It’s waiver wire season.
With 53-man roster cuts official as of Tuesday, teams placed their waiver claims, which were executed Wednesday morning. For the first three weeks of the season, the standings from last season establish the waiver order, putting the 49ers 29th.
The 49ers made one addition, bringing in former Browns guard Blake Hance. A 26-year-old out of Northwestern, Hance went undrafted in 2020 before catching on with Cleveland. He played in all 17 games last season, starting eight of them.
Based on PFF’s assessment, he’s a horrible pass blocker (36.9 pass block grade) and an excellent run blocker (70.3 run block grade)… the 49ers special.
San Francisco showed interest in bringing in a veteran guard, either via the trade market, where nothing materialized, or a signing. They worked out a couple guards this past week, landing on Hance.
The 49ers tend to prioritize run blocking over pass blocking, and based on the fact they kept five running backs, four tight ends and nine offensive linemen with Trey Lance at the helm, that focus seems to have been magnified.
A corresponding move will be needed to add Hance to the roster. With that group of nine offensive linemen already, Nick Zakelj would be the most likely cut and potential practice squad addition, but there may be other areas the team is willing to maneuver.
On the flip side, the 49ers lost both running back JaMycal Hasty and sixth-round pick, corner Tariq Castro-Fields to waivers.
Hasty was snapped up by the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Castro-Fields was picked up by the Washington Commanders.
Veteran quarterback Nate Sudfeld also found a new home, signing with the Detroit Lions as their backup quarterback.