49ers Sign Recent Dallas Cowboys Draft Pick In Surprise Move — Release Tight End After Just 24 Days
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The San Francisco 49ers made two roster moves Monday that tell very different stories. One player got a fresh opportunity. Another lost his spot after barely a month.
San Francisco signed defensive lineman Viliami Fehoko Jr. to a one-year contract. The team released tight end Josiah Deguara to make room. Deguara’s departure comes just 24 days after the 49ers originally signed him on July 31.
The timing behind both moves makes this transaction worth a closer look.
Fehoko Gets A Late Shot With His Hometown Team
Fehoko, 26, was one of three pass rushers San Francisco worked out over the weekend, along with Diwun Black and Ron Stone. The team ultimately chose Fehoko, a Mountain View, California native who played high school ball at St. Francis before starring at San Jose State.
Dallas selected Fehoko in the fourth round back in 2023, No. 129 overall. He finished his five college seasons with 191 tackles, 46 tackles for loss, and 23 sacks, earning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022.
He’s also the second cousin of Buccaneers Pro Bowler Vita Vea, another Bay Area product who took a similar path from high school standout to NFL force.
Fehoko still hasn’t appeared in a regular-season NFL game, though. He’s bounced between the Cowboys, Commanders, and Colts organizations since entering the league, with Indianapolis waiving him this past April.
This signing gives him one more audition, with San Francisco needing depth after waiving injured defensive lineman Xavier Thomas earlier in camp. Even a practice squad spot would count as a real opportunity with final cuts approaching.
Deguara’s Roster Spot Became Expendable
Deguara brought considerably more experience to the tight end competition. He appeared in 77 regular-season games with 12 starts before joining San Francisco. He’d totaled 53 catches for 471 yards and three touchdowns across stops with the Packers, Jaguars, and Cardinals.
His fit changed fast, though. San Francisco activated George Kittle off the PUP list on Sunday, as the seven-time Pro Bowler continues working back from a torn Achilles suffered in January. Kittle’s activation keeps a much earlier return in play. The team also re-signed tight end Khalil Dinkins to a three-year deal after previously waiving him, further crowding a position group that had briefly opened up for Deguara.
Neither move alone doomed his roster spot. Together, they changed the math enough that San Francisco decided another defensive-line audition mattered more. With final roster cuts approaching fast, Fehoko now has a short runway to show whether his college production can translate into legitimate NFL depth.
