounder Reuben Foster and veteran free agents Malcolm Smith and Elvis Dumervil.
Jets Claim WR Bruce Ellington Off Waivers
The Jets claimed wide receiver Bruce Ellington off waivers, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The 49ers dropped him from the roster on Thursday. 
Ellington, who turns 26 later in August, was a regular for the 49ers in 2014 and 2015. Unfortunately, the former fourth-round pick missed the entire 2016 season when he sustained a severe hamstring injury just prior to the 75-man cutdown.
Ellington will look to grab one of the team’s final wide receiver spots, putting him in competition with newcomer Lucky Whitehead and others. Both players profile as return specialists.
The Jets are expected to go into September with Quincy Enunwa, Marquess Wilson, Robby Anderson, third round pick ArDarius Stewart, and fourth round pick Chad Hansen on the 53-man roster. Jalin Marshall will be sidelined to start the year as he serves a four-game ban.
In 2015, Ellington’s recorded 19 grabs for 137 yards. He did most of his work on special teams with 26 kick returns for 665 yards, good for an average of 25.6 yards.
49ers To Cut WR Bruce Ellington
The 49ers plan to release wide receiver Bruce Ellington on Thursday, a league source tells Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (on Twitter).
Ellington, 26 later this month, was a regular for the 49ers in 2014 and 2015. Unfortunately, the former fourth-round pick missed the entire 2016 season when he sustained a severe hamstring injury just prior to the 75-man cutdown.
This year, Ellington was facing something of an uphill battle with Pierre Garcon, Jeremy Kerley, Marquise Goodwin, Aldrick Robinson, and Louis Murphy in the top five receiver spots. With Ellington out of the way, fifth-round pick Trent Taylor and others will have a better chance of making the 53-man roster.
In 2015, Ellington’s last season on the field, he had 19 grabs for 137 yards. He did most of his work on special teams with 26 kick returns for 665 yards, good for an average of 25.6 yards.
NFC West Notes: 49ers, Hyde, Seahawks
Although the 49ers have several key players, including safety Eric Reid and running back Carlos Hyde, entering their respective contract seasons, it doesn’t as though San Francisco has extension offers lined up for free agents-to-be, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
“I would say that we’re always having internal discussions, Kyle (Shanahan) and myself and our staffs,” general manager John Lynch said. “And, we really try to be forward thinking looking out, not just this year but three to five years and saying, ‘OK, let’s look at the construct of our roster.’ But, our priority was let’s provide competition at each and every position. And so, that’s why we were so active this year to go out and to be able to really judge this and judge those guys in particular. There’s going to be a little more urgency with some of them, but we’re going to let this play out a little bit and see how they fit with what we want to do.”
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- The Seahawks gave former Philadelphia first rounder Marcus Smith a one-year, $690K deal with zero guarantees, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The deal carries a maximum value of $1.44MM. Smith hasn’t done much in his three NFL seasons so far, but the Seahawks are hoping to get something out of him as a reserve.
- Lance Dunbar was signed to serve as the backup to running back Todd Gurley, but given that the former Cowboy is on active/PUP and has no timetable to return from injury, Malcolm Brown is taking the lion’s share of work as the Rams‘ No. 2, as Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com writes. Brown, a 2015 undrafted free agent out of Texas, has managed only 22 carries in two pro seasons, but new Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay has been “pleasantly surprised” by Brown’s training camp work, per Gonzalez. The Rams could still look at external options — they’ve talked with free agent Rashad Jennings — but for now, Brown is on track to take over the backup role.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.