Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Wednesday afternoon that the San Francisco 49ers have promoted safety Marcell Harris from the practice squad. In the corresponding move, the team released safety Antone Exum. This could be for a number of reasons. Perhaps Jimmie Ward is going to return and the Niners feel like they no longer need a depth player at safety, but a true “Special Teams player.” Exum is more versatile than Harris is at safety. It could mean that the team has been impressed with Harris during practice the last couple of weeks and are rewarding him for his performance. You could spin this so many ways. I would be surprised if this was the last roster move the 49ers made before Monday Night’s game.
Exum got in the game late against the Bengals, where he played 15 snaps. Besides that, he hasn’t stepped on the field for the 49ers defense other than Special Teams. Harris started five games for the 49ers last season, where he totaled 34 tackles and four tackles for loss. This was the move we’ve all been waiting for, right?