49ers release Mike Person and sign Tom Compton, per reports

The San Francisco 49ers made a suspected move, parting ways with veteran guard Mike Person. And then the Niners inked former New York Jets guard Tom Compton, per reports.

There was a good deal of speculation the San Francisco 49ers would cut veteran right guard Mike Person early in 2020, given the fact he was due zero in guarantees and would cost nothing in dead money if cut this offseason.

And according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that’s what the Niners did on Thursday.

Person, whom San Francisco inked as a free agent before 2018, started all 16 games at right guard that year before playing 14 games last season. He suffered a neck injury late in the year and was replaced briefly by backup lineman Daniel Brunskill, and it’s possible San Francisco looks at the latter as a potential starter in Person’s wake.

More importantly, considering the 49ers’ cap considerations, cutting Person generates $2.5 million in cap space for 2020.

Yet the Niners didn’t stay put by just parting ways with Person. As NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reported simultaneously to the Schefter report, San Francisco is bringing aboard former New York Jets offensive guard Tom Compton on a one-year deal.

Compton, who will turn 31 years old later this spring, appeared in 14 games for the Jets last season and started five of them. In 2019, Pro Football Focus awarded Compton a 49.7 overall grade.

But one of the possible reasons San Francisco went after Compton is his familiarity with head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. The Washington Redskins initially drafted Compton back in 2012 when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator there. Compton would spend four seasons in Washington before signing on with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 when Shanahan was there, too.

Shanahan has shown a knack for wanting depth linemen familiar with his complex blocking system. Case in point, the 49ers brought aboard former Falcons offensive lineman Ben Garland last season, and Garland has also been retained by the Niners for another year after seeing significant starting time late in the year and into the playoffs.

Compton will likely compete with Brunskill during offseason workouts and into training camp, although there’s always the chance the team elects to keep both when the regular-season roster is released.