49ers Sign Former Buccaneers TE, 3 Others to Practice Squad

Tanner Hudson

Getty Tanner Hudson #88 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On Friday, the San Francisco 49ers filled their remaining four spots on the practice squad by signing tight end Tanner Hudson, cornerback Dee Virgin, linebacker Rashad Smith and wide receiver Isaiah Zuber.

The Niners had signed 13 familiar faces earlier in the week, but these four are new to the Bay Area. It’s also worth noting that NFL teams usually have just 16 players on their practice squad, but since offensive lineman Alfredo Gutierrez is with the team via the NFL’s International Pathway program, the 49ers are allowed to have 17 players.

Here’s the full list of the 49ers practice squad:

DL Alex Barrett
DL Darrion Daniels
WR Travis Benjamin
WR River Cracraft
WR Isaiah Zuber
OL Alfredo Gutierrez
OL Corbin Kaufusi
OL Senio Kelemete
OL Colton McKivitz
FB Josh Hokit
QB Nate Sudfeld
TE Jordan Matthews
TE Tanner Hudson
CB Dee Virgin
S Jared Mayden
LB Elijah Sullivan
LB Rashad Smith

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The 49ers’ Four New Signings

Hudson, 26, went undrafted in 2018 out of Southern Arkansas but was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent three seasons with the Bucs where split time between the practice squad and active roster. In that time span, he played in 20 games mostly as a blocking tight end and reeled in only just receptions for 67 yards.

Virgin, 27,  went undrafted in 2017 out of West Alabama and signed with the Houston Texans following the draft. He saw little action during his rookie year, but when he signed with the Detroit Lions in 2018, he played in 21 games as a dominant player on special teams. Just last season he played in two games for Detroit before he was let go and picked up by the LA Rams. He spent the remainder of 2020 on LA’s practice squad and then joined the New England Patriots this offseason before coming to San Francisco.

Smith, 24, is entering his second year in the league after spending his rookie season with the short stops at the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. The Florida Atlantic product has seen game action in just two NFL games which happened last year in Philly where he had three tackles in two games.

Zuber, 24, is another undrafted rookie out of the 2020 class. He split his college career spending three college seasons at Kansas State and one at Mississippi State. He signed with the New England Patriots as a UDFA was activated for four games. He flashed versatility in those four having two catches for 29 yards with a pair of rushing attempts for 21 yards.


49ers Release LB Mychal Kendricks Off IR

In other news, the 49ers released former linebacker Mychal Kendricks off of injured reserve with an injury settlement, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Kendricks, 31, suffered a turf-toe sprain in the 49ers’ second preseason game and was projected to be sidelined for at least a month, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. He was originally scheduled to earn $1.215 million, including a $200,000 bonus, on the one-year deal that he signed with the Niners on August 16th.

Since joining the league in 2012, the veteran has played in 104 NFL games, including 91 starts. Once he is healthy, Kendricks will be eligible to join a new team for the upcoming season.

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