BREAKING: 49ers finalizing two-year deal with former Dolphins and Bills special teams ace
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports that the San Francisco 49ers are set to sign free agent defensive back Siran Neal to a two-year deal. Neal spent last season with the Miami Dolphins after playing his first six years with the Buffalo Bills. While he adds depth to the secondary, his primary reputation comes from his strong special teams play.
Originally a fifth-round pick out of Jacksonville State by Buffalo in 2018, Neal remained a key reserve in the Bills’ secondary for six seasons. Throughout his career, he has consistently played at least 57% of his team’s special teams snaps each season.
During his time in Miami last year, Neal primarily contributed on special teams, logging 373 of his 431 total snaps in that role. He played on all kick coverage units and recorded 11 tackles along with two passes defended. Defensively, he saw limited action, with his highest defensive snap count coming in Week 13, when he played 13 snaps as a slot corner. Even in Miami’s meaningless Week 18 game, he only played six defensive snaps.
The 49ers’ cornerback depth appears mostly set, with Neal joining Tre Tomlinson and Tre Brown as external additions. However, there remains a question at one starting outside corner spot unless the team opts to start one of their new acquisitions or Darrell Luter Jr. alongside Renardo Green, as Deommodore Lenoir is expected to play in the slot.