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The San Francisco 49ers got back to the Bay Area Monday afternoon, and head coach Jim Harbaugh met with the media Tuesday afternoon. Harbaugh said there was nothing to report on the trade deadline, but he did have some details on defensive tackle Tank Carradine. Harbaugh seemed to indicate Tank would be the first guy on the NFI list activated to the 53-man roster.
The 49ers are holding "opportunity practices" Tuesday and Wednesday, and Harbaugh indicated Tank was on hand Tuesday. In saying that, he also said Carradine could be the first player activated from the NFI list. It was not 100 percent clear, so we'll have to see what the transcript says, but I believe Harbaugh said he expected Tank would be the first man activated.
There was a lot of chatter as the trade deadline approached about Jared Allen. He was connected to the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, but nothing appears to be happening with that. For the 49ers, getting Tank Carradine back soon is different than adding a Jared Allen, but Tank is going to be an intriguing add for the defensive line depth. If he is back at 100 percent from his torn ACL, he provides a serious option to rest Ray McDonald and Justin Smith. McDonald and Smith are playing well, but given their respective statuses on the injury list, cutting back on their snaps over the next couple months will be a big help in getting them as fresh as possible for a potential postseason run.