The 49ers on Wednesday added more tight end depth as they search for complements to George Kittle. Their newest signee is former Falcons and Lions tight end Levine Toilolo. They waived rookie safety Cameron Glenn to make room for the new tight end.
Toilolo was a fourth-round pick of the Falcons out of Stanford in the 2013 draft after hauling in 10 touchdowns over his final two seasons with the Cardinal. He hasn’t been quite as productive in the NFL with 95 catches for 986 yards and eight touchdowns across six seasons.
He has an advantage with the 49ers thanks to his two years of experience in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. His massive 6-8, 260-pound frame make him an intriguing red zone target even if he hasn’t been able to post big numbers in his NFL career.
A lack of overall athleticism will keep Toilolo from ever reaching the potential imagined in a tight end with his size. On the other hand, five of his eight receiving touchdowns have come within eight yards of the end zone.
None of those red zone scores came under Shanahan though. His two touchdowns in Shanahan’s offense came in 2016, and went for 46 and 32 yards. It’s clear the 49ers’ head coach found ways to utilize Toilolo in an offense in more ways than other offensive play callers have.
There’s not a guaranteed roster spot for the towering tight end. He’ll be in a fight with incumbents Garrett Celek and Ross Dwelley, and rookie sixth-round pick Kaden Smith. If Toilolo can deliver as a blocker while using his knowledge of the offense to get out to a fast start, it’s not inconceivable that he winds up making the final roster.
Glenn made it less than two weeks with the 49ers. They signed him as an undrafted free agent in early May out of Wake Forest. He had 269 tackles and four interceptions in 42 games across four seasons with the Demon Deacons.
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