San Francisco 49ers come to long overdue decision on future of former third-round draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday made a roster move that had been a long time coming. San Francisco has waived cornerback Ambry Thomas off injured reserve. The 49ers also confirmed the practice squad signings of offensive lineman Austen Pleasants and linebacker Chandler Wooten and a move to place rookie tight end Mason Pline on […]
The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday made a roster move that had been a long time coming.
San Francisco has waived cornerback Ambry Thomas off injured reserve. The 49ers also confirmed the practice squad signings of offensive lineman Austen Pleasants and linebacker Chandler Wooten and a move to place rookie tight end Mason Pline on the practice squad injured reserve list.
Thomas had spent the entire season on IR with a broken forearm suffered in the preseason opener in August.
However, the former Michigan corner is now healthy, and the move frees him up to sign with another team this year.
The 49ers are doing right by Thomas by giving him a shot to sign with a new team and boost his prospects for free agency in the offseason. And from their perspective it is a long overdue move to part with a player who was not going to be part of their future.
Thomas, after a rocky start, showed some signs of promise as a rookie when injuries pressed him into service down the stretch of the 2021 season as the 49ers surged into the playoffs after opening the year 3-5, going on to progress all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
It was Thomas’ interception in the Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Rams that clinched the Niners’ place in the playoffs, but he failed to build on those promising signs and was a non-factor in 2022.
Last season, Thomas returned to prominence in the second half of the year, playing outside corner on nickel downs to allow 2021 fifth-round pick Deommodore Lenoir to kick inside.
Thomas held up well in the role but endured a dismal time in the playoffs, and he was essentially benched for Super Bowl 58 after coming out of the NFC title game comeback win over the Detroit Lions in the second half.
Now, with the 49ers extending Lenoir and seemingly finding another gem at cornerback in 2024 second-round pick Renardo Green, there is no reason for them to try to keep Thomas long term.
He goes down as another draft miss for the Niners, but the success of Lenoir and promising signs from Green mean he is not one they will lose any sleep over.
49ers make roster move amid injury issues at key position ahead of Dolphins game
They’re lacking options at this spot.
