Zane Beadles

Zane Beadles Retires

Veteran offensive lineman Zane Beadles is retiring, as Beadles himself announced on Twitter. After nine years in the league, the 2012 Pro Bowler has decided to call it a career.

Beadles, 32, entered the NFL as a second-round pick of the Broncos in the 2010 draft. He promptly became a fixture at left guard, and started all 16 games there from 2011-13.

He parlayed his strong tenure with the Broncos into a five-year, $30MM deal with the Jaguars after the 2013 season, and his streak of durability continued in Jacksonville, as he started all 16 games for the Jags from 2014-15. But he wasn’t overly effective, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as one of the worst guards in the league in 2015. Jacksonville released him in March 2016.

He quickly caught on with the 49ers and, once again, started all 16 games in the 2016 season. But in 2017, he lost his starting job, and though he played in all 16 games, he started just five, with four of those coming at right tackle as an injury replacement.

He was released by San Francisco last May and signed with the Falcons a few weeks into the 2018 campaign. He was signed to serve as an experienced backup but ended up starting the final five games for the club at right guard.

The Utah product leaves the game with no Super Bowl ring but with just shy of $24MM in career earnings. He put out the following statement on Twitter:

“I can’t thank the people who helped me get there and stay there enough for their support. I am excited for the next chapter for my family and I. I know the lessons learned living the crazy life this great game requires will propel us forward into more greatness.”

We at PFR wish Beadles the best in retirement.

Falcons Sign OL Zane Beadles

The Falcons signed free agent offensive lineman Zane Beadles, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Beadles was most recently with the 49ers. 

The Falcons aren’t working the phones much in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline, Rapoport hears, but they made a minor upgrade by signing Beadles. With experience at guard and tackle (and even a little bit at center), Beadles can factor in as a versatile backup.

Beadles, 32 in November, joined the Niners on a three-year, $11.75MM deal in 2016. He started all 16 games in his first season with the Niners, but he was mostly relegated to a reserve role last year as he played at left guard and right tackle. In May, the Niners cut him loose.

49ers Release Zane Beadles

The 49ers have released offensive lineman Zane Beadles, according to a team announcement. Beadles was scheduled to count for a little more than $4MM against the 2018 cap. By releasing him, the 49ers will save $3.5MM. 

By the sound of it, this could be more of a “see you later” than a goodbye. Within the team’s press release, GM John Lynch left the door open to a return.

Zane is a consummate professional and has represented our organization with exceptional class,” Lynch said. “He is an unselfish guy who stepped up in a big way for our team last year and we can’t thank him enough for all his contributions to the organization and our community. Zane is just the kind of player and person we would always be open to welcoming back down the road, but releasing him now provides ample opportunity to find the right situation with his next team. We wish him and his family all the best as he moves forward in his career.”

Beadles, 32 in November, joined the Niners on a three-year, $11.75MM deal in 2016. Beadles started all 16 games in his first season with the Niners and saw time at center, left guard, and left tackle. Last year, he was mostly relegated to a reserve role as he played at left guard and right tackle.

Assuming Beadles does not return to SF, rising sophomore Erik Magnuson figures to step into Beadles’ super-sub role. Meanwhile, the Niners project to have three new starters on the O-Line in left guard Jonathan Cooper, center Weston Richburg, and first-round right tackle Mike McGlinchey.

49ers Sign Zane Beadles To Three-Year Deal

MARCH 22: The 49ers have officially confirmed the signing of Beadles.

MARCH 17: The 49ers have made an addition to their offensive line, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has agreed to terms on a deal with free agent guard Zane Beadles. Per Caplan, Beadles will get a three-year, $11.75MM contract from San Francisco.Zane Beadles

Beadles, 29, inked a lucrative five-year contract with the Jaguars two offseasons ago, and started all 32 of the team’s games at left guard in 2014 and 2015. However, the former Pro Bowler wasn’t overly effective after heading to Jacksonville from the Broncos. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him 64th out of 81 qualified guards, and the Jags ultimately moved on from him, releasing him earlier this month.

In San Francisco, Beadles seems like a logical fit to step in on the offensive line for Alex Boone, who played primarily at left guard in 2015 before departing for the Vikings in free agency last week. Because he was cut by his previous team, Beadles won’t count against the compensatory draft pick formula for 2016.

The 49ers have been relatively quiet in free agency so far, and actually entered the day with the most cap room in the NFL, according to OverTheCap.com. Teams that entered the offseason with more space than the Niners, such as the Raiders, Jaguars, and Giants, have been among the most active spenders in free agency, leaving San Francisco at the top of that list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jaguars Release Zane Beadles

The team with the most cap room in the NFL will pick up a little more, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars are releasing veteran guard Zane Beadles. John Oehser of Jaguars.com has confirmed the move (via Twitter).Zane Beadles

[RELATED: Jaguars re-sign Chad Henne]

Over the Cap currently projects the Jaguars to have more than $75MM in cap room, so it’s not as if the club needs to create additional flexibility. Still, Beadles looked like one of the clearest release candidates on the roster, since the Jaguars can clear his entire $5.5MM cap hit for 2016 from their books by releasing him. The transaction should increase the club’s projected cap room to $80MM+.

Beadles, 29, inked a lucrative five-year contract with the Jaguars two offseasons ago, and has started all 32 of the team’s games at left guard since then. However, the former Pro Bowler hasn’t been overly effective since heading to Jacksonville from the Broncos. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him 64th out of 81 qualified guards.

As Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets, the Jaguars are high on guards A.J. Cann and Brandon Linder going forward. Of course, armed with all their cap room, the Jags can also address the interior of their offensive line next week in free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: Buchanan, Bills, Dolphins

Here’s a look at a few Friday items from out of the AFC East:

  • The Bills are hosting free agent outside linebacker Michael Buchanan on a free agent visit today, the team confirmed in a press release. Buchanan hasn’t played much since being drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round in 2013, but he made the most of his limited playing time in his rookie year, picking up a pair of sacks and recovering a fumble. The 24-year-od was waived by the Pats earlier this month.
  • With the Bills preparing to move forward on contract talks with All-Pro defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines different ways the team could clear 2016 cap space in order to better accommodate an extension for Dareus.
  • After Chris Chester was released by Washington earlier this week, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald explains why he thinks the Dolphins should be seriously considering the idea of signing the veteran guard. Salguero also suggests monitoring the statuses of Evan Mathis and Zane Beadles, who could become trade or release candidates, if they aren’t already.

Extra Points: Clowney, Glenn, Shembo

  • Texans No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney’s status for the beginning of training camp is still up the air, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Clowney, who is recovering from June sports hernia surgery, remains day-to-day with no timetable established for his return.
  • The Ravens placed backup nose tackle Terrence Cody on the physically unable to perform list for the beginning of training camp, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Cody, who is recovering from hip surgery, can be be activated whenever he’s healthy enough to resume practicing.
  • In minor transaction news, the Bills signed receiver Tori Gurley and cornerback Kamaal McIlwain to fill empty roster spots, according to BuffaloBills.com insider Chris Brown.
  • Bills left tackle Cordy Glenn is on the Active/Non-Football Illness list, but GM Doug Whaley doesn’t think Glenn will be lost long-term, according to WGR 550’s Joe Buscaglia. Said Whaley: “We don’t think so at this time. It’s just gonna have to see on how he progresses. We hope not. We’re still waiting on some reports on him, but it looks like it’s gonna be one of those day-to-day things and we’ll see how it progresses.”
  • In the meantime, highly publicized rookie Seantrel Henderson will man left tackle in Glenn’s stead.
  • Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union takes an in-depth look at the Jaguars’ new-look offensive line, including quotes from offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch praising the athleticism of Luke Joeckel and the leadership of Zane Beadles. “He’s certainly as advertised and then some,” Fisch says of Beadles.
  • Falcons fourth-round outside linebacker Prince Shembo has a realistic chance of earning starts, writes Orlando Ledbetter in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ledbetter says the team will “force-feed” information to Shembo, whom head coach Mike Smith is “very excited” about. “He’s picked up the system very well,” said Smith. “He doesn’t have any experience, but we will get him a lot, I can assure you that in the preseason.”
  • James Harrison, Jermichael Finley and Santonio Holmes headline AP writer Dennis Waszak Jr.’s list of 13 notable, veteran free agents still looking for work with training camps getting underway.
  • The Patriots issued a press release saying Bill Belichick and Aaron Hernandez exchanged 34 total text messages, not 33 pages worth. According to Boston Globe correspondent Dan Adams, filings released Monday did not reveal the contents of the text messages or what Patriots employees shared with authorities, but did reveal that Belichick, Robert Kraft were interviewed by investigators, who also searched the locker of a player.
  • The NFL is moving swiftly to address the issue of underqualified underclassmen flooding the draft, reports NFL.com’s Albert Breer. In an effort to deter potentially undraftable players from declaring, the league’s advisory committee will streamline (simplify) its evaluation grades to include first round, second round or neither. Additionally, colleges will be restricted to five evaluation requests unless an abundance of talent dictates the need for more (e.g. Alabama, LSU, Florida State, etc.). Writes Beer: “At the heart of the changes are staggering statistics stemming from the 2014 draft class — of the record 107 who declared, 45 went undrafted. A majority of those 45 remain unsigned by NFL teams as undrafted free agents.”

Contract Details: Whitner, Jenkins, Blackmon

The latest particulars from various contracts signed today..

  • Donte Whitner‘s four-year, $28MM deal with the Browns includes $11MM fully guaranteed in 2014, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
  • Malcolm Jenkins‘ three-year deal with the Eagles is worth $15.5MM, Pelissero tweets. He gets $6MM fully guaranteed in 2014, plus $2.5MM of the $4MM base in ’15 now guaranteed for injury.
  • Will Blackmon‘s two-year, $1.725MM deal with the Jaguars included $500K guaranteed, Pelissero tweets. He earn up to $250K with playing time in ’14 and ’15.
  • Zane Beadles‘ five-year, $30MM deal with the Jaguars has $12.5MM in guaranteed money, Pelissero tweets. He’s scheduled to get roster bonuses of $4.5MM in ’14 and $2MM in ’15 is guaranteed for skill/injury.

Jaguars Pursuing Beadles, Eyeing Decker

Free agent guard Zane Beadles has narrowed his free agent options down to the Jaguars and one other team, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post. That second team isn’t the Broncos, according to Klis, who says Beadles won’t be returning to Denver. Linebacker Wesley Woodyard also won’t be re-signing with the Broncos, Klis adds.

While it’s not clear what sort of contracts the Jaguars and the mystery suitor are offering Beadles, the guard figures to command a salary in the neighborhood of $5MM per year, says Klis. Considering the Broncos are already heavily invested in left tackle Ryan Clady and right guard Louis Vasquez, the team wasn’t comfortable making a big offer to Beadles as well.

As the Jaguars pursue Beadles, the team is also eyeing another one of the Broncos’ prospective free agents. According to Klis, Jacksonville has expressed interest in wide receiver Eric Decker.