The San Francisco 49ers placed inside linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong on injured reserve Tuesday morning, in response to a pectoral injury this past weekend. The team has not announced a corresponding roster move, but for the time being they have an open roster spot.
It is fitting timing then that the Cleveland Browns have waived rookie ILB Scooby Wright, according to Pro Football Talk. The Browns would like to sign Wright to their practice squad, but PFT suggested he might not clear waivers. And naturally, some 49ers fans quickly jumped on board with the idea of adding a seventh round pick a lot of people had some hopes for this past offseason.
Wright had a great 2014 college season, winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Rotary Lombardi Award, and Chuck Bednarik Award. He was an All-American and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He had 163 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, and six forced fumbles. He was a force and people were excited. Unfortunately, he dealt with numerous injuries in 2015, and only played three games. There are numerous questions about his athleticism, and whether he can convert what he did in college when healthy to the pro level. He wouldn’t be the first All American who could not make it in the NFL, but the 2014 performance is certainly tantalizing.
The 49ers have some time to figure out their next step with Armstrong’s roster spot. If they decide to promote from the practice squad, Shayne Skov and Marcus Rush would be the two most likely candidates. People have suggested Rush, but an ILB with special teams experience makes more sense in the short term. It’d be nice to see Rush getting some opportunities on the 53-man roster, but I would expect Skov to get the first chance. Skov would likely focus on special teams, but his ILB experience offers some flexibility as well.
Wright is certainly someone on our radar, but there is nothing to indicate they would jump on him off waivers. The 49ers hold the seventh waiver position based on draft order. After this weekend’s games that will switch to 2016 record, but for now, the 49ers are seventh in waiver order. Maybe they take a swing at Scooby.
On a side note, the entertainment value of someone named “Scoobie” replacing Ray-Ray Armstrong (click here) is kinda off the charts.