The San Francisco 49ers made a roster move on the eve of Monday Night Football. The team promoted wide receiver Chris Harper from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. They made room for Harper by releasing running back DuJuan Harris.
The 49ers signed Harper to their 10-man practice squad last week. The Cal product spent the preseason with the Patriots before being released. He opened the 2015 season on the Patriots practice squad before being promoted to the 53-man roster where he appeared in five games and registered one reception for six yards.
The 49ers entered the game with five wide receivers on the roster, including Torrey Smith, Quinton Patton, Jeremy Kerley, Rod Streater, and rookie Aaron Burbridge. My guess is Burbridge will be inactive with this decision, but we’ll find out at approximately 5:50 p.m. PT. Harper can help in the return game, which is likely one of the reasons he was promoted.
The timing is curious to say the least. I believe Harris will be paid for the week even though he is not on the roster, so maybe we now know the player that will be flipped on and off the roster each week if needed. This also means Shaun Draughn and Mike Davis will serve as the exclusive backups to Carlos Hyde.