The 49ers have claimed wide receiver L’Damian Washington off waivers from the Cowboys, the team announced. To make room on the roster, the team parted ways with former first-round pick Jonathan Baldwin.
Baldwin was the third wideout taken in the 2011 draft when the Chiefs selected him 26th overall. He ultimately went ahead of fellow wide receivers Torrey Smith, Randall Cobb and Cecil Shorts, but his numbers haven’t come close to matching the production of those players. Baldwin only caught 41 passes for 579 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his two seasons in Kansas City. The Chiefs traded him to the 49ers last August for another first-round pick, A.J. Jenkins. Baldwin didn’t see the field much with San Francisco, as he had three receptions in seven games during the 2013 season.
As ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson tweeted out, it’s not that surprising that the 49ers parted ways with Baldwin. Williamson previously said that the 24-year-old didn’t have a shot at making the roster, even after the 49ers reworked the player’s contract.
Washington, an undrafted rookie out of Missouri, was cut by the Cowboys on Friday. The 23-year-old finished his college career with 100 receptions for 1,735 yards and 15 touchdowns.