The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday announced a handful of roster moves that included the release of long-time linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles.
Flannigan-Fowles was an undrafted free agent signing for San Francisco following the 2019 daft and he wound up becoming a regular contributor on special teams and a key reserve LB. His rise with the 49ers was impressive since he joined the club as a safety and transitioned to LB on the practice squad during his first season as a pro.
He played in 73 games across five seasons with San Francisco after debuting in the 2020 season. His primary contributions came on special teams where he played at least 59 percent of the snaps in all five seasons. As the starting Sam LB this year he played a career-high 20 percent of the defensive snaps.
While Flannigan-Fowles was a stalwart in the LB corps for five years, he wasn’t a particularly productive defensive player which may explain his release ahead of his unrestricted free agency.
The 49ers are injecting youth at the position and they will need to find a starter to replace Dre Greenlaw if he leaves in free agency this year.
Along with the Flannigan-Fowles release, the 49ers also announced seven exclusive-rights free agent signings. These signings were first reported by Jason Fitzgerald at Over the Cap. The ERFA signings announced by San Francisco included tight ends Jake Tonges and Brayden Willis, offensive lineman Austen Pleasants, linebacker Jalen Graham and defensive linemen Evan Anderson, Alex Barrett and Sam Okuayinonu.