Back in late April, most San Francisco 49ers fans were lamenting the fact that it seemed like the Niners had another poor showing in the NFL Draft. Many were upset with third-round selection Kaelon Black and weren’t too focused on minor signings around the league.
That’s why it was so easy to miss the fact the Dallas Cowboys scooped up former 49ers linebacker Curtis Robinson and wide receiver Marques Valdez-Scantling. Both Robinson and Valdes-Scantling, or MVS, were with the Niners last season.
Robinson had been with San Francisco for quite a while. The Stanford product was initially signed as an undrafted free agent by the Denver Broncos, but from 2021 to 2025, he was with the 49ers.
Most of that time he spent as a practice squad or special teams player, but after a rash of injuries hit the Niners at linebacker last season, Robinson was forced into a more prominent role. He played 14 games last season and started three, recording 42 tackles with one tackle for loss.
His play wasn’t phenomenal, which is part of why the Niners scooped up Garret Wallow and Eric Kendricks off the street later in the year, but Robinson showed flashes of being a solid player, and his character was without question, as he was the San Francisco's Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee in both 2024 and 2025.
As for MVS, he was signed by the Niners in late August when it became clear San Francisco had way too many banged-up receivers. He made the roster and played in five games, recording four catches for 40 yards before he was let go.
The longtime member of the Green Bay Packers went on to reunite with his former quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the Pittsburgh Steelers and had 10 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Now, both of these players will head to Dallas looking to make the team. Robinson has a tough battle ahead of him in a crowded linebacker room, and Valdes-Scantling will also have to make a good impression to earn a spot on the roster.
The Cowboys did this quietly, so it may catch 49ers fans by surprise if either of these players ends up being a solid contributor next year, and there’s nothing more annoying than a former Niner doing well with the Cowboys.
At least the 49ers, will likely have one former Cowboy performing well for them in Osa Odighizuwa.
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