The San Francisco 49ers made a roster move on Monday. They claimed defensive tackle Taylor Hart from the Philadelphia Eagles, and made room for him by waiving safety L.J. McCray. The 49ers had traded McCray to the Seattle Seahawks, but he failed a physical, and reverted to the 49ers. The team had to either clear a roster spot for him, waive McCray, or trade him again. They did the middle one.
Hart played for Chip Kelly at Oregon, and then played for him the past two years in Philadelphia. Hart was the subject of trade rumors in August, in part because he was playing out of position. He played 3-4 defensive end in college, but was playing 4-3 defensive tackle with the Eagles. He has gotten fairly positive reviews, but it was not enough to stick around.
The decision to claim Hart is odd considering the team had Garrison Smith previously. It is possible they need some depth at the two 3-4 end positions more than nose tackle. Smith focused more on that latter role. This could be an indication that Glenn Dorsey and/or Quinton Dial might not be fully ready for the Rams matchup next Monday.