Travaris Cadet Signed by 49ers, Pierre Thomas Released

Just one week after signing veteran running back Pierre Thomas, the San Francisco 49ers released him and signed another former New Orleans Saints back in the form of Travaris Cadet to replace him.

The 49ers made the move official through their Twitter account on Tuesday. Cadet later thanked the organization for bringing him aboard:  

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Niners beat out two other teams that also showed interest in the 26-year-old.

Cadet is a fourth-year veteran who spent the first three seasons of his career with the Saints. He signed with the New England Patriots prior to the 2015 campaign and was active for one game before the team released him.

The former Appalachian State star excels at pass-catching and made 38 receptions last season with the Saints. His role with the Pats was usurped by Dion Lewis, but Lewis tore his ACL on Sunday and will miss the remainder of the season, per Jim McBride of the Boston Globe.

Because of that, ESPN.com's Mike Reiss was among those who believed the Patriots might attempt to bring Cadet back into the fold.

San Francisco won the sweepstakes, though, perhaps due to the possibility Cadet could ascend into a starting role.

Carlos Hyde continues to deal with a foot injury that kept him out of the team's Week 9 win over the Atlanta Falcons. It is unclear when or if he will return to action.

To compound the 49ers' backfield issues, Reggie Bush was lost for the season when he tore his MCL against the St. Louis Rams in Week 8.

With Hyde and Bush on the shelf, Shaun Draughn, Kendall Gaskins and Thomas handled running back duties for the 49ers in Week 9.

Thomas gained 12 yards on four carries in his first action with the team, but his tenure was short-lived as the Niners ultimately decided that Cadet was a better fit.

The 49ers have a bye in Week 10, which means Hyde will have some time to heal up and Cadet will have an opportunity to get acclimated to the team and learn the offense.

San Francisco presumably signed Thomas to be a pass-catching back due to his history of success in that role with the Saints, but the younger, quicker Cadet will now have an opportunity to take that spot.

The 49ers don't have much in the way of high-quality options if Hyde remains out of the lineup, but they now have a variety of backs, so head coach Jim Tomsula may be able to cobble together some semblance of a running game.

San Francisco got enough out of its backs to upset Atlanta with Blaine Gabbert under center, and if Cadet brings the same pass-catching chops he showed during his time with the Saints, it should give the Niners offense a dimension it has been missing without Hyde and Bush in the mix.

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