Trent Baalke told KNBR he’s busy planning for the 2017 season. And should he return next season, he has one major excuse to lean on.
Injuries. This is the one circumstance completely out of his control.
The 49ers sent their 10th player to the injured reserve list on Tuesday. Inside linebacker Shane Skov suffered a knee injury against the Dolphins and is out for the season.
The following players are now on the practice squad for the 49ers:
ILB NaVorro Bowman (Achilles)
WR Bruce Ellington (hamstring)
DL Arik Armstead (Shoulder)
ILB Ray-Ray Armstrong (Chest)
DB Chris Davis (Knee)
QB Thad Lewis (Knee)
DB Will Redmond (Knee)
WR Eric Rogers (knee)
The top four of those guys are difference makers and Davis was flashing potential early in the season. These injuries didn’t full deplete the 49ers, but on a paper thin roster, it broke some position groups.
None more than inside linebacker. Bowman’s injury caused the 49ers defense to get lost at sea through a historically poor stretch in October. Would the run defense have fixed itself over time sooner with No. 53 patrolling the middle? Probably, but we’ll never know.
“Nobody is sending us sympathy cards in the mail,” defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil said. “This is the NFL.”
Also don’t forget about Ellington, who Kelly was gleefully talking about in the spring as an explosive playmaker. If Ellington was healthy, Kelly could get more creatively offensively and Colin Kaepernick would have another semi-proven weapon (at least by 49ers standards).
Is that enough of an excuse for Baalke to lean on? With Jed York making the final call on this, we really can’t eliminate the possibility on Baalke returning in 2017.
Here’s the press release from the team about the new players added to the roster.
—
The San Francisco 49ers today announced they have placed LB Shayne Skov on the Injured Reserve List and promoted S Marcus Ball to the active roster from the team’s practice squad. San Francisco has also signed LB Wynton McManis to the practice squad.
Ball (6-1, 215) originally signed to the team’s practice squad on November 22, 2016. He entered the NFL with the New Orleans Saints on April 2, 2014, signing as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Memphis. He appeared in 12 games (two starts) during his rookie season where he registered 12 tackles on defense and nine special teams tackles. Following his release from New Orleans on May 4, 2015, he signed with the Carolina Panthers on May 21, 2015 where he spent the entire regular season and postseason on the practice squad. This season with Carolina, he appeared in one game and spent time on the team’s practice squad before his release from the team on October 11, 2016. The following day he was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad and was released from Jacksonville on October 24.
Ball played his final two seasons at Memphis (2009-10) after transferring from Pearl River (Poplarville, MS) Junior College (2008). Prior to his time at Pearl River, he spent two years at Florida State University (2006-07). He appeared in 19 games (12 starts) for the Tigers, finishing with 108 tackles, four interceptions and eight passes defensed. In 13 games for the Seminoles, he racked up 37 tackles, one sack, one interception, five passes defensed and one fumble recovery.
Ball will wear number 46.
Skov (6-3, 247) appeared in nine games this season where he registered two tackles on defense along with eight tackles on special teams.
McManis (6-1, 225) originally signed with the 49ers on May 2, 2016, spent training camp with the team and was released on August 27. He appeared in 47 games in four years at the University of Memphis (2012-15) where he registered 110 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks. In 2015, he appeared in 13 games and recorded 62 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks and one fumble recovery. In 2014, he saw action in 10 games and registered 20 tackles, two passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. His sophomore season, he appeared in 12 games and had one tackle. As a freshman in 2012, he played in 12 games and registered 27 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and 1 INT.
