Five defensive tackles made the 53, and two are still healthy
C.J. West went on injured reserve with a bone chip in his knee, and San Francisco signed nose tackle Naquan Jones off Minnesota's practice squad to take his spot. Brandin Cooks joined the practice squad. Four players missed Wednesday's practice with injuries.
San Francisco put C.J. West on injured reserve before Wednesday's practice, the first day of Arizona week. He has a bone chip in his knee and needs surgery. Kyle Shanahan said it is not season-ending: "So, hope to get him back sometime," per David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone. Shanahan also said the knee had bothered West since camp and "was bothering him a lot after the game" on Sunday.
West started both games. He played 49 defensive snaps across them, 23 in Melbourne and 26 against Miami, by the official game books. Injured reserve costs him at least four games.
The room. Shanahan put the count himself, per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group: "Anytime you have 5 D-tackles make the team and you're down to two of them, that's a concern." Alfred Collins is out for the season with a torn patellar tendon. James Thompson Jr. has a high-ankle sprain, three to six weeks by Shanahan's Monday estimate. West is the third.
The replacement. Naquan Jones signed a one-year deal to the 53 off Minnesota's practice squad, on the club's own release. He is a nose tackle, 6-foot-3 and 313 pounds by the club's measure, with 60 games and eight starts over five seasons and stints with six clubs. The active roster stays at 53.
Fehoko is back. Viliami Fehoko Jr., a defensive lineman San Francisco let go at the cut to 53, signed to the practice squad. Cornerback Jakob Robinson was released to make room. The practice squad is at 17, the maximum with Isaac Alarcón's international exemption.
Brandin Cooks. The other practice-squad signing is the receiver, 12 seasons and 734 catches in, per the club's release. Shanahan, via Bonilla: "It's literally my first day seeing him, so I'm not sure. But we're down guys, so as soon as he's ready." Cooks grew up in Stockton and told reporters he rode his bike to the 49ers' camp at the University of the Pacific as a kid, per Bonilla. "It's a dream come true, childhood team," he said.
That signing makes a Called Shot on this beat wrong. On September 16 the call was that San Francisco would add no receiver from outside the building before Arizona kicked off. A practice-squad signing counts, so the take scores WRONG.
Did not practice, injured. Four players, and the three reports agree on them: Evans (hip), Robinson (ankle), Thompson (ankle) and Height (hand). Shanahan, per Bonilla, on Evans: "I'm not sure. Just know it's a hip injury." And on Height, who had surgery Tuesday: "He's still an option... Outside chance he could be available."
Did not practice, resting. Nick Bosa, Dre Greenlaw, Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams, in the reports by Inman and Bonilla. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area lists George Kittle among the players held out for reasons not related to injury. Inman and Bonilla do not name him, and neither does the club's Wednesday injury report, which lists Bosa, Greenlaw, McCaffrey and Williams as resting and does not list Kittle at all.
One Called Shot will now score on an injury, not on the argument behind it. On Tuesday the call was that Gracen Halton plays more defensive snaps than West against Arizona. West will not play. If Halton takes a single snap the row grades right, and that grade says nothing about the depth chart. Halton has out-snapped West 63 to 49 over two games.
The Called Shot. Brandin Cooks plays at least one offensive snap against Arizona on Sunday. Robinson's injury leaves five other receivers on the 53: Evans, Deebo Samuel, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins and KhaDarel Hodge. Shanahan said "we usually get five guys up for game day," and Watkins has been inactive for both games. The case against is the calendar. Sunday comes four days after Cooks' first practice, and if Evans gets through the week the club has its five without him.
Sources: San Francisco 49ers release, September 23. David Bonilla, 49ers Webzone, September 23 (two reports). Cam Inman, Bay Area News Group, September 23. Matt Maiocco, NBC Sports Bay Area, September 23. San Francisco 49ers Wednesday injury report, September 23. Official NFL game books, San Francisco at Los Angeles Rams (Week 1) and Miami at San Francisco (Week 2).
