49ers reuniting Kyle Shanahan with former player

Sep 23, 2018; Kansas City, MO, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan watches play on the sidelines during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Shanahan’s tenure with the Cleveland Browns is better off forgotten, but it lives on in the form of the newest San Francisco 49er.

Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reported on Friday that the 49ers are signing veteran wide receiver Willie Snead. The seven-year NFL veteran had worked out for the team earlier in the day.

Shanahan, the 49ers coach, got acquainted with Snead in Cleveland. Snead signed with the Browns in 2014 after going undrafted, and Shanahan was the team’s offensive coordinator at the time. Granted, Snead lasted just a few months in Cleveland before getting cut. Shanahan also left town not long after that, having clashed with the Browns organization.

Now 29, Snead was a non-factor last year with just four catches for 38 yards in nine total games between the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers. He joins a crowded room of receivers in San Francisco that already boasts Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Ray-Ray McCloud, Jauan Jennings, plus others. But as the most experienced of those players (and with viable talent as a slot receiver), Snead should have a shot to crack the team’s final roster.