The 49ers have signed offensive lineman Tim Barnes. In a related move, running back Jeremy McNichols has been promoted from the taxi squad to the 53-man roster. 
This technically marks Barnes’ second stint in San Francisco. The center/guard, who spent the first five years of his career with the Rams, signed with the 49ers in May after encountering a weaker-than-expected free agent market. Barnes started in all 32 of the Rams’ games over the past two seasons, but evaluators apparently did not see him as starting caliber and the advanced metrics were in agreement. Pro Football Focus ranked him as a bottom 10 center in both 2015 and 2016.
Barnes will serve as a backup for starter Daniel Kilgore at a time when the offensive line is banged up. Guard/tackle Erik Magnuson recently became the latest offensive lineman to land on IR, joining tackle/guard Garry Gilliam and Joshua Garnett.