Agent: 49ers releasing LaMichael James

AP

The 49ers are reportedly parting ways with their 2012 second-round pick.

The club is waiving tailback LaMichael James, agent Jeff Sperbeck announced on Twitter on Monday.

James asked for his release, Sperbeck said.

The release of James caps a disappointing three-season stint in San Francisco for James, who played just two snaps on offense and two on special teams in the 49ers’ win at Dallas on Sunday. He played behind rookie Carlos Hyde, who played 15 snaps in relief of Frank Gore (42 snaps) on Sunday.

James’ departure leaves offensive guard Joe Looney as the lone member of the Niners’ seven-player 2012 draft class still on the roster.

An Oregon product, the 24-year-old James rushed for 184 yards on 41 carries in 15 regular season games with San Francisco. He also caught five passes for 45 yards.

65 responses to “Agent: 49ers releasing LaMichael James

  1. Jim helping out his brother John, just happened to get released 5 minutes after the wife beater did??

  2. “Needed to clear room for Ray Rice” said Harbaugh. Rice will add another dimension to our running attack and will fit into this locker room. He is a high caliber member of society.

    Above approach…due process

    – Jim Harbaugh

  3. This is a scheme by the Harbaugh brothers…oh, you gotta cut Ray Rice, I have an unhappy RB who would love to come in and get some carries?

    You can have him after I cut him.

    That’s exactly what’s going on too, book it!

  4. Looney sucks too. Baalke must have had a hard night of drinking before that draft. Anyway LMJ never was a good fit for this offense and he didn’t handle it well. He doesn’t seem to have the work ethic he needed to climb the depth chart. Regardless, best of luck to him

  5. Please sign him Jacksonville!! Just once I want to see a Bortles & James tandem in the backfield..

  6. Well, I guess we can now surmise where the source for Harbaugh losing the team came from. How anyone could cite the trip to Baltimore to practice as evidence that JH was not on board with his players, shows how desperate that Ian Rapoport and the NFL were to fabricate a story.

  7. This is not a conspiracy to get him to Baltimore. ANY team can claim him on waivers. To get him to Baltimore they could have just traded him for a ham sandwich.

  8. goldrush36 says:
    Sep 8, 2014 2:57 PM
    Looney sucks too. Baalke must have had a hard night of drinking before that draft. Anyway LMJ never was a good fit for this offense and he didn’t handle it well. He doesn’t seem to have the work ethic he needed to climb the depth chart. Regardless, best of luck to him
    ————————————————————
    Looney has some use and is a perfect back up guard, he played well enough to get a roster spot, the same cannot be said for LMJ

  9. why is it that the niners keep wasting draft picks on lousy but high draft picks ( see colt mccoy, gabbert etc) yet can just drop one of their own without getting anything from it?
    why the hell didnt they trade him!

  10. This guy sucked just like every other Oregon player in the NFL. I doubt he’s in the league next season.

  11. We should have traded him for a 7th round pick to the Ravens. From 1 Harbaugh to the other, he would have been pissed lol and they need him now that Ray Rice is gone.

  12. This is a smart move by the niners. They saw ray rice come available and they acted. Even if he stays suspended he will be great for their locker room and he has the knowledge to show the young guys how to be a pro in the event that McDonald gets suspended.

  13. qckappa says:
    Sep 8, 2014 3:23 PM
    If he signs with the Ravens then that is collusion any way you slice it.
    ————————————-
    Dude, you need a dictionary. Any team can sign him.

  14. Wow….it’s amazing the level of stupidity that frequents this site. Please explain to me how releasing this guy is doing brother John a favor in Baltimore. Would love to hear it. Depending on how it went down he either has to clear waivers or he’s an outright free agent. I don’t know how that works, but either way neither option is a benefit to the Ravens. Now if they had traded him for a 7th round or conditional draft pick I could understand. But even then I don’t know he’s even worth that. He’s not a north south runner and avoids contact. Not what they are looking for in SF, and I would assume the same in Baltimore. My guess, here’s the leak to the Sunday pre game stories about Harbaugh losing the team. That would be a real shocker.

  15. Santa Clara 49ers Keep that GM around for a long time. He has a knack for finding great players.

  16. James saw what Hyde can do. He knew that he’d never get many carries when he was the third or fourth best RB on the team.
    Hyde is a beast and will eventually be able to replace Gore.

  17. He can go to Philly but he won’t start. If he goes to the Raiders he might start, but the O-line is bad.

    He can catch out of the backfield as well.

  18. I don’t think Chip and the Eagles will pick him up just because their stacked at RB. His is a Oregon product though so you never know. I don’t understand why he never found his groove with the Niners. He was a great college player. I guess all that says is that not every great college player will be good in the NFL. Here’s hoping you land on your feet LJ!!

  19. Sunday Morning when all the “49ers Locker room is getting sick of Harbaugh” talk came out my first reaction was, “what, did they talk to LaMichael?” honestly, good riddance, He is a malcontent straight up.

    Carlos Hyde is a far superior RB and Bruce Ellington is a better returner, and maybe now we can activate Lattimore.

  20. realitycheckbaby says: Sep 8, 2014 9:28 PM

    He didn’t do well in SF because SF’s coach isn’t good enough to find a way to use him.
    —————————————————————

    I’m sure coaching scheme had a lot to do with the amount of times he has run outside and despite his natural speed still got snuffed out for a loss or small gain too right?

    Research before you spout off.

  21. All of you people are so uninformed. You think T Baalke is a bad GM? He has run the draft since 2010 and he drafted:

    1. M Iupati, 1st rd, starting LG, pro bowler
    2. A Davis, 1st rd, starting RG
    3. A Smith, 1st rd, leads NFL in sacks over 3 years
    4. C Kapernick, 3rd rd, he speaks for himself
    5. C Cuulliver, 3rd rd, starting corner
    6. Kendal Hunter, 4th rd, great backup RB
    7. D Kilgore, 5th rd, starting center
    8. B Miller, 7th rd, starting FB
    9 E Reid, 1st rd, starting S
    10. T Carradine, 2nd rd, DL
    11. V McDonald, 2nd rd, solid D player
    12. C Lemonier, 3rd rd, solid D player
    13. Q Patton, 4th rd WR
    14. M Lattimore, 4th rd, nasty
    15. Q Dial, 5th rd, solid D player
    Rookies:
    1. J ward, 1st rd, nickel back
    2. Carlos Hyde, I’m still bragging
    3. M Martin, can play guard or center
    4. C Borland, he’ll sack you
    5. B Ellington, great receiver, starting k/p returner
    6. D Johnson, CB, player great the whole game this past weekend.

    2012, we didn’t have a lot of picks nor holes to fill – did you forget – WE WENT TO THE SUPERBOWL.

    Reflect, how good is your GM?

  22. 2012, we didn’t have a lot of picks nor holes to fill – did you forget – WE WENT TO THE SUPERBOWL.
    ——————————
    And how did that “WE WENT TO THE SUPERBOWL” thing work out for ya?

    Go Hawks!

  23. And how did that “WE WENT TO THE SUPERBOWL” thing work out for ya?

    ————————————————-

    Not as well as our first 5 superbowl appearances.

  24. Id like to see LMJ sign with Arizona . Add another explosive runner with speed who can catch adds another dimension and a whole lot more speed to a already speed loaded offense. Him and Ellington on the field at the same time would be crazy & he could also take some 5 or so snaps for Ellington taking some of the wear off him With Johnathan Dwyer/Stepfan Taylor as the bruising power backs. RB Chris Rainey might end up get some #3 type RB power carries , maybe 3-5 a game or he might stay on the PS.

  25. World class whiner. He’s probably the one telling the media that Harbaugh lost the locker room. Not impressed

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