The Seahawks signed tight end Eric Saubert on Monday, the team announced.
Saubert spent last season with the 49ers, playing all 17 games with three starts. He caught 11 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown, seeing action on 377 offensive snaps and 302 on special teams.
The Falcons made Saubert a fifth-round pick in 2017, and he spent two seasons in Atlanta, one in Chicago, one in Jacksonville and two in Denver before playing games for Houston and Dallas in 2023. He joined the 49ers in the 2024 offseason.
In his career, Saubert has appeared in 101 games with 19 starts, recording 47 receptions for 389 yards and three touchdowns. He also has been a core special teams player with 1,753 career snaps.
He joins a tight ends room that includes Noah Fant, AJ Barner and Brady Russell.
The Bears have added another defensive back to the roster.
The team announced that they have signed Nick McCloud to a one-year deal. They did not announce any other terms of the contract.
McCloud split last season between the Giants and the 49ers. He played in seven games for the Giants and then made eight appearances for the 49ers. He had 25 tackles and a pass defensed across the two stops.
McCloud made 31 appearances and 11 starts for the Giants in 2022 and 2023. He had 71 tackles, an interception, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in that action.
After the 49ers finished off a disappointing 6-11 season, Deebo Samuel requested a trade. The 49ers granted his wish March 1 in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
He goes from a team in rebuild mode to one that is ascending, having made the NFC Championship Game last season.
Samuel said in his introductory news conference Thursday that his decision was “tougher than most people think” because of the relationships he developed in San Francisco. He gave the 49ers a list of five preferred destinations, with Washington one of the five.
“Being in San Francisco, I like winners. I like to win,” Samuel said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone. com. “I’m not one of your biggest losers. They went to the NFC Championship.”
The Commanders had several draws for Samuel, including his familiarity with General Manager Adam Peters, who previously served as the 49ers’ assistant G.M., and his desire to return to the East Coast. The Commanders’ immediate turnaround with quarterback Jayden Daniels also was a plus.
It didn’t hurt that the team committed to Samuel by reworking his contract to guarantee $17 million of his 2025 salary while adding $3 million in incentives.
“That meant a lot,” Samuel said. “By not stepping on the field for this team, not meeting everybody in the building, it just kind of shows what they think. And for me, on my end, it’s just like, they put as much trust in me to do the things they did as far as my contract, I can’t come in here and let them down.
“I’ve got to give it my all, do all the things that I need to do to be the best version of myself when I come here.”
Samuel is coming off a disappointing season with only 806 scrimmage yards and four total touchdowns.
Detroit is adding some depth at defensive back.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, the Lions have agreed to terms with cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.
Ya-Sin spent last season with the 49ers, mainly playing special teams. He appeared in 13 contests for the club, playing 32 percent of special teams snaps and eight percent of defensive snaps in games played.
A Colts second-round pick in 2019, Ya-Sin spent three seasons with the Colts before playing one with the Raiders in 2022, one with the Ravens in 2023, and one with the 49ers.
In 79 games with 39 starts, Ya-Sin has tallied 31 passes defensed with two interceptions.
When Mac Jones was entering the league in 2021, there was plenty of speculation that he’d be drafted by the 49ers once San Francisco traded up to No. 3 overall.
That obviously did not happen, as San Francisco chose Trey Lance and Jones went to New England.
But now, four years into his career, Jones has made his way to the Bay Area to be a backup to Brock Purdy.
Jones said in a recent interview with the team’s website that the 49ers made him feel comfortable.
“I feel like there’s a lot of good people here, a lot of winners here,” Jones said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “So really, just wanted to surround myself with winners.
“It’s a proven system. I know Brock personally, and he’s done a great job and played really good football in the NFL. So I’ve been really watching him from afar on game film and stuff, and just want to learn from him and be a sponge. Obviously, Kyle [Shanahan] and his resume speaks for itself. He’s done a great job in the NFL, and he always produces each year, and that’s something that I want to be around.”
Jones added that he wants to bring great energy and be a great teammate in 2025.
“I love playing football,” Jones said. “I love having fun and winning. I know there’s a lot of winners in this building, and I’m looking forward to surrounding myself with them and just being a great teammate.”
After three seasons with New England, Jones appeared in 10 games with seven starts for Jacksonville in 2024. He completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 1,672 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.
