The San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday added an intriguing player to their practice squad at a key position of need.
With injuries mounting at linebacker, the 49ers brought in former All-Pro Eric Kendricks to their practice squad. In a corresponding move they released undrafted rookie Stone Blanton who recently rejoined the club.
Kendricks’ name will be familiar for 49ers fans since he was set to join the team last season before turning around and joining the Dallas Cowboys instead. That season in Dallas was extremely productive for the 33-year-old who racked up 138 tackles, 3.0 sacks and three pass breakups.
It’ll be interesting to see what the 49ers’ plan for Kendricks is.
He may just be an internal depth piece they like more than Blanton. However, they could also be looking for him to join the roster as a third LB to play in the Sam LB spot. Rookie LB Nick Martin started carving out time as a third LB ahead of special teams ace Luke Gifford, but it makes sense San Francisco would look to upgrade since that isn’t the position they drafted Martin to play.
With five games to play and potential postseason games to think about, the 49ers would be wise to find any upgrades they can to help stabilize their up-and-down defense.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers add former All-Pro LB who spurned them last season
Reporting by Kyle Madson, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
