Fooch’s update: The 49ers announced that defensive lineman Cedric Thornton is retiring from the NFL. That explains the return of Chris Jones.
The San Francisco 49ers are bringing back a familiar face at a position that would not seem to need the additional depth. The team is set to re-sign free agent defensive tackle Chris Jones, according to NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo.
The 49ers originally claimed Jones off waivers from the Miami Dolphins in November 2016 when they placed Arik Armstead on injured reserve. Jones was inactive his first two games with the 49ers, but then started the final six. He was 18th among 85 qualifying defensive tackles in run stop rate during that time.
Jones went on injured reserve at the end of training camp last season. He had hip and groin surgery, according to Garafolo, and is now fully healthy. The question now is whether or not this means somebody else is hurt, or if the team just wants some additional competition. They seem fairly settled along the defensive interior, but we’ll see what comes of it.