49ers sign a wide receiver, place another on IR, and waive an offensive tackle

49ers sign a wide receiver, place another on IR, and waive an offensive tackle
Niners Nation Niners Nation

The Niners made a flurry of moves on Tuesday.

The San Francisco 49ers made a flurry of roster moves on Tuesday, signing wide receiver Malik Knowles to a one-year deal. In addition, edge rusher Bryce Huff officially passed his physical, meaning two players were added to the team’s 90-man roster.

As a result, the 49ers needed to make corresponding moves. Offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere was waived, and wide receiver Trent Taylor went to Injured Reserve, allowing for Knowles and Huff to be on the roster.

Knowles, 24, started off as an undrafted free agent in the 2023 NFL Draft. He spent most of two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, splitting some time in his last year with the Green Bay Packers as well. He has yet to play in an NFL game.

The 6’2, 196-pound wide receiver played college football at Kansas State, catching 127 passes for 1,867 yards and 14 touchdowns during his time there before moving forward.

Petit-Frere was signed last month to serve as tackle depth after starting his career with the Tennessee Titans as a third-rounder in the 2022 NFL Draft. But, the 49ers also signed Andre Dillard and had Austen Pleasants, who will now step up as the backup tackles for the time being.

As for Huff, he is now officially a 49er after passing his physical. San Francisco agreed to send out a conditional pick in return and have some flexibility for 2026, as they’ll take on Huff’s $17 million non-guaranteed salary.

Since he also needed a roster spot, San Francisco is sending Trent Taylor to Injured Reserve (IR). Taylor played in just two games for the 49ers last season, making one catch for 11 yards, and was under 20 percent of the special teams for the third straight year.

San Francisco is back soon with mandatory minicamp next weekend. They’ll have a few adjustments to their group when they hit the field once again.