The 49ers were busy on Wednesday, adding a number of players to their depth chart, including a former second-round pick, Johnathan Cyprien.
The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with some injuries as they wrap up their first week of training camp, some not so worrisome and others creating some notable holes on the depth chart for the long term, potentially.
Wide receiver certainly garnered the most attention, as the Niners already brought aboard veteran wideouts Tavon Austin and J.J. Nelson, further assisted by the free-agent pickup of Jaron Brown.
Yet general manager John Lynch continued to tweak the back end of the depth chart, highlighted by bringing aboard the Jacksonville Jaguars’ second-round pick from the 2013 NFL Draft, strong safety Johnathan Cyprien, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
49ers have signed safety Johnathan Cyprien to a one-year deal, per @RosenhausSports.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 19, 2020
The former Florida International defensive back was highly touted in that year’s draft, some viewing the 6-foot-1 product as a potential first-round pick.
Ultimately slipping into Round 2, Cyprien ended up being a regular starter for the Jags between 2013 and 2016 where he played in 60 games, recorded 452 tackles, two interceptions and 15 passes defended during that four-year span. That led to Cyprien signing a four-year, $25 million deal with the Tennessee Titans in 2017, but injuries ultimately led to him to just 10 games there between that year and 2018.
He spent 2019 with both the Philadelphia Eagles and then the Atlanta Falcons after being acquired via a trade.
It’s likely Cyprien will compete for depth duties behind the presumed starter, Jaquiski Tartt, working with third-year pro Marcell Harris for a key backup role.
49ers bolster secondary, offensive line with other moves
Cyrpien wasn’t the only reported addition on Wednesday, as the Niners added Brown and center Hroniss Grasu.
Grasu, 29 years old, has been a backup for both the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens during the regular season, appearing in 18 regular-season games since being selected by Chicago in Round 3 of the 2015 NFL Draft.
San Francisco is shorthanded at center, still awaiting Weston Richburg‘s return from a torn patellar tendon suffered in Week 14 last year. During Tuesday’s practice, backup center Ben Garland suffered an injury and was forced to watch the remainder of camp sessions that day from the sidelines.
The 49ers also inked undrafted free-agent safety/linebacker hybrid Evan Foster.
It’s likely there will be more tweaks and changes to the back end of the roster, and any needed corresponding moves have yet to be announced on the team’s website.