The 49ers on Monday announced a pair of roster moves as part of the first day of their voluntary offseason program. They added defensive lineman Cedric Thornton, and cornerback Greg Mabin signed his one-year exclusive rights tender.
Thornton’s name may sound familiar because of his brief stint on the 49ers’ roster last offseason. He signed with the club in late July, then retired on August 22. San Francisco added him to the 90-man roster once he was reinstated off the reserve/retired list.
The 30-year-old joined the NFL with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He spent four years with Philadelphia, one with Dallas and one with Buffalo before signing in San Francisco last offseason.
At 6-4. 290 pounds, Thornton figures to battle for a roster spot at nose tackle.
Mabin had an up-and-down 2018 campaign that saw him earn one start while also spending time on the practice squad. He was added to the 49ers’ practice squad in 2017 after the Bills waived him. He played six games for San Francisco as a rookie, then played 13 last season. Mabin broke up a pass, forced a fumble and recovered one.
He won’t likely be in the hunt to grab a starting job, but he’ll have an inside track to a place on the back end of the cornerback depth chart.
