To make room for their draft class and recent rookie additions, the 49ers on Tuesday released 13 players, including linebacker Shayne Skov, nose tackle Mike Purcell and receiver Eric Rogers, who had been earmarked for a big role in Chip Kelly’s 2016 offense but who tore an ACL in training camp and never played a snap.
Skov, who played at Stanford, had been on and off San Francisco’s roster in recent years. Purcell started eight games over the last three seasons but was part of a 49ers defense that last year surrendered more rushing yards than any squad in team history. Purcell became expendable when the team drafted Mississippi defensive lineman D.J. Jones in the sixth round.
The 49ers also announced they had signed interior offensive linemen Brandon Fusco and Tim Barnes to one-year deals.
Fusco, 28, was released by the Vikings in February. He originally was a sixth-round pick out of Slippery Rock in 2011. Barnes, 28, was released by Los Angeles in March.
Fusco started 31 games his first three seasons but suffered a tore a pectoral muscle in 2014 and had trouble regaining his previous form. He also dealt with concussions in recent years. He has played both right and left guard. Barnes entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2011. He started the last 32 games at center for the Rams.
During the 49ers’ recent minicamp practice, Zane Beadles lined up at left guard with the first-string offense, Daniel Kilgore was the center and Joshua Garnett played right guard. Veteran Jeremy Zuttah sat out the session with a minor injury. Fusco and Barnes will join that group in a competition to see who starts at the two guard spots and center.
Before the draft, the 49ers signed a free-agent offensive tackle, Garry Gilliam, to compete with Trent Brown at right tackle.
The 49ers drafted 10 players over the weekend and traded for running back Kapri Bibbs. They also are expected to sign as many as 15 undrafted rookies this week.
The list of cuts:
C Alex Balducci
S Marcus Ball
LB Carl Bradford
LB Jayson DiManche
TE Je’Ron Hamm
WR Chris Harper
LB Wynton McManis
P Brock Miller
DL Zach Moore
NT Mike Purcell
WR Eric Rogers
CB JaCorey Shepherd
LB Shayne Skov
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