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The San Francisco 49ers are still fine-tuning their squad in the days coming up to their season opener against the New York Jets. In their latest move, the team is saying goodbye to veteran wide receiver Tay Martin.
The 26-year-old was looking set to assist the team from the practice squad, but the Niners have elected to use his spot for undrafted free agent LB DeShaun White. The move was first reported by ESPN reporter Adam Schefter.
“WR Tay Martin, who has been with the 49ers since 2022, is being released from their practice squad,” Schefter wrote on X.
It’s not a critical move in the grand scheme of things, but it is notable for the fact that Martin has been with the 49ers since 2022. His role has been almost exclusively with the practice squad, though, as he has made just three appearances over that span.
The presence of former second-round pick Terrace Marshall Jr. does imply that he is taking Martin’s spot. Marshall has had a rough start to his NFL career, but it’s fairly clear that his potential is significantly above Martin’s if the 49ers can develop him.
San Francisco Looking to Pick Marshall Up
After establishing himself as an endzone threat at LSU with 23 touchdowns over his final two seasons in Baton Rouge, Marshall shot up draft boards. He was then drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, but it’s safe to say his time in North Carolina didn’t go well.
According to Pro Football Reference, Marshall only caught 17 passes for 138 yards in 2021. Injuries kept him out of four games, but in general, Marshall was barely a factor in the Panthers’ offense.
The following year in 2022, Marshall appeared to take a step forward. While only playing 14 of 17 games, Marshall totaled 490 yards and a touchdown on on 28 catches. The fact that he did it in a Panthers team that ended with the NFL’s worst record was encouraging too.
But in Panthers QB Bryce Young’s first season, things turned sour. The Panthers offense and Marshall struggled mightily, with the former LSU Tiger catching just 19 passes for 139 yards. The 24-year-old was publicly unhappy, even requesting a trade midway through the 2023 campaign.
49ers Making Cap Space with Deebo Samuel Contract
Sticking with San Francisco’s wide receiver room, another recent development has been the 49ers restructuring WR Deebo Samuel’s contract. The Niners recently extended WR Brandon Aiyuk and T Trent Williams, and part of that process appears to include reworking Deebo’s deal.
ESPN reporter Field Yates first reported the maneuver on X on September 3.
“The 49ers restructured the contract of WR Deebo Samuel, creating $16.4M in cap space,” Yates wrote. “The Ravens restructured the contracts of DT Nnamdi Madubuike, K Justin Tucker and LB Roquan Smith, creating $9.3M in cap space. The Jets restructured the contracts of LB Quincy Williams and TE Tyler Conklin, creating $8M in cap space.”
Samuel is in the penultimate year of his deal, although the restructure will likely incorporate void years that will pay him after his current deal finishes.
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