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San Francisco 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley wasn't drafted, so he had to fight harder to prove himself during his rookie offseason in 2018. The hard work earned him a spot on the team's practice squad, and he was eventually promoted to the active roster for a game against the Oakland Raiders. But a shoulder injury landed him on injured reserve.
Moseley earned
a spot on the 53-man roster last year, thanks to a strong offseason and preseason. He is grateful for the opportunities to prove himself and realizes incoming undrafted rookies may not have the same chance this year.
There have been no team-organized offseason practices due to the coronavirus pandemic. Training camp is about to begin but will look very different as the league navigates its way to the 2020 season while trying to keep COVID-19 from derailing everything.
The preseason was a casualty of those precautions. The entire exhibition schedule was canceled so that players will have the proper time to ramp up to playing in games while reducing the health risks. While that is good news for the league as a whole, it takes away an opportunity for undrafted free agents to prove themselves to coaches.
"No preseason is very weird, especially for a player like me,"
Moseley told WFMY News. "I was undrafted, so you needed preseason to make the team, and I feel like that's what gave me my edge my first two years in order to be on the practice squad my first year, and then last year actually making the squad. I think preseason helped.
"So I feel bad for guys that are coming in undrafted in my position. It can always be hard to make the squad without preseason, but I would say this for the people out there that's undrafted or not: Just put your head down, and just do what you've got to do. Keep your faith, and everything will work out."
Head coach
Kyle Shanahan said last week that he feels the team will be able to get a good amount of work in without the preseason because it won't have to worry about playing games that don't impact the standings. He added, though, that exhibition games are helpful when two or more players are neck and neck in a training-camp competition.
The coach has noted that, if given a choice, he would prefer zero preseason games to four. Two, however, seems like the sweet spot for him.
"I mean, I'm all for the preseason because there's a couple of guys we've never seen in a game, who are pretty good in practice," Shanahan said. "And then you throw them out there in a preseason game, and they freak out. And you're like, 'Alright, they're not ready. We've got to put them on the practice squad.'"
Added Shanahan: "And how bad does it suck for guys not to get film who won't make the team? ... But this year, our goal is to get to the season and have a year."
The San Francisco 49ers are holding their local pro day today at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. The team has released the full roster of participants.
An NFL local pro day is an event hosted by teams to allow prospects with ties to the local area to showcase their skills in front of team personnel. These prospects typically hail from nearby colleges or have some other connection to the region where the team is based. Head coach Kyle Shanahan, general manager John Lynch, and a contingent of coaches, executives, and scouts will be on hand to evaluate prospective draftees during the 49ers' local pro day.
The event aims to give the team a closer look at these local talents who may have received less attention during the regular scouting process. It will allow the
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
