The San Francisco 49ers added some depth and experience to their offensive line on Friday, signing versatile veteran Senio Kelemete to a one-year deal.
News of the signing was first reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Media on Friday morning. The 49ers officially announced the move later in the day.
To make room for Kelemete on the roster, the 49ers waived third-year lineman Justin Skule with an injured designation. Skule will be out for the 2021 season after tearing his ACL at practice earlier this week.
Kelemete (6-3, 301) is in his ninth NFL season after being selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of the University of Washington. The 31-year-old Kelemete played in one game for the Cardinals in 2012, then caught on with the New Orleans Saints, for whom he played in 57 games (22 starts) between 2014 and 2018 with two postseason appearances.
Kelemete spent the last three seasons with the Houston Texans, playing in 30 games with 20 starts and one postseason appearance. He missed the majority of the 2019 season while on injured reserve before returning to the field in 2020.
See also: Five things to know about Senio Kelemete
Skule, 24, played in 31 games with 12 starts three postseason appearances for the 49ers after being selected by the team in Round 6 of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Vanderbilt. Skule (6-6, 315) saw some time at guard last season but was projected as the favorite to land the swing tackle spot in 2021. If he clears waivers, Skule will revert to the 49ers' injured reserve list.
With Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey set as the starters at tackle and Laken Tomlinson penciled in at left guard, the 49ers still need to finalize who will start at right guard and who will make up the depth at each position. Kelemete will join the group of players the 49ers could consider for those spots, which also consists of rookies Aaron Banks, Jaylon Moore, and Alfredo Gutierrez; veterans Daniel Brunskill, Tom Compton, Colton McKivitz, and Shon Coleman; and first-year players Corbin Kaufusi and Dakoda Shepley.
