REPORT: 49ers dismiss veteran linebacker to open roster place for Williams.
The 49ers released veteran linebacker Ezekiel Turner on Wednesday to make room for defensive tackle Nick Williams. Turner joined the 49ers in the summer on a one-year, $1.15 million contract as an unrestricted free agent. Turner was recruited to fight for a position on special teams, but the contract did not include any guaranteed money.
Turner appeared in 80 games over the course of six NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He started three games on defense in his career. His main role with the Cardinals was as a core special-teams player.
The 49ers felt they didn’t need Turner since they had a strong linebacker corps that includes Fred Warner, De’Vondre Campbell, Dee Winters, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Jalen Graham, Curtis Robinson, and seventh-round choice Tatum Bethune.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw is projected to miss at least the first four games of the regular season while recovering from an Achilles tear suffered in the Super Bowl.
The 49ers signed Williams as a free agent after the club learned defensive tackle Kalia Davis would be out for approximately half of the regular season due to a knee injury, which will require surgery.
Williams has appeared in 97 games with 48 starts in his career. He registered 157 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in his career with Kansas City, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Chargers.
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