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)
Waiver Wire Priority For All 32 NFL Teams
Yesterday was the 53-man roster deadline, but the madness will continue today as teams pick through the waiver pile for talented discards. Priority is dictated by the reverse standings with tiebreakers where necessary, which is to say that it will be the same as the 2016 draft order before all the trades. Unlike your fantasy league’s waiver wire, a team does not go to the back of the list upon making a successful claim. That means that the league’s worst teams from 2015 have a significant advantage today as they make late roster additions.
Here is the complete waiver priority order:
1. Titans
2. Browns
3. Chargers
4. Cowboys
5. Jaguars
6. Ravens
7. 49ers
8. Dolphins
9. Buccaneers
10. Giants
11. Bears
12. Saints
13. Eagles
14. Raiders
15. Rams
16. Lions
17. Falcons
18. Colts
19. Bills
20. Jets
21. Redskins
22. Texans
23. Vikings
24. Bengals
25. Seahawks
26. Packers
27. Steelers
28. Chiefs
29. Patriots
30. Cardinals
31. Panthers
32. Broncos
Detail On 49ers' Trades
The Sam Bradford trade got all the headlines today, but there were actually three smaller deals that were also consummated in the past twelve hours, and we’ve now learned the details about the returns. The Seahawks gave up a conditional 2017 seventh-rounder to acquire safety Dewey McDonald from the Raiders, and a conditional 2018 seventh-rounder to pick up safety L.J. McCray from the 49ers, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Meanwhile — and this might be a first — the Chiefs and 49ers have agreed to swap conditional 2019 seventh-round picks as part of the trade that sent wide receiver Rod Streater to San Francisco, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).
49ers Name Blaine Gabbert Starting QB
The 49ers quarterback competition has seemingly been wrapped up for more than a month, but the team only finalized its QB depth chart today. Blaine Gabbert will start for the team in Week 1, according to a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Colin Kaepernick To Make Niners’ Roster]
Last year, Gabbert started in eight games for the Niners and posted a 3-5 record. Of course, the team’s troubles in 2015 went far beyond the quarterback position. When looking specifically at Gabbert’s performance, team brass liked what they saw. The No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 draft completed 63% of his passes (a career-high) and threw for 2,031 yards with 10 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
This offseason, coach Chip Kelly told everyone that it would be an open competition at quarterback, but it was widely believed that Gabbert already had it in the bag. Not only was Colin Kaepernick coming back from surgery on his left shoulder in November, but he has also been battling tightness in his right shoulder. Also, when Kelly got the job early on in the offseason, he went several weeks without reaching out to No. 7. Regardless, the 49ers are slated to have one expensive backup in Kaepernick as he is scheduled to earn $11.9MM this year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Lions Trim Roster To 53
The Lions have released offensive lineman Brandon Thomas, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. Thomas came to Detroit in the Jeremy Kerley trade earlier this week. 
Thomas, a former third-round pick, has never taken a snap in the NFL. He missed his entire rookie season in 2014 while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college, and didn’t appear in a game during his sophomore campaign. Thomas wasn’t need in the Bay Area given that Anthony Davis has come out of retirement and shifted to guard and he apparently wasn’t wanted in Detroit either.
Thomas obviously wasn’t the Lions’ only victim of cut day. Cuts include:
- RB George Winn (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com)
- S Isaiah Johnson (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press)
- WR Jace Billingsley (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press)
- WR T.J. Jones (Twitter link via Justin Rogers of the Detroit News)
- LB Khaseem Greene (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com)
- OL Gabe Ikard (Twitter link via Rothstein)
- OL Brandon Thomas (Twitter link via Rothstein)
- QB Jake Rudock (link via Birkett)
- Ol Michael Ola (link via Rothstein)
- TE Adam Fuehne (link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- CB Alex Carter
- WR Quinshad Davis
- LB Jayson DiManche
- LB Zaviar Gooden
- C Gabe Ikard
- WR Jay Lee
- T Luke Marquardt
- DT Caraun Reid
- DB Charles Washington
- DT Gabe Wright
- C Lemuel Jeanpierre
- CB Darrin Walls
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Colin Kaepernick Likely To Make 49ers’ Roster
The 49ers will have some tough choices to make as they cut down to 53, but it sounds like they won’t be wrestling over what to do with Colin Kaepernick. The controversial quarterback is likely to survive tomorrow’s cut deadline, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Kaepernick has been making headlines for unexpected reasons as of late and he lost his starting job to Blaine Gabbert long ago, even if coach Chip Kelly won’t admit to it publicly. There were rumblings that Kaepernick had fallen behind both offseason pick Christian Ponder and sixth-round rookie Jeff Driskel in the eyes of coaches, but that is apparently not the case. Kaepernick has cemented himself as one of the better QBs on San Francisco’s roster and should remain there for the start of the season.
Kaepernick is due to make $11.9MM via fully guaranteed base salary this season, so dropping him wouldn’t save SF any money. The Niners entertained trade offers for Kaepernick this offseason, including a long flirtation with the Broncos, but they never found a suitable deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Scouting Director: Kaepernick Well Behind Other 49ers QBs Running Offense
- The offseason intrigue surrounding the pairing of Colin Kaepernick‘s athleticism with Chip Kelly‘s system dissipated considerably this summer. Unable to work out with the team for most of the offseason due to rehab efforts, Kaepernick, as a pro scouting director noticed, was running the 49ers‘ offense much slower than either Blaine Gabbert or Jeff Driskel in the 49ers’ game against the Packers. “When Kap was in the game, [the offense] slowed down—significantly,” the anonymous director said, via Breer. “I mean, it slowed down by 10 seconds [per play]. And that indicates he’s not comfortable getting them to the line, operating the offense the way they want him to do it. And it indicates the time he missed is costing him.”
49ers Waive DB Jered Bell
- The 49ers waived undrafted rookie DB Jered Bell from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets.
Colin Kaepernick Draws Ire From Front Offices
Despite likely being set to begin a season without a starting quarterback job for the first time since 2012, Colin Kaepernick has dominated the NFL news cycle this week. The nature of his return to the spotlight angered many front office executives.
The majority of the league’s decision-making personnel do not support the 49ers quarterback’s decision to sit for the national anthem in pro
test, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report.
A sampling of seven team executives revealed to Freeman they estimate 90-95% of NFL front offices shared their sentiments, which are not aligned with Kaepernick’s racially themed choice to sit during the anthem. Each of the surveyed septet believes the 49ers will release Kaepernick and he won’t play in the NFL again.
“I don’t want him anywhere near my team,” one front office executive told Freeman. “He’s a traitor.”
A GM also told Freeman he’d never seen a player hated by front office members as much as Kaepernick is now. Another executive told the writer he’d consider resigning from his post if his team’s owner wanted to sign the now-polarizing 28-year-old quarterback.
Sources close to Kaepernick expect the 49ers to release him, per Freeman. The 49ers, though, won’t be doing so because they don’t feel he can be effective anymore, as previously reported, but the anonymous executives believe San Francisco will instead cut the quarterback because of public pressure surrounding Kaepernick’s lightning-rod status. So, two key factors appear to be working against the dual-threat player.
It would be interesting if Kaepernick wants to continue playing but can’t when considering his standout past and the fact players with checkered legal pasts have been allowed to continue their careers. Freeman cites the Vikings moving on from longtime punter Chris Kluwe in 2013 around the same time he voiced his support for gay rights as a precedent for what could soon happen.
The NFL does not require players to stand for the anthem, but the league encourages the practice. The 49ers and Chip Kelly voiced support for Kaepernick’s rights last week when the controversy spawned. Kelly said the coaching staff remained in the process of deciding between he and Blaine Gabbert for the Week 1 starting role and that his controversial protest will not affect his standing on the team.
Kaepernick is due to make $11.9MM via fully guaranteed base salary this season. He signed the team-friendly, pay-as-you-go-structured deal in 2014 after he’d come off two strong seasons that ended with the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII and then in the 2013 NFC championship game. Kaepernick, though, has regressed from that high level that previously induced the Niners to trade Alex Smith to the Chiefs.
San Francisco benched Kaepernick last season before placing him on IR. During an offseason when he underwent three surgeries and lost weight as a result of being unable to train sufficiently, the 49ers and Broncos engaged in trade talks for the mercurial passer who’s led the 49ers to four playoff wins.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers’ Bruce Ellington Done For Year; Down To 75
The 49ers announced that they have placed wide receiver Bruce Ellington on season-ending injured reserve. Ellington sustained his severe hamstring injury on Friday night. The team also cut undrafted rookie linebacker Jason Fanaika. With those two moves, SF is at the 75-man maximum.
Days ago, the 49ers traded for wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, giving them additional experience at the position. That’s good news for San Francisco since it’s quite a young group behind veteran Torrey Smith.