49ers acquire RB Trenton Cannon on waiver from Ravens

According to a report By ESPN’s Field Yates, the 49ers acquired running back Trenton Cannon on waiver from the Ravens.

The 49ers had a place on the roster and didn’t have to make a corresponding move. Cannon is the second full-back the team acquired this week, after signing running back Kerryon Johnson to their practice squad on Tuesday.

The 49ers lost their starting half, Raheem Mostert, to a season-ending injury in their Week 1 win over the Lions. With running back Jeff Wilson Jr. already sidelined for the first part of the season with a knee injury, the Niners have scoured other rosters to consolidate their back depth of field.

A 2018 Virginia Tech sixth-round pick by the Jets, Cannon has appeared in 35 career games between the Jets, Panthers and Ravens, with more than 60% of his career shots on special teams.

In parts of four seasons in the NFL, Cannon has amassed 151 rushing yards on 50 carries, 160 receiving yards on 20 receptions, 19 tackles and 414 yards on 16 kickoff returns (25.9 yards per return).

Cannon’s calling card is its versatility. In fact, the Panthers tried to convert him to a wide receiver this preseason before he was dropped and acquired by the Ravens.

His abilities as a wide receiver, running back and special team have probably been a big part of his appeal to the 49ers, who appear confident that running backs Elijah Mitchell, JaMycal Hasty and Trey Sermon can deliver. most of the tasks in Mostert and L’absence de Wilson.

However, while Cannon could give head coach Kyle Shanahan another Swiss Army knife to play with on offense, the Ravens have their own injuries piling up in the back.

Baltimore’s two main full-backs (JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards) have already torn their ACLs and will not play this season. The fact that they were willing to reduce Cannon’s defeat suggests they were skeptical that he could be a significant contributor on offense.