The San Francisco 49ers is one of the teams with most eyeballs on them. Under Kyle Shanahan‘s tenure, this team has been very irregular. Its ceiling has been Super Bowl appearances, and its floor is really bad seasons under .500. Last year was not a good one and now, as they look to bounce back, they cut a Brock Purdy weapon.

According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, the 49ers were desperate for a new presence on the defensive line. Hence, they signed defensive tackle Shakel Brown to a one-year deal. However, this came at a cost of a Brock Purdy offensive teammate. Tight end Ross Dwelley was let go of the team.

Dwelley was third on the tight end depth chart, behind George Kittle and Luke Farrell. However, Dwelley was a well-known face on the 49ers. He played his first six seasons for Kyle Shanahan and the team. Then, on 2024, he played for Atlanta before coming back to The Bay.

Dwelley’s spot was sacrificed for a greater need

Dwelley getting cut is a case of bad timing. The fact that the 49ers were desperate for a new presence on the defensive line and the fact that he was the backup of one of the best NFL tight ends cost him. George Kittle is too good and that made Dwelley expendable.

Ross Dwelley #82 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts during warm ups before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Inglewood, California.

His best season was in 2020, where he started nine games and had 19 catches for 245 yards and one touchdown. Dwelley has been on this role for a while now. He has only started 17 out of his 101 games in the NFL.

Who is Shakel Brown?

As said above, Shakel Brown will reinforce the 49ers roster at the cost of Dwelley. Brown is 27 years old. He was an undrafted free agent in 2023 and has never played in an NFL game. In May 2024, he was signed by the 49ers just to get waived on August. He was then brought back to the team’s practice squad on September just to be released on October. His latest attempt of playing in the NFL was with the Miami Dolphins, but he was never able to surpass the practice squad.

Brown is a 6’3″, 295 lbs defensive tackle. His college career was on a lesser program. At Troy, he played 30 games and racked up 4.5 sacks. This might be his last chance at getting to the NFL.