We already talked about three waived former San Francisco 49ers players, as Glenn Winston, Ryan Seymour and Darryl Morris all found new teams. But another 49ers player has signed elsewhere, and this one is a big name: safety and special teams ace C.J. Spillman. A surprise release on Saturday, Spillman will be signed by the Dallas Cowboys, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
I'm not positive as to why Spillman was released -- he was certainly the best special teams player on the team -- but I imagine it had a lot to do with salary. The 49ers just don't want to pay those guys big money, and given Spillman's contract extension, they might not have been totally pleased with him as a backup on defense. He got paid like the 49ers expected more out of him, but I thought he was worth the money for his special teams prowess alone.
Whatever the case, he'll go to Dallas and I imagine he'll immediately be a leader there. He'll also be able to fill the Cowboys in on the 49ers' special teams and defensive schemes, given that the two teams will play each other in the regular season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7. So he makes the Cowboys a stronger team based on his play and his information.
Look out, 49ers return-men.