Usually, pregame roster moves by NFL teams don't carry much newsworthiness, even in the age of being able to elevate veterans from the practice squad.
Not so for the San Francisco 49ers.
The team announced their roster moves before the Arizona Cardinals game, and there was a nasty shock waiting for Niners fans.
While no one could likely argue with the elevation of Trent Taylor from the practice squad, particularly with wide receivers Jacob Cowing and Chris Conley both struggling to be available for the game, and defensive tackle Kalia Davis made a welcome return from the injured reserve list to give the defensive line a much-needed boost, it was the corresponding move to Davis' activation that may carry the most weight.
To make room on the roster, the 49ers placed offseason free-agent signing, defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos, on injured reserve. While he had been struggling with an injury, possibly dating back to the preseason tussle with the Las Vagas Raiders, and had been ruled out of the Arizona game already, it was a huge shock to see the team place him on the reserve list, particularly as he'll now need to miss four games as a result.
It now looks as though Gross-Matos has been playing through the injury, and it was bad enough that creating some flexibility on the roster was seemingly preferable to waiting for the player to get healthy.
In what seems to be a corresponding move, the team elevated defensive tackle T.Y. McGill from the practice squad. McGill is no stranger to the team, having played 11 games over the last two years while bouncing between the active roster and practice squad, often on a weekly basis.
What is slightly odd is that McGill was elevated over undrafted rookie defensive tackle Evan Anderson, who had a strong game against the New England Patriots last week. The 49ers may consider elevating McGill a priority due to the return of Davis, who has a similar ability to Anderson to rush the passer, and also to allow them to focus on stopping the Arizona running game.
This would seem to be a fair concern, given that, led by running back James Connor and the scrambling ability of quarterback Kyler Murray, the Cardinals' running game has been solid throughout the early weeks of the season, currently sitting fifth in rushing yards per game in the NFL.
Where the 49ers will miss Gross-Matos the most, however, is off the edge. While he hasn't lit up the stat sheet, he has produced solid play along with a high volume of snaps, and it provides another blow to the already stretched depth at the edge rusher position.
As the team has not attempted to add extra depth to the position, the logical conclusion would be that further snaps will be available for developing youngsters, particularly Sam Okuayinonu, who has impressed in his limited time thus far.
It may also prove to be an opportunity for former fifth-round draft choice Robert Beal to finally make some waves in an NFL game, as he's failed to make an impression so far.
How do you think the 49ers will handle this surprising absence over the next few weeks?
