The San Francisco 49ers announced a few moves on Wednesday morning. The team signed offensive lineman Michael Dunn and wide receiver Malik Knowles. The corresponding moves were to release defensive tackle Demone Harris and waive rookie running back Corey Kiner.
The decision to waive Kiner couldn’t have been an easy one, given the state of the current depth chart. Kiner suffered a significant high-ankle sprain during the 49ers’ second preseason game. However, Kiner was an undrafted free agent who didn’t
have any special traits worth stashing in the Injured Reserve.
Isaac Guerendo returned to practice on Tuesday. Rookie Jordan James is expected to return soon from a broken finger. The Niners should have reinforcements on the way at running back.
Harris played 22 snaps in the second preseason game. He was evidently a camp body to help the team have enough depth at defensive tackle to get through Week 2.
Knowles signed with the 49ers on June 3 and was later waived on July 31. He gets another chance with the Niners.
Dunn’s signing might be worth paying attention to. He’s started several games for the Cleveland Browns, where he was from 2020 through 2024. Dunn, 30, has statistically been much better as a run blocker. Dunn played center and right guard for the Browns last season. In 2023, Dunn had three starts at left guard. He had two starts at left guard in 2021.
Ben Bartch remains out, and Connor Colby doesn’t look NFL-ready. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Dunn get an extended look this weekend to show he’s worthy of a roster spot. The other viable option on the roster at guard is undrafted free agent Drew Moss.
