Getty Jeff Wilson and his now-former San Francisco 49ers teammates.
After saying goodbye to Jeff Wilson at the trade deadline, reuniting him with former offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as a member of the Miami Dolphins, the San Francisco 49ers have announced a bevy of new roster moves following the 4 pm ET deadline, releasing Malik Turner from the practice squad, re-signing Willie Snead IV to the practice squad, and releasing Akeem Spence from the 53-man roster ahead of the Bye week.
For those keeping track at home, the 49ers now have three vacant roster spots following the trade of Wilson and the releases of Spence and Snead; spots that will likely be filled by players like Elijah Mitchell and Azeez Al-Shaair, who are expected to come off of injured reserve in time for the team’s next game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The San Francisco 49ers Won’t Be Bringing Back Blake Hance
Though he still technically has a page on the 49ers’ official roster page, one player who won’t be back in time for the team’s Week 10 contest against the Chargers is Blake Hance, the 2019 UDFA journeyman offensive lineman from Northwestern who John Lynch claimed off of waivers in August. In order to free up a roster spot for Snead to join the 53-man roster in time for Week 8, Lynch placed Hance on waivers, and after seemingly slipping into limbo for the better part of 48 hours, the fourth-year lineman will be continuing on with his professional career in Jacksonville, as the Jaguars were awarded his contract via a successful waiver claim.
While he hasn’t been much of a factor for the 49ers in 2022, earning just 12 offensive snaps to his credit, Hance has been a fixture of San Francisco’s special teams unit, where he’s played 29 snaps and appeared in every single game before his release.
As teams release players to accommodate incoming trade acquisitions, keep an eye on the 49ers claiming another offensive lineman to fill Hance’s shoes, as they do have the roster spaces available to fill out their 53-man roster.
The San Francisco 49ers Have Options To Replace Malik Turner
After using up all of Turner’s 53-man roster elevations in Weeks 1, 4, and 5, the 49ers have opted to release the journeyman receiver out of Illinois from their practice squad in order to allow him to pursue other opportunities. While the 49ers didn’t give Turner many chances to succeed in his active roster run, logging just one offensive snap in Week 1 before playing the bulk of his snaps on special teams – 18 in Week 1, 17 in Week 4, and 15 in Week 5 – San Francisco kept him around because of his size, speed and willingness to run down the field on return teams.
With Turner gone, the 49ers could be on the lookout for a new practice squad wide receiver capable of filling a similar role to Turner, even as Snead remains around to join the 53-man roster whenever needed after using up his own practice squad elevation quota. Fortunately, there are a few interesting options on the free agent market, including Deon Cain, the standout Clemson wide receiver who was just released from the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad after a strong preseason, and the quartet of wide receivers, Adam Humphries, Tajae Sharpe, Austin Mack, and former 49er Mohamed Sanu, whom the team tried out on Monday.