The San Francisco 49ersmade a pair of roster moves Monday, signing defensive lineman Victor Dimukeje and offensive lineman Nick Zakelj to one-year deals while releasing running back Khalil Herbert and offensive lineman Kion Smith to open spots.
Dimukeje, 26, gives San Francisco another body along the defensive front. A sixth-round pick by Arizona in 2021, he's appeared in 60 games with eight starts across stints with the Cardinals and Giants, totaling 51 tackles, four sacks, two passes defensed and two forced fumbles. His production dipped last season, with just one tackle and one pass breakup across five games in New York, but his college resume at Duke — 21.5 sacks and Second-Team All-ACC honors in 2019 — points to the kind of pass-rush upside that made him worth a depth flier.
Zakelj is a familiar face, returning to the only NFL organization he's known. San Francisco drafted him in the sixth round in 2022, and he's appeared in 29 games with two starts across four seasons, mostly in a reserve and practice-squad capacity. The 49ers had actually released him on Aug. 10, so this is a swift reunion rather than a new addition.
The corresponding cuts are the more notable half of the move. Smith, a backup tackle who signed with the team just eleven days before his release, appears to have been a straightforward camp-body swap for Zakelj at a similar spot on the offensive line.
Herbert's release is the one worth watching. The running back had signed with San Francisco less than three weeks ago, and cutting him now, with no direct backfield addition to replace him, suggests the 49ers aren't done shuffling that room. With so many injuries to the unit, it stands to reason the team is confident someone will be coming back from injury in time to suit up in the preseason.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers roster moves include new DL and a returning lineman