The 49ers on Saturday announced a pair of roster moves ahead of their Week 14 matchup against the Buccaneers. San Francisco added depth to their backfields on both sides of the ball by elevating running back Tevin Coleman and cornerback Dontae Johnson off the practice squad.
Coleman and Johnson were both brought up via standard elevation, so they’ll each revert back to the practice squad following Sunday’s game and won’t count against the 53-man roster.
The Coleman elevation could signal that the 49ers are leaning toward a run-heavy game plan in Brock Purdy’s first NFL start. Coleman has played in two games for the 49ers this season and had a pair of touchdowns in Week 5 against the Panthers. Undrafted rookie Jordan Mason got the RB touches that didn’t go to Christian McCaffrey last week. With a Thursday game against the Seahawks looming and McCaffrey dealing with a knee injury, the 49ers may look to distribute the carries a little more evenly in their backfield while taking some of the pass catching onus off of McCaffrey.
Johnson figures to fill in on special teams with DB Tarvarius Moore sidelined by a knee injury. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he plays some nickel as well with Jimmie Ward playing more of a safety role against Tom Brady and the Bucs.
Kickoff from Levi’s Stadium on Sunday is set for 1:25pm PT.
