The San Francisco 49ers have been awfully busy shuffling the back end of their 90-man training camp roster.
Largely thanks to injuries, the Niners have had to regularly bring in players on workouts, occasionally signing players here and there to shore up weaker positions and to keep units fully stockpiled heading into their first preseason bout against the Denver Broncos on Aug. 9.
Wide receiver seems the most fluid. But, with the Broncos in town for joint practices, general manager John Lynch and Co. shuffled up both the cornerback and defensive line rooms with a move involving a former first-round NFL Draft pick.
And, no. San Francisco didn't sign a former Round 1 draftee.
49ers release CB Eli Apple to make room for new defensive tackle
On the transaction wire, and shared by NBC Sports Bay Area's Jennifer Lee Chan, the 49ers just released cornerback Eli Apple and signed defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour to take his roster spot:
The #49ers have signed DL Michael Dwumfour to a one-year deal.
To make to room on the roster the club released CB Eli Apple.
— Jennifer Lee Chan - also bluesky @jenniferleechan (@jenniferleechan) August 7, 2025
Apple, a 2016 first-round pick of the New York Giants who was selected at No. 10 overall out of Ohio State, never quite developed into the standout defensive back one might expect when selected in the top 10. After two-plus seasons with the G-Men, he was off to the New Orleans Saints and then bounced around the league before spending 2024 with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Niners inked Apple in late July to supplement depth issues at cornerback, but it was clear he wasn't intended to be much more than a camp body, given he had zero in guaranteed money on his one-year, veteran's minimum contract.
San Francisco is shorthanded at defensive tackle, which helps explain the Dwumfour signing and why it brought in additional defensive linemen on workouts the day prior.
As for Apple, the former first-round draftee is now eligible to sign with any other team.
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