It wasn’t the Texan that’s been the subject of rumor in San Francisco this offseason — QB Deshaun Watson — but the 49ers did acquire a former Houston player on Wednesday.
General manager John Lynch claimed cornerback Mark Fields II off waivers, bringing in another player to compete in a secondary with its share of holes, per David Lombardi of The Athletic.
While at Clemson, Fields, who weighs 180 pounds, racked up 45 tackles, 13 passes defensed, five tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and one interception in 48 games, six of them starts, per the 49ers official website.
He also has NFL linage, with his father, Mark Fields the first (duh) having a nine-year NFL career on his resume, complete with Pro Bowl honors, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
If there was a year to pay attention to every 49ers transaction, large or small, this is it. The club has a bevy of holes to fill and is dealing with a shrinking salary cap, as is the rest of the NFL. But with the 49ers just a couple years removed from a Super Bowl appearance and a high-priced quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo, the sense of urgency in San Francisco his higher than most cities.
Fields played in two games last year in Houston and at 24 years of age and a blue-chip background via his time at Clemson, Lynch sees something in the undrafted prospect. If the 49ers can make him look like an NFL player, they’ll be ahead of the game when cut down day inevitably arrives.
(Photo credit Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
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