The 49ers had initially intended to fill the vacant roster spot with former Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers safety J.J. Wilcox, who was at the team facility on Tuesday to sign his contract. However, he "got stage fright" and "flipped" his decision, according to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN. Wilcox left Santa Clara without a deal and jumped on a flight to New Jersey to sign with the New York Jets.
The 49ers initially signed Exum Jr. (6-0, 219) on November 7, 2017. He appeared in two games with one start and registered three tackles for San Francisco last season.
The Minnesota Vikings made Exum Jr. a sixth-round draft pick in 2014. In three seasons (2014-16) there, he recorded 18 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble to go along with 13 tackles on special teams in 27 game appearances with two starts. Exum Jr. spent the 2016 season on injured reserve and Minnesota waived him on September 16, 2017.
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