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The San Francisco 49ers announced three roster moves on Tuesday as they prepare for their Week 16 matchup with the San Diego Chargers. They signed linebacker Desmond Bishop to the 53-man roster, signed tight end Xavier Grimble to the practice squad, and placed Kassim Osgood on injured reserve.The 53-man roster is currently full, while the practice squad still has a free spot.
The Bishop signing comes a day after GM Trent Baalke said Chris Borland was probably a long-shot to play this weekend. Borland suffered an ankle injury on the final play of the second quarter this past Sunday. With nothing left to play for, there is no reason to push him back quickly. They've seen what Borland can do, and they might as well avoid anything aggravating that injury further.
The Grimble signing could be a prelude to his promotion to the 53-man roster. Garrett Celek suffered an ankle injury, and will likely go through the week to see where he stands for Sunday. If Celek's ankle remains a problem, they can promote Grimble by I believe Saturday morning. He would join Vernon Davis and Asante Cleveland in the tight end depth chart.
Osgood broke his hand early in Sunday's game, but played through it. Osgood is a free agent after this season. Although he will be 35 in May, he very well could be back in 2015. He is an excellent special teams player, and a guy the 49ers could probably bring back with relative ease. Of course, the 49ers potential coaching shake-up could lead him to want to take his services elsewhere, but we'll find out more in the coming months. Desmond Bishop has extensive special teams experience, so he is one of many options to help fill Osgood's absence.
Here is some basic background information on Bishop and Grimble, courtesy of the 49ers PR department.
Bishop (6-2, 244) has played in 73 games (27 starts) and registered 318 tackles, 9.0 sacks, one interception, seven forced fumbles and nine passes defensed in his career. He has also added 53 special teams tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery on specials teams.
Bishop was originally selected by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round (192nd overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. He spent six seasons with the Packers (2007-12) before signing with the Minnesota Vikings in 2013. After one season with the Vikings, Bishop signed with the Arizona Cardinals on August 14, 2014. He was later released by the Cardinals on December 1.
A 30-year-old native of Fairfield, CA, Bishop played collegiately at the University of California, where he earned First-Team All-Pac-10 honors as a senior. He began his collegiate career at the City College of San Francisco and was named the California Junior College Player of the Year in 2004.
Grimble (6-5, 255) was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Giants on May 15, 2014. He spent the offseason and training camp with the Giants before being waived on August 26. He was signed to the 49ers practice squad on September 15, before being released on November 18. He then signed to the Patriots practice squad on November 26 and was released on November 28.
A 21-year-old native of Las Vegas, NV, Grimble attended the University of Southern California (2010-13), where he was an All-Pac-12 selection in 2012 and 2013. He totaled 69 receptions for 731 yards and 11 touchdowns in his collegiate career.