The San Francisco 49ers today announced they have claimed OL Willie Beavers off waivers from the Chicago Bears and waived RB Matthew Dayes.
Beavers (6-5, 324) was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round (121st overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. He appeared in two games with the Vikings prior to being waived by the team on September 2, 2017. He then spent parts of the 2017 season on the practice squads of the New England Patriots, Vikings and Seattle Seahawks. Last season, he was waived by the Seahawks on September 1, 2018 and later signed to the Chicago Bears practice squad on November 5, 2018. He signed a Reserve/Future contract with the Chicago on January 16, 2019 and was waived on May 3.
A 25-year-old native of Southfield, MI, Beavers attended Western Michigan University where he appeared in 46 games (40 starts) along the offensive line. As a senior in 2015, he started all 13 games at left tackle and earned First-Team All-MAC honors.
Dayes (5-9, 205) originally joined the 49ers after signing to the team's practice squad on October 9, 2018. He was promoted to the active roster on November 12, 2018, appeared in seven games and registered two tackles on special teams.
A 24-year-old native of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Dayes attended North Carolina State University where finished his career ranked fourth all-time in school history with 2,856 career rushing yards and third all-time with 34 career rushing touchdowns. As a senior in 2016, he played in all 13 games and finished third in the ACC with 1,166 rushing yards on 249 carries along with 10 rushing touchdowns.
