The San Francisco 49ers promoted practice squad guard Andrew Tiller over the weekend, and now they have lost a second practice squad lineman. Tanner Hawkinson has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, replacing Julian Vandervelde as a reserve option, according to ESPN's Adam Caplan.
The move leaves the 49ers with two open practice squad spots. Tiller and Hawkinson were the only two offensive linemen on the practice squad, so my guess is the team fills at least one of those spots with another lineman. Daniel Kilgore could return from the PUP list following this weekend's game. If he is back sooner rather than later, they could probably use the second PS spot for another position.
For those curious how this works, practice squad rules are pretty simple. A player on the practice squad gets paid by the NFL team, but he is free to sign with any other team's 53-man roster at any point. He must be released to join another team's practice squad. Once a player moves to a 53-man roster, the team has to pay him for at least three weeks at the league minimum. They can release him before then, but they still owe the money. Additionally, a player cannot sign a contract with his team's next opponent after 1 p.m. PT six days preceding the game (10 days preceding in bye weeks). So, Hawkinson would not have been allowed to sign with the Baltimore Ravens.