Getty Anthony Brown (right) while playing for the Cowboys. Brown was cut by the 49ers.
Heading into the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, the rumor mill held that the 49ers would look to add a defensive back. Instead, they waived one off the roster to make room for newly acquired pass rusher Chase Young from the Commanders, as veteran corner Anthony Brown was the corresponding 49ers roster cut.
Brown had been signed in September after having spent seven seasons with the Cowboys. He made two appearances this season but only hit the field for three special-teams snaps.
Though the 49ers did not acquire a new defensive back by trade, they do figure to get some reinforcements on the field soon. Speaking on KNBR in San Francisco on Wednesday morning, Lynch said he expects to have a pair of defensive backs, Darrell Luter Jr. and Samuel Womack III back soon after both have been on injured reserve. The two, he said, “are on the verge of having their (practice) windows open.”
49ers Roster Rumors Taking a Back Seat
Now that the NFL’s trade deadline has passed, and with it the churn of NFL and 49ers roster rumors, Lynch said the focus is on the players who are in the team’s building now.
Perhaps there is something that can be gotten from Luter, the team’s fifth-round draft pick in 2023, but the 49ers should definitely benefit from the potential return of Womack, who was injured in the season-opening win over Pittsburgh. Womack played 16 games last season and made 19 tackles with an interception.
Samuel Womack and Darrell Luter Jr. are on the verge of having their practice windows open to return from the injury list, per John Lynch
But players inside the building now will include Young, who is in the Bay Area just in time for the team to hit its bye week, all while on a disheartening three-game losing streak. There were rumors about the 49ers’ interest in acquiring a defensive back, but those ultimately petered out and yielded nothing.
No worries, Lynch said. The 49ers should have enough now to win a Super Bowl.
“I believe it in my heart of hearts, we got enough in this building to get where we want to get and expect to get,” he said. “And now it’s just about going and doing it. There’s no more opportunity, there’s always opportunity because there’s players out there that you’re not trading for. And so we will always be cognizant of that. But this is no more trading. This is our team. And let’s go.”
Other Moves: Practice CB Out, OL Up
There were other 49ers roster cuts and moves on tap after the trade deadline passed, too, the team announced. In addition to waiving Brown, San Francisco also let go of cornerback Kendall Sheffield from the practice squad.
While the 49ers were also looking at upgrades on the offensive line, the team did add another blocker to the mix as well, though not via trade. They elevated lineman Jesse Davis from the practice squad, too, giving the team a bit of veteran depth.
Davis, who is 6-foot-6, was an undrafted free agent signed by the Seahawks in 2015 and was waived, then bounced around from the Jets to the Dolphins the following year. He settled in with Miami and worked his way into the starting lineup—Davis made 72 starts in 94 games played from 2017-22, playing for Miami and the Steelers.
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49ers Cut 8-Year Veteran as More Roster Reinforcements Coming