49ers’ Ahkello Witherspoon To Miss Time
The 49ers’ cornerback shuffle continues. In addition to placing Richard Sherman on injured reserve with a leg injury, the Niners also announced that fellow corner Ahkello Witherspoon has entered the concussion protocol. To replenish the group, the Niners have promoted Dontae Johnson from the practice squad to the active roster. And, to replace Johnson on the practice squad, they’ve signed former Steelers fifth-round pick Brian Allen. 
[RELATED: 49ers Place Richard Sherman On IR]
Now, the Niners are without their leading outside cornerback and one of their top reserve CBs. Jason Verrett figures to start opposite of Emmanuel Moseley for the time being with K’Waun Williams continuing to serve as the slot man. Beyond that, the Niners will lean on Dontae Johnson as the first corner off the bench and hope that they won’t be hit with any more CB injuries.
In other Niners news, they’ve added veteran receiver Mohamed Sanu on a one-year deal. On the other side of the ball, they’ve decided to pass on Ezekiel Ansah yet again after their second meeting with the defensive lineman.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Curtis Riley (off Steelers‘ practice squad)
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: LB Montrel Meander
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Chris Jones
- Promoted: WR Daurice Fountain
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: S Dallin Leavitt
New England Patriots
- Promoted: CB Myles Bryant, K Nick Folk
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Ken Webster
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/16/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Released: K/P Kaare Vedvik
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: RB Darius Jackson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Cordrea Tankersley, C Tyler Gauthier
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL James Ferentz
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Derrick Dillon
- Waived: WR Alex Bachman
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Paul Worrilow
Washington Football Team
- Signed: TE Temarrick Hemingway
49ers Sign Mohamed Sanu
The 49ers have agreed to sign Mohamed Sanu to a one-year contract, according to an announcement from his agent (Twitter link). The deal reunites the wide receiver with Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan, who worked with the veteran in Atlanta. 
[RELATED: Ziggy Ansah Leaves 49ers Without Deal]
Sanu, 31, underwhelmed during his eight regular season games (six starts) with the Patriots, hauling in 26 receptions (on 47 targets) for 207 yards and one score. He was also invisible during New England’s playoff loss to the Titans as he caught just one pass for eleven yards. Earlier this month, the Patriots dropped Sanu to save $6.5MM in cap space.
Sanu’s low-cost deal could pay serious dividends for SF. Despite his iffy 2019, he’s only a season removed from a campaign where he finished with a career-high 838 receiving yards to go along with 66 receptions and four touchdowns. There should also be ample opportunity for him, considering all of the injuries in the 49ers’ WR group. Deebo Samuel won’t return until Week 4 at the earliest, first-round rookie Brandon Aiyuk is coming off of a hamstring injury, and Jalen Hurd is out for the year with a torn ACL. This could be Sanu’s time to shine, starting this Sunday against the Jets.
Jets Place WR Denzel Mims On IR
Denzel Mims‘ Jets debut will not happen until at least October. The Jets placed their second-round pick on IR Tuesday.
The Baylor product suffered a hamstring injury during training camp and missed Week 1. He will not be eligible to return until Week 5. The Jets placed Le’Veon Bell on IR as well and are signing running back Kalen Ballage.
Mims came to New York as one of the many highly coveted wideouts in this year’s historically deep receiver draft. But he has missed extensive time due to injury after the pandemic-altered offseason. Tuesday’s move will further delay Mims’ progress in his initial Jets campaign.
Ballage will rejoin Adam Gase, doing so after a rare Dolphins-Jets trade was nixed in late August. Ballage failed his physical due to a hamstring malady, leading to the Dolphins waiving the 2018 draftee. Ballage will join a Jets backfield that is down Bell and fourth-round rookie La’Mical Perine.
The Jets also placed linebacker Blake Cashman on IR. Cashman left Sunday’s game with an injury and will also be out until at least October.
Eagles To Sign G Jamon Brown Off Bears’ Practice Squad
Jamon Brown‘s Chicago stay did not last long. The Eagles are signing the veteran guard off the Bears’ practice squad, the team announced Tuesday.
The Bears added Brown to their P-squad last week but opted to let him join the Eagles’ active roster rather than promote him to their own.
The Eagles have run into extensive trouble up front. They lost Pro Bowl guard Brandon Brooks to another Achilles tear, lost Andre Dillard for the season and had Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson on the Week 1 inactive list due to injury. This played a key role in Washington sacking Carson Wentz eight times.
Brown was a full-time Rams starter in 2017, when the team snapped a lengthy playoff drought, but a suspension halted his run with Los Angeles’ first unit. The Rams waived Brown midway through the 2018 season, but he became a Giants starter soon after. The Falcons signed Brown in 2019 and used him as a starter in nine games. But Atlanta cut the veteran blocker this offseason.
Jets Place Le’Veon Bell On IR
Le’Veon Bell is set to miss the rest of the Jets’ September slate, at least. The Jets are placing the former All-Pro running back on IR, Kim Jones of NFL.com tweets.
Bell will be out until at least Week 5, with teams having the option this year to activate players from IR after three weeks off the roster. Prior to the IR move, Adam Gase said Bell will be out a couple of weeks with his hamstring injury.
Gase and Bell disagreed over an issue with the running back’s hamstring during training camp, which represented the latest bout of turbulence in the sides’ relationship. The Jets will now turn to Frank Gore against the 49ers. They were down fourth-round rookie La’Mical Perine in Week 1. Perine missed Gang Green’s opener because of an ankle injury.
The Jets signed Bell to a four-year, $52.5MM deal in 2019. Like many of the big-ticket contracts former GM Mike Maccagnan authorized during his four-plus-year tenure, it has not worked out. Bell, whom Gase was reported to have not wanted at that price tag, slogged through a career-worst season in 2019. Should the Jets not be able to find a trade partner, they will almost certainly cut Bell in 2021.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/15/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: CB Josh Hawkins
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DB Steven Parker, CB Rashard Robinson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DE Kareem Martin
- Released: DE Jonathan Wynn
Houston Texans
- Signed: G Cordel Iwuagwu
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: K Matt Gay
- Released: DE Gerri Green
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: QB Reid Sinnett
- Released: QB Jake Rudock
New England Patriots
- Signed: QB Jake Dolegala
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Jordan Franks
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Tuzar Skipper
- Released: LB Jamal Davis
Eagles Place Vinny Curry On IR
The Eagles have placed defensive end Vinny Curry and cornerback Craig James on injured reserve, per a club announcement. Both players will miss a minimum of three weeks. 
Curry went down with a hamstring injury in the Eagles’ season opener, leaving the Birds without one of their best pass rushers. Playing in all 16 regular season games last season, Curry notched five sacks and 27 total tackles. Four of those sacks came after Week 12, helping him to finish with one of the highest pressure rates in the league among edge rushers. When he returns, he’ll continue on his one-year, $1.3MM deal, though he might not achieve the sack totals required to realize much of his $700K incentives package.
James managed a fumble recovery in the Eagles’ Week 1 contest against the Washington Football Team before his early exit. His injury has not been disclosed, though head coach Doug Pederson says it’s “significant”.
To fill one of the two open spots on the roster, the Eagles have promoted guard Sua Opeta from the practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/15/20
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Re-signed: T John Wetzel
- Waived: T Timon Parris
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DE Amani Bledsoe
- Waived: CB Torry McTyer
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed off Bears’ practice squad: LB Rashad Smith
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: T Alex Light
- Placed on IR: OL Cameron Erving, TE Blake Jarwin
Houston Texans
- Promoted: TE Pharaoh Brown
- Placed on IR: TE Kahale Warring
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: LB Asmar Bilal
- Placed on IR: LB Drue Tranquill
New York Giants
- Promoted: OL Chad Slade, S Sean Chandler
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: G Sua Opeta (story)
- Placed on IR: DE Vinny Curry, CB Craig James (story)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: OT Jerald Hawkins
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: WR Cody Hollister