Quinton Dial

Quinton Dial Retires From NFL

Former 49ers and Packers defensive tackle Quinton Dial announced his retirement late Thursday night, via social media. Dial leaves the sport after five seasons and a recent knee surgery that made him reconsider his future. 

I want to thank the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers for the opportunity that you gave a country boy from a small town in Alabama when no one else would,” Dial wrote. “To the fans, thanks for the countless memories that have made the last five years something special…I knew this day would come, but I didn’t know when. That is why I’ve prepared myself since becoming an NFL player; because you are one play away from your career being over. I’ve faced a lot of injuries throughout my career and I feel it is in my best interest to hang up the cleats and pursue another career.”

Dial notched 145 tackles with 4.5 sacks over the course of his career. He was out of the league in 2018, so today’s news doesn’t come as a huge surprise.

Packers Work Out DL Quinton Dial

The Packers worked out defensive lineman Quinton Dial on Tuesday, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link).

Green Bay is searching for defensive line depth after losing Muhammad Wilkerson for the season, and Dial should be familiar with the Packers after spending the 2017 campaign with the club. While the Packers have since moved to a different defensive scheme after swapping out ex-coordinator Dom Capers for Mike Pettine, Green Bay is still running a 3-4 look.

Dial, 28, has spent the entirety of his NFL career in 3-4 fronts. A former fifth-round pick, Dial played his first four pro seasons in San Francisco, and was a full-time starter in 2015-16. Last year, Dial appeared in 13 games (two starts) for the Packers, managing 12 tackles and one pass defensed while playing on roughly a third of the club’s defensive snaps.

If Dial is signed by the Packers, he’d join a defensive line rotation that includes Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels, new projected starter Dean Lowry, and Montravius Adams. Last season, Dial signed a one-year deal with Green Bay that paid him a single dollar more than the veteran’s minimum, which left open the possibility of an in-season extension. The Packers could conceivably use that strategy once again if they view Dial as a possible long-term addition.

Dial met with the Lions and Seahawks after hitting free agency in March, and auditioned for the Bills last week, but has yet to garner a contract this year.

NFL Workout Updates: 9/18/18

Here’s the latest from the NFL workout circuit on a busy Tuesday. All links to NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted.

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Lions, Seahawks Interested In Quinton Dial

Packers free agent defensive tackle Quinton Dial will visit the Lions and Seahawks, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). Dial, as Silverstein notes, was a positive locker room presence in Green Bay after coming over from the 49ers. 

It’s not clear if the Packers are still in the mix to keep Dial, but they think highly of him. When signing him last year, the Packers paid him one dollar more than the veteran’s minimum ($775,001), which left open the possibility of extending him in-season. They didn’t do that, however, allowing him to explore the open market.

Dial, 28 in July, appeared in 13 games with two starts for the Packers last season. He totaled 19 tackles.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Vikings, Packers

When asked if edge rusher Pernell McPhee will ever be the player he was when the Bears originally signed him in 2015, Chicago defensive Vic Fangio gave a simple answer: “Probably not” (Twitter link via Eric Edholm of Pro Football Weekly). McPhee, who was surprisingly removed from the physically unable to perform list and placed on Chicago’s initial 53-man roster, has injured both knees during his time with the Bears. While he’s missed nine games over the past two seasons, McPhee has still been relatively effective when on the field, but may need his snaps limited going forward.

Here’s more from the NFC North:

  • The Vikings surprisingly released offensive guard Alex Boone last week, and former Minnesota linebacker Chad Greenway hears that Boone had reported to camp out of shape and “wasn’t really prepared for the season,” as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Even so, the the Vikings decision to cut ties with Boone means they spent roughly $10MM on one season of production. Boone has since landed with the Cardinals, where he’ll initially serve as a backup.
  • Ahmad Brooks‘ one-year deal with the Packers has a base value of $3.5MM and includes a $1.75MM signing bonus and a $1MM base salary, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The veteran pass rusher can also earn $750K in gameday active roster bonuses, plus $1.5MM in sack-based incentives, although those are considered not-likely-to-be-earned, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That means the sack threshold Brooks must reach is greater than six, the total he hit in 2017. Now 33 years old, Brooks will serve in a rotational edge defender capacity for Green Bay.
  • Another 49ers castoff — defensive lineman Quinton Dial — also recently agreed to a one-year pact with the Packers, and his deal will pay him one dollar more than the veteran’s minimum ($775,001), reports Silverstein (Twitter link). By adding that single dollar, Green Bay has kept open the possibility of extending Dial in-season. Had Dial simply signed for the minimum, the Packers wouldn’t have had the right to give him a new contract until after the new league year opens in the spring.
  • The Bears and defender Lamarr Houston agreed to a two-week injury settlement that precipitated his release, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Technically, Chicago could re-sign Houston in five weeks (time of the settlement plus a three-week waiting period), but that seems highly unlikely. But the two-week timetable means Houston should be healthy soon, meaning he could quickly latch on with another club.

Packers Sign Quinton Dial

The Packers have signed former San Francisco defensive lineman Quinton Dial, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweetsQuinton Dial

The Packers have now added two former Niners front seven players in the last week. At the end of August, Green Bay also inked linebacker Ahmad Brooks. Brooks wound up on the curb as a cap casualty while Dial was not a scheme fit for SF’s new look defense.

Now back in a 3-4, the Packers are hoping that Dial can produce. He started 26 games for SF over the last two years and he’s still only 27, so there’s reason for hope. He’ll likely start off the year in a reserve role but he has an opportunity to get some real playing time with the Packers..

The Packers start their season at home against the Seahawks on Sunday.

Packers To Work Out DL Quinton Dial

The Packers will work out free agent defensive lineman Quinton Dial on Monday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Dial was cut by the 49ers on Saturday..Quinton Dial

Dial had been a consistent presence on San Francisco’s defensive line over the past few seasons, starting 26 games between 2015 and 2016. Following a 2015 campaign when he established career-highs in tackles (59) and sacks (2.5), Dial seemingly took a step back in 2016, finishing with 36 tackles and no sacks. The 27-year-old had signed a three-year extension with the 49ers prior to last season.

Green Bay projects to be a bit thin along the defensive line, as Letroy Guion has been released and rookie Montravius Adams will likely miss time to begin the year. Dial, if signed, would join Packers options such as Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels, and Christian Ringo.

49ers Slash Roster To 53

The 49ers completed their wave of cuts and have reduced their roster to the regular-season limit. Here are the final cuts that moved the 49ers down to 53 players.

Released:

Waived:

49ers Release Quinton Dial

Following four seasons with the team, Quinton Dial‘s tenure with the 49ers has come to an end. According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (via Twitter), the team has released the veteran defensive end.

Quinton DialThe 2013 fifth-round pick had been a consistent presence on San Francisco’s defensive line over the past few seasons, starting 26 games between 2015 and 2016. Following a 2015 campaign when he established career-highs in tackles (59) and sacks (2.5), Dial seemingly took a step back in 2016, finishing with 36 tackles and no sacks. The 27-year-old had signed a three-year extension with the organization prior to last season.

Dial’s versatility was certainly appreciated by the 49ers, but the team is seemingly content moving forward with other reserve pieces. Roster Resource lists Aaron Lynch, Ronald Blair, and Tank Carradine as the team’s backup defensive ends, while Chris Jones and D.J. Jones are the team’s lone reserve defensive tackles.

49ers Sign DT Quinton Dial To Extension

4:03pm: Dial’s new three-year extension with the 49ers is worth $12MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who reports that the deal features $5.3MM in guaranteed money. If Dial maxes out the value of his new contract, it can be worth up to $16.5MM, says Rapoport.

2:04pm: The 49ers have signed defensive tackle Quinton Dial to a three-year contract extension, the team announced today in a press release. Dial had been set to enter the final year of his deal in 2016, so his new contract keeps him under team control through the 2019 season.Quinton Dial

“Throughout his first three seasons in the NFL, Quinton has shown consistent development and has become a key contributor in our defense,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. “We have certainly seen his positive impact on the field and in our locker room, but we also recognize the impressive work he does in the community year round. We are pleased to extend the contract of young players like Quinton and are excited to see him continue his career with the 49ers.”

Dial, 25, started six games in 2014 before becoming a full-time starter in 2015. He established new career-best marks last season, recording 59 tackles and 2.5 sacks and appearing in 662 defensive snaps, far more than any other Niners interior defensive lineman except Ian Williams.

As a 2013 draftee, Dial became extension-eligible this offseason for the first time. He had been set to earn a modest $675K base salary for 2016, but he figures to get a pay bump going forward as a reward for his solid play in 2015.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.