EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Add defensive tackle to the list of positions where the San Francisco 49ers are growing thin after the team placed starting nose tackle C.J. West on injured reserve Wednesday.On the heels of a season-ending patellar injury to Alfred Collins and a high ankle sprain for rookie James Thompson Jr., West is going to miss at least a chunk of the season with a bone chip in his knee that will require surgery.Coach Kyle Shanahan said West's injury is not season-ending, but it is another blow to a position that has just two healthy players remaining from the five that originally made the 53-man roster.The Niners didn't initially list West among their injuries coming out of their Week 2 win against the Miami Dolphins, but Shanahan said West's knee has been battling "something" since training camp."I don't know if this is the same or if it was something new," Shanahan said. "But it was bothering him a lot after the game."There's no timeline for West's return, but the 49ers added more depth at defensive tackle on Wednesday. San Francisco signed veteran Naquan Jones, who has played in 60 games with eight starts for the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans, off the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad.Jones, who projects as more of a nose tackle and a direct replacement for West, took part in his first practice with the Niners on Wednesday afternoon. As it stands, the Niners have just three healthy defensive tackles -- Osa Odighizuwa, Gracen Halton and Jones -- on the roster.San Francisco also has three more defensive tackles on the practice squad in Kevin Givens, Sebastian Valdez and McKinnley Jackson. Defensive end Keion White also can move inside to tackle in obvious passing situations.For now, Shanahan said the Niners will evaluate those practice squad options to see who else can help fill in for West."Anytime you have five D tackles make a team and you're down to two of them after two games, that's always a concern for anybody," Shanahan said. "We were able to sign one new guy and then we got three guys on practice squad that will be competing to see who's up. We got guys there in this building, so we got to see how those guys step it up."As for another injury-ravaged position, the Niners signed veteran receiver Brandin Cooks to the practice squad Wednesday. Cooks' arrival coincides with a high ankle sprain for Demarcus Robinson as well as a sore hip for Mike Evans that left the Niners without either participating in Wednesday's practice.Robinson will miss three to six weeks and could land on injured reserve while the Niners plan to manage Evans this week with hopes he will play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. San Francisco is also without Ricky Pearsall (knee, out for the season) and De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle, currently on IR).All of which means Cooks could be contributing sooner than later if he can catch on quickly. Shanahan said Wednesday he has "no idea" if Cooks could play as soon as Sunday but Cooks expressed hope that he could be ready.Cooks, 33, is from Stockton, California, about 75 miles from Santa Clara, and grew up a Niners fan. He said Wednesday joining the Niners is a "dream come true" but his choice to join San Francisco was rooted more in the chance to play for Shanahan and chase a championship."You can't obviously promise it, but the ability that you're going to go into Sundays as a team and compete week in and week out and have a chance at ultimately lifting that trophy," Cooks said. "That's the most important thing at this point in your career. And it doesn't matter how you get to it, whatever role you got to play, it doesn't matter for me. I just want to help and be the best I can be to get there."
