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The San Francisco 49ers had a busy day of transactions on Tuesday. They moved defensive tackle Tank Carradine to injured reserve, signed guard Ryan Seymour to fill his roster spot, and signed wide receiver Devon Wylie to the practice squad. Earlier today, we took a more in-depth look at the Tank Carradine move, and then took a look at Ryan Seymour in light of Mike Iupati's return to practice. We'll wrap this dramatic mini-series with a look at new wide receiver Devon Wylie.
The Kansas City Chiefs originally drafted Wylie in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Following the draft, Arrowhead Pride took a look at six questions in connection with Wylie. They viewed him as a slot receiver and return man, with special teams being his primary value. As a rookie, Wylie appeared in six games. During that time he recorded six receptions for 53 yards, and also added nine kickoff returns for 191 yards and five punt returns for 26 yards.
The Chiefs released Wylie after final roster cuts, which AP considered a mild surprise. Wylie was a fourth round pick, but it is worth noting that 2013 featured a new general manager and coach, so they weren't exactly locked in to him. After his release, he spent time as a member of practice squads for the Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks. He was activated by the Titans to the team's 53-man roster on November 12, and saw playing time in two games, tallying five kickoff returns for 94 yards and two punt returns for four yards. He also had a critical fumble in the Titans 30-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
At this point he is a basic insurance option in the return game. LaMichael James is handling return duties, but the team has no other traditional return men on the roster. They had Kyle Williams and Perrish Cox, but both were released. Tarell Brown and Eric Wright have each gotten some return work in practice, but I imagine they are simply emergency options. Wylie could provide a bit more security, if it becomes necessary.
