49ers Promote WR Chris Harper
The 49ers have promoted wide receiver Chris Harper from their practice squad in advance of tonight’s game against the Rams, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). To create a roster spot, San Francisco has cut running back DuJuan Harris.
[RELATED: San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart]
Harper, 22, bounced on-and-off the Patriots’ 53-man roster during his rookie campaign in 2015, and ultimately appeared in five games with the club, posting three receptions for 17 yards. Waived during final cutdowns, Harper caught on with the Niners’ taxi squad but is now getting a shot during the team’s opener. If he’s active tonight, Harper will serve as a backup wide receiver and special teams option.
Harris, meanwhile, was also affected by roster cutdowns, as he was initially released before re-signing with San Francisco a week ago today. The 28-year-old Harris split the 2015 season between the 49ers and the Seahawks, compiling 189 yards on 48 carries. In his four-year career, Harris has averaged 4.2 yards per attempt, and he’ll now head back to the free agent market in search of another job.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Anthony Davis Returns To 49ers
Offensive lineman Anthony Davis returned to 49ers practice this morning, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, and will likely be available for the team’s Monday night contest against the Rams. Davis was reportedly considering retirement (again) yesterday, but this news would seem to end any talk of Davis hanging it up.
[RELATED: Keshawn Martin Visits 49ers]
Davis, a career right tackle, was expected to move to guard following his reinstatement to the NFL. That doesn’t appear to be the plan any more, according to Niners Nation, which reports that Andrew Tiller will start at right guard, while Davis will serve only as the San Francisco’s backup offensive tackle. Reports yesterday indicated that Davis had some reservations about moving inside, which is a different outlook than he expressed earlier this summer.
“I can play anywhere on the line,” said Davis in August. “Like I was saying, we want the best five on the field, and Trent is not going to play guard. He’s a giant man and I knew I could adapt to guard. I feel like that would help us.”
Davis, 26, was the 49ers’ first-round pick in 2010, coming off the board No. 11 overall. Prior to his retirement, he started 71 games at right tackle for SF, playing all 16 regular season contests in his first four years before being limited to seven games in 2014. Davis dealt with hamstring and knee issues, and also battled concussion problems, which may have contributed to his decision to step away from the game temporarily in 2015.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Anthony Davis Expected To Remain With 49ers
SUNDAY, 8:19am: After meeting with team officials yesterday afternoon, Davis is expected to remain with the club, according to Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle. Whether or not he will play against the Rams on Monday night, however, remains to be seen.
SATURDAY, 6:35pm: The 49ers have remained in touch today, according to Maiocco, who reports that sources have indicated to him that Davis is “leaning” towards playing this year. Meanwhile, a 49ers source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee that Davis’ status is “up in the air” given that he has “reservations” about moving to guard.
SATURDAY, 4:45pm: Davis, a source told Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (Twitter link), does not intend to retire. Should he return to the team, the converted guard stands to make $1.225MM in base salary this season.
SATURDAY, 4:26pm: Anthony Davis did not attend 49ers practice on Saturday, and the team categorized the absence as not being related to injury. A 49ers spokesman said the veteran offensive lineman is with his family.
A source, however, informed Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News that the 26-year-old Davis might be retiring again. Agent Drew Rosenahus had no comment when reached by Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
While this absence could prove to be a temporary pause for the sixth-year lineman, Davis was slated to start at right guard for the 49ers in Week 1 against the Rams and obviously has a recent history that points to this kind of decision. A five-year starter at right tackle before his retirement in advance of the 2015 season, Davis dropped several hints during his sabbatical of a return to football before officially being reinstated in July.
Inman reports (on Twitter) 2015 starter first-rounder Andrew Tiller and not first-rounder Joshua Garnett would receive the first crack at starting at right guard if Davis is indeed retiring. The 49ers have listed Davis as questionable on their injury report.
The former No. 11 overall pick in 2010, Davis expressed a willingness to change positions after being unable to reclaim his former right tackle spot. Davis missed nine games in 2014 due to injury and called his retirement a break for his body and brain. He started in all 16 regular-season games in each of his first four seasons. He spent 2015 on the reserve/retired list.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
WR Keshawn Martin Visits 49ers
Free agent wide receiver Keshawn Martin met with the 49ers today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Martin was released by the Patriots during final cutdowns last weekend.
[RELATED: 49ers, Tank Carradine Agree To Extension]
Martin, 25, was traded from the Texans to New England in September, and he ended up appearing in nine games (eight starts) for the Patriots, compiling 24 catches for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Over his four-year career, Martin has 62 receptions for 685 yards and five touchdowns. The former Michigan State Spartan agreed to an extension with the Patriots in January that included $600K guaranteed, so it was a tad surprising to see the club cut bait so soon.
San Francisco’s depth chart is extremely thin behind No. 1 wide receiver Torrey Smith, as Quinton Patton, Aaron Burbridge, and the recently-acquired Rod Streater are candidates to fill the second WR role. Jeremy Kerley, another recent trade acquisition, is expected to start in the slot, but Martin would offer another option to absorb snaps on the outside.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers, Tank Carradine Agree To Extension
The 49ers and Tank Carradine have agreed to a one-year extension, as Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee writes. Originally slated to hit the open market after the 2016 season, Carradine will now be in SF through 2017. Financial terms are not yet known, but Carradine did receive a signing bonus of $1.25MM, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
Carradine, 26, started out as a defensive lineman after being selected in the second round of the 2013 draft. Now, he’s going back to outside linebacker, the position he expected to play when he came out of FSU. As Aaron Lynch serves his four-game suspension, the Niners are banking on Carradine to form a rotation with Ahmad Brooks and Eli Harold.
After slimming down from 300+ pounds to 275, Carradine says he feels healthier and more energetic. Niners defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil says that he is transitioning well to the new position.
“He can set the edge,” O’Neil said. “He’s heavy handed. I would not want to block him if I was a tight end. He continues to show up as far as pass rush and he’s gotten better every rep that he’s gotten as far as pass coverage. So he’s done a nice job progressing at the position.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Claim Taylor Hart From Eagles, Waive L.J. McCray
The 49ers have claimed defensive tackle Taylor Hart off waivers from the Eagles, according to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area (Twitter link). Additionally, San Francisco has waived safety L.J. McCray.
Hart joins Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner as the third 49ers defensive lineman who attended Oregon, where new head coach Chip Kelly was at the helm from 2009-12. Hart played under Kelly during the latter’s final three seasons with the Ducks and then reunited with Kelly in Philadelphia. The Eagles chose Hart in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, but he didn’t debut until last season. In 14 games (one start), Hart tallied 27 tackles.
San Francisco had a deal in place over the weekend to send McCray to the NFC West rival Seahawks for a late-round pick in 2018, but it fell through after he failed a physical. As a result, the 49ers won’t get anything for McCray, an undrafted free agent in 2014 who appeared in 22 games with the club.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Release Bruce Miller
2:10pm: The 49ers have released Miller, according Maiocco (via Twitter).
Miller was set to earn $1.25MM this upcoming season. The fullback had a cap hit of $1.9MM, and his release will likely leave $893K of dead cap.
Peter Hockaday and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle note that Miller was arrested “on aggravated assault and elder abuse charges.” Barrows adds (via Twitter) that other charges include “threats and battery.”
12:50am: 49ers tight end/fullback Bruce Miller was arrested for assault on Monday morning, according to KTVU.com. The 29-year-old was arrested in San Francisco following an incident at the Fisherman’s Wharf Marriott Hotel.
“The San Francisco 49ers organization is aware of the media report regarding Bruce Miller,” the team said in statement (via Matt Maiocco on Twitter). “We are gathering the relevant facts of this matter and will continue to monitor the situation.
Reports indicate that Miller was told the hotel was full on Sunday evening, but the five-year veteran returned early on Monday morning and knocked on a guest’s door. When Miller was informed that he had the wrong room, he attacked both the guest and the guest’s father. A 70-year-old man was reportedly punched in the face and suffered broken bones during the incident. Miller fled, but he was apprehended and arrested early this morning.
Miller was arrested in 2015 for spousal battery, as Matt Barrows of SacBee.com notes. The fullback was ultimately charged with misdemeanor vandalism.
A former seventh-round pick, Miller has only missed three games during his five-year career. The versatile offensive weapon has 76 career receptions, including 10 last season for 135 yards. Miller also has 28 career rushes. Roster Resource has Miller slotted in as the team’s third tight end.
49ers Sign DuJuan Harris, Place Will Redmond On IR
After being released by the team last week, DuJuan Harris is back with the 49ers. ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the running back has re-signed with San Francisco. To make room on the roster, the team has placed cornerback Will Redmond on the injured reserve. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets that Redmond will be eligible to return later this season.
Harris has bounced around the league since going undrafted out of Troy in 2011. The running back split the 2015 season between the 49ers and the Seahawks, compiling 189 yards on 48 carries. The 28-year-old has averaged 4.2-yards-per-carry throughout his career, and he’s also hauled in 13 career receptions (including nine in 2015).
Redmond, a third-round pick out of Mississippi State, tore his ACL last October. The defensive back showed plenty of talent while in college, but the 49ers still weren’t convinced that he was fully healthy.
49ers Acquire Rod Streater, Trim Roster To 53
12:25pm: Maiocco tweets that McCray is likely to be placed on waivers following the failed trade.
MONDAY, 9:40am: McCray reportedly failed his physical, and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo indicates (via Twitter) that the deal is off. The safety was originally traded to the Seahawks for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2018.
The safety is set to go back to the 49ers for the time being. Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes (via Twitter) that McCray is recovering from a torn ACL and is likely to be released.
SUNDAY, 5:30pm: The wideout announced that he’s officially been dealt to the 49ers, while CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco tweets that Streater presumably passed his physical.
SATURDAY, 4:14pm: The 49ers announced they they’ve acquired wide receiver Rod Streater from the Chiefs. Streater had spent his career in Oakland before signing with Kansas City, and now he’ll head back to the Bay Area with a chance to make an impact in a depleted WR corps.
San Francisco also announced that they’ve traded safety L.J. McCray to the Seahawks. The compensation involved in both deals has not been announced.
Cut:
- DL Garrison Smith (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area)
- DL B.J. McBryde (Twitter link via Maiocco)
- DT Demetrius Cherry (Twitter link via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee)
- LB Corey Lemonier (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com)
- WR Devon Cajuste (Twitter link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle)
- RB Kelvin Taylor (Twitter link via Schefter)
- TE Je’Ron Hamm (Twitter link via Branch)
- LB Shayne Skov (Twitter link via Branch)
- OT Colin Kelly (Twitter link via Maiocco)
- WR Dres Anderson
- OL Alex Balducci
- OL Fahn Cooper
- QB Jeff Driskel
- RB DuJuan Harris
- CB Prince Charles Iworah
- OL Norman Price
- LB Marcus Rush
- WR Bryce Treggs
- WR Ryan Whalen
- WR DeAndrew White
Lemonier was the 49ers’ third-round pick in 2013, but he never made much of an impact in San Francisco. In 42 games (two starts), Lemonier picked up 37 tackles and a sack.
Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC West
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC West teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Cardinals, Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks are noted below.
Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s NFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day. All links go to Twitter unless otherwise noted:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to practice squad:
- WR Chris Hubert (Link via Aaron Wilson)
- QB Aaron Murray (Link via Adam Schefter)
- QB Zac Dysert (Link via Adam Schefter)
- CB Harlan Miller (Link via Rand Getlin)
- TE Ifeanyi Momah
- LB Shaq Riddick
- RB Elijhaa Penny
- TE Hakeem Valles
- T Givens Price
- WR Brittan Golden
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to practice squad
- T Isaiah Battle (Link via Vincent Bonsignore)
- CB Blake Countess (Link via Aaron Wilson)
- WR Paul McRoberts (Link via Jim Thomas)
- RB Aaron Green (Link via Thomas)
- RB Terrance Magee (Link via Thomas)
- LB Brandon Chubb (Link via Myles Simmons)
- DL Morgan Fox (Link via Simmons)
- DB Michael Jordan (Link via Simmons)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Marcus Rush (Link via Rand Getlin)
- LB Shayne Skov (Link via Eric Branch)
- WR Dres Anderson
- OL Fahn Cooper
- RB Kelvin Taylor
- OL Alex Balducci
- TE Je’Ron Hamm
- CB Prince Charles Iworah
- OL Norman Price
- WR Chris Harper
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed:
- DL Garrison Smith (Link via David Canter)
- Waived:
- DL Justin Hamilton (Link via Bob Condotta)
- Signed to practice squad:
- DT Tylor Harris (Link via Aaron Wilson)
- TE Marcus Lucas (Link via Joe Person)
- G Robert Myers (Link via Wilson)
- LB Jordan Tripp (Link via Wilson)
- WR Kasen Williams (Link via Wilson)
- WR Kenny Lawler (Link via Sheil Kapadia)
- LB Kache Palacio (Link via Sheil Kapadia)
- OL Will Pericak (Link via Sheil Kapadia)
- WR Rodney Smith (Link via Sheil Kapadia)