Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Waived: DL Ron’Dell Carter
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed RFA tender: OL Nate Herbig
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed RFA tender: LB Azeez Al-Shaair
Seattle Seahawks
- ERFA tender rescinded: DB Nigel Warrior
Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Bills: OL Ryan Bates
- Broncos: OLB Malik Reed
- Commanders: K Joey Slye
- 49ers: LB Azeez Al-Shaair
- Jets: K Eddy Pineiro, QB Mike White
- Rams: LB Travin Howard
- Saints: DL Shy Tuttle
Non-tendered:
- Bills: DT Justin Zimmer
- Broncos: DL DeShawn Williams
- Chiefs: CB Chris Lammons
- Giants: QB Jake Fromm
- Jets: DE Kyle Phillips, OT Greg Senat
- Raiders: CB Keisean Nixon
- Jaguars: RB Dare Ogunbowale
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Commanders: C Keith Ismael, K Brian Johnson, DE Bunmi Rotimi
Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Eagles: G Nate Herbig
- Falcons: WR Olamide Zaccheaus
- Jaguars: S Andrew Wingard
- Raiders: S Dallin Leavitt
- Rams: K Matt Gay
- Steelers: S Marcus Allen, LB Robert Spillane ($2.433MM)
- 49ers: LB Azeez Al-Shaair, OL Daniel Brunskill
Non-tendered:
- Bengals: WR Stanley Morgan
- Buccaneers: DE Pat O’Connor
- Eagles: RB Boston Scott, WR Greg Ward
- Titans: FB Khari Blasingame
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Chargers: WR Jalen Guyton, T Storm Norton
More bad news for the 49ers’ defense. Shortly after Kyle Shanahan confirmed season-ending surgery was on tap for Javon Kinlaw, they placed the second-year defensive tackle on IR. Jaquiski Tartt will join Kinlaw on San Francisco’s injured list.
Tartt should not be expected to miss the rest of the season, having suffered a knee contusion against the Colts. But the veteran safety is down for at least the next three games. A seventh-year veteran, Tartt has made 56 regular-season starts but has dealt with injuries for most of his career.
This is a familiar transaction for Tartt, who missed time due to injury in each of the 49ers’ past four seasons. A broken arm moved Tartt to IR in 2017, and a shoulder malady shelved Tartt for part of the 2018 season. A rib injury cost Tartt four games in 2019, though he returned for the 49ers’ three playoff contests, and a turf toe bout ended his 2020 campaign. The turf toe issue dragged into this summer’s training camp, with Tartt beginning on the 49ers’ active/PUP list. He returned in time for Week 1, but more injury trouble has intervened.
Overall, Tartt missed 28 games from 2017-20. These setbacks have not shaken the 49ers’ confidence in Tartt. They extended the former seventh-round pick in 2018 and gave him another new deal this year. The most recent Tartt contract only runs through season’s end, however.
Tartt joins Kinlaw and linebacker Dre Greenlaw on IR. The 49ers will also be without Dee Ford and starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for Week 8. Rotational defensive lineman Kevin Givens is back on San Francisco’s active roster, however, after his IR stay. The 49ers also promoted tight end Jordan Matthews and safety Kai Nacua from their practice squad.
This 49ers September is starting to look somewhat familiar. After losing starters Raheem Mostert and Jason Verrett for the season, the team will be down linebacker Dre Greenlaw for a while.
The promising defender is set to undergo groin surgery, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows (on Twitter). Although this procedure is not set to knock Greenlaw out for the season, he is expected to miss four to six weeks, Barrows tweets. That timetable could be on the optimistic side, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting Greenlaw could be down for eight weeks (Twitter link).
While this does not quite match the injury misfortune September 2020 brought the 49ers, the team left its opener with some significant health issues. Greenlaw and Fred Warner serve as San Francisco’s three-down linebackers. The former returned an interception for a touchdown in the 49ers’ 41-33 Week 1 win.
A 2019 fifth-round pick, Greenlaw has been a starter since his rookie season. He joined Warner in helping the 49ers transition post-Reuben Foster at linebacker, with Greenlaw also making high-priced addition Kwon Alexander expendable. Greenlaw finished last season with 86 tackles in 13 games during a season in which he missed some time due to a quadriceps injury. He was still one of San Francisco’s healthier starters during an injury-defined 2020 slate.
Azeez Al-Shaair is expected to take over Greenlaw’s every-down role alongside Warner, Barrows tweets, with Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles moving into the 49ers’ base sets as their third starting linebacker. Al-Shaair has started 10 games in three seasons, including San Francisco’s opener last week. A former UDFA like Al-Shaair, Flannigan-Fowles made one start in 2020.
Teams continue to finalize their UDFA hauls. Here are the players who will try to make the 49ers’ 53-man roster:
- Azeez Al-Shaair, LB (Florida Atlantic)
- Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, S (Arizona)
- Jamell Garcia-Williams, DL (UAB)
- Kevin Givens, DL (Penn State)
- Cameron Glenn, S (Wake Forest)
- Malik Henry, WR (West Georgia)
- Tyree Mayfield, TE (Wyoming)
- Shawn Poindexter, WR (Arizona)
- Ross Reynolds, G (Iowa)
- Wilton Speight, QB (UCLA)
Michigan’s starting quarterback in 2016, prior to a back injury that ended up costing him the job, Speight finished his career in Los Angeles and appeared in seven games for the 2018 Bruins. He threw just six touchdown passes in his lone UCLA campaign. He will become the fourth quarterback on the 49ers’ roster.
Garcia-Williams stands 6-foot-7 and is coming off a breakout year, when he recorded 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. He will compete for time along the edge for a San Francisco team suddenly much stronger at that spot. Givens profiles as an interior defender, a spot where the 49ers have been deep for years due to their continued first-round investments.
The 49ers guaranteed $25K of Mayfield’s base salary, along with a $10K signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Mayfield comprised part of the 49ers’ pre-draft visitor list. Despite Henry totaling fewer than 400 yards at Division II West Georgia last year, the 49ers are guaranteeing him $90K, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required).