49ers Sign Former Seahawks D-Lineman in Free Agency, Release WR

Getty A row of San Francisco 49ers helmets sit on the sideline during an NFL game.

The San Francisco 49ers are making a change to their roster by adding a former Seattle Seahawks starter to their roster. But as linebacker Darryl Johnson joins the roster, the team is also saying goodbye to a rookie wide receiver.

The 49ers have been relatively quiet over the past month, with much of the focus on the team surrounding quarterbacks Trey Lance and Brock Purdy. And while Johnson isn’t a household name, it’s still a notable addition as OTAs continue.

San Francisco announced the move on social media on June 6.

“The #49ers have signed DL Darryl Johnson to a one-year deal. In order to make room on the roster, the team waived WR Shae Wyatt,” the 49ers’ official Twitter account posted.

San Francisco did cross paths with Johnson in 2022 when the Seahawks visited Levi’s Stadium in Week 2 of last season. Seattle and Johnson fell to a 27-7 loss to the 49ers but a significant foot injury sidelined the linebacker for the Week 15 rematch and the rest of the Seahawks’ season.

Johnson Has Spent Time With Bills, Seahawks

As a product out of North Carolina A&T, there wasn’t much hype for Johnson when he entered the 2019 NFL draft. However, the Buffalo Bills saw a player to take a chance on and drafted him in the seventh round of that year’s draft.

Somewhat improbably, Johnson made the 53-man roster for Buffalo as a rookie and made 16 appearances and zero starts according to Pro Football Reference. In 2020, he maintained a similar role where he was primarily a depth option with 15 appearances.

Over that two-year span, Johnson established himself with five tackles for loss and two sacks. The Bills took advantage of his raise in value, trading him to the Carolina Panthers before the 2021 season.

However, a hamstring issue forced the linebacker to miss most of the season and undercut his Panthers career. The team released him the following August, leading to his release and subsequent signing with the Seahawks.

Johnson only made four appearances but did earn his first NFL start with Seattle. In total, Johnson has played in 38 total NFL games.

49ers Release Wyatt

If some 49ers fans aren’t familiar with Wyatt, that’s understandable. The former Tulane Green Wave receiver was signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2022 NFL draft and is now approaching his rookie season without a team.

Wyatt found immense success with Tulane in 2022, as the Green Wave went 12-2 and won the AAC Championship. Wyatt and company earned a Cotton Bowl invitation, improbably knocking off USC in a 46-45 thriller.

Wyatt did not record a stat in the game against Southern Cal, but he did put up one of his best performances during the championship win over Central Florida. The former Tulane star caught five passes for 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Over the Green Wave’s 2022 run, the 5’10” receiver brought down 35 receptions for 692 receiving yards and seven touchdowns according to Sports Reference.

Averaging 19.2 yards per catch and a touchdown every five receptions shows that Wyatt has explosive capabilities, but it doesn’t appear his NFL career will get started with the 49ers.