Practice Squad - 8 Is Enough

The Niners created their practice squad Sunday. Eight players were signed, all of whom spent the offseason with the team, and seven were released just the day before. As expected, Thomas Clayton, (right) the rookie running back out of Kansas State heads the list. Clayton was the 49ers' final draft pick in April. He started slowly in training camp, and coach Mike Nolan said he couldn't justify keeping four tailbacks on the roster. Still, Clayton improved under the tough-love style of position coach Bishop Harris and looked good in the 49ers' exhibition finale in San Diego. He rushed for more yards than any other player in the league this preseason.

Another player who showed potential for improvement was Damane Duckett, a defensive lineman who converted to offensive tackle in the spring. The 6-foot-6 Duckett had a shaky beginning but seemed to have picked up the position by the end of training camp. Duckett and Harvey Dahl made the practice squad as offensive tackles.

Mark Washington also might have been miscast last season as a defensive lineman at Texas State. The 6-3, 250-pound Washington entered the supplemental draft but was not picked up. He converted to linebacker with the 49ers, and the team decided he was worth developing at either inside or outside linebacker.

The 49ers have only one fullback, Moran Norris, on the active roster but will keep his backup, Zak Keasey, on the practice squad. Nolan had said he might look outside the organization for a practice-squad receiver but instead settled on Dominique Zeigler, a rookie out of Baylor. Wide receiver Marcus Maxwell, who was surprisingly released last week, after a great offseason in NFL Europa, has visited the Cleveland Browns but has yet to be signed. The other practice-squad players are tight end Zac Herold and safety Darnell Bing, (left, with ball at USC) a fourth-round draft choice by the Raiders in 2006, acquired by the team just at the start of preseason.