HEADLINES

Month: October 2014

49ers Could Trade Corey Lemonier

October 26th, 2014 at 2:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We learned earlier today that 49ers star Aldon Smith could return from suspension as early as Monday, giving San Francisco a pass-rushing element that’s been sorely missing from its defense. Additionally, defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey, linebacker NaVorro Bownman, and running back Marcus Lattimore, all of whom are dealing with injuries, could return to practice, and subsequently, the active roster, soon. Roster space will be at a premium in the Bay Area in the near future, and as such, the Niners could look to make a deal in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline in order to clear at least one roster spot. Second-year linebacker Corey Lemonier is the most likely candidate to be traded, a team source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Lemonier, 22, was selected in the third round of last year’s draft out of Auburn. He was active for all 16 games in 2013, registering 276 snaps on defense and playing on nearly 40% of the 49ers’ special teams plays. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) shows Lemonier to be something of a pass-rushing specialist, as he received a +3.9 grade when getting after the quarterback. This season, Lemonier has once again been active for every game, but despite the absences of Smith and Bowman, his defensive snap percentage has not increased. He is garnering more special teams duty, however, as he’s been involved on more than 50% of ST snaps.

Financials shouldn’t be an obstacle if the Niners do trade Lemonier. His modest bonus money, which amounts to less than $500K, would accelerate onto San Francisco’s cap, while an acquiring team would only be responsible for his base salaries, which would total less than $2MM over the next two-and-a-half years. As far as a return, the 49ers would surely be happy to recoup the third-rounder they spent on Lemonier in last year’s draft. That’s unlikely to happen, however, and I would think that the club would be content to get something in the neighborhood of a fifth-round pick for Lemonier.

Lemonier obviously has talent, so San Francisco wouldn’t be giving up on him by trading him; rather, the team simply has enough depth on the defensive side of the ball that even a promising second-year player like Lemonier is expendable. As Maiocco notes, the 49ers would obviously rather get any amount of draft pick compensation for the linebacker than be forced to simply waive him. Additionally, Maicco adds that the club is also extremely deep along the defensive, so a trade involving an end or tackle could also be in the works.

PFR Originals: 10/19/14 – 10/26/14

October 26th, 2014 at 2:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

  • We rolled out the Trade Rumors App, which allows you to access content from PFR, MLB Trade Rumors, and Hoops Rumors all on one platform. It’s available for both iOS and Android, and best of all, it’s free!
  • Zach Links rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest edition of Pigskin Links.
  • We learned that the Broncos don’t plan of signing either Demaryius or Julius Thomas to an in-season extension, leading Luke Adams to ask if Denver should work hardest to extend one of the two Thomases or corner Chris Harris. Nearly 68% of voters said Demaryius Thomas should be the highest priority.
  • Trade buzz has surrounded multiple Titans, so Zach wondered which of Nate Washington, Michael Griffin, and Wesley Woodyard was most likely to be traded. About half of respondents though Washington was the favorite to get shipped out of Tennessee. Thanks for voting!

Week In Review: 10/19/14 – 10/26/14

October 26th, 2014 at 1:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

  • The Buccaneers and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy agreed to a seven-year extension worth $98MM, ~$51MM of which is effectively guaranteed.
  • The Jets signed receiver Jeremy Kerley to a four-year, $16MM extension, which contains $5.4MM in guarantees.
  • The Patriots acquired linebacker Akeem Ayers, the 39th overall pick in 2011, and a seventh-round pick from the Titans in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
  • The NFL will play five games in London in 2015.

Signed:

Waived/Released:

Injuries:

Sunday Roundup: Lynch, Broncos, 49ers

October 26th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks traded Percy Harvin amid rumors that his presence had created a rift in the locker room, and now no one expects Marshawn Lynch to return to Seattle next year, including Lynch himself, writes ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds that Lynch has grown increasingly “salty” over his contract and his role in the Seahawks’ offense, and Seattle is simply tired of contending with his persistent discontent. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Lynch communicates minimally, if at all, with head coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks’ management.

Citing NFL Media’s Michael Robinson, Conor Orr of NFL.com writes that the time is now for Russell Wilson to lead his team through this shroud of controversy and distraction, and as far as the on-field ramifications of Lynch’s potential departure, Rapoport tweets that he expects Seattle to take a running back early in next year’s draft. Mortensen writes that the Seahawks may have made Lynch available via trade this year, but the trickle-down effect from fullback Derrick Coleman‘s recent injury has taken that option off the table.

Now for some more notes from around the league:

  • Brian McIntyre tweets that, if the Seahawks do, in fact, release Lynch in 2015, they will have saved $17.5MM in cash and $12.7MM in cap space with the departures of Lynch and Harvin.
  • Our Luke Adams wrote several days ago that the Broncos do not anticipate reaching a contract extension with either of their top pending free agents, Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas. Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that the offers Denver made to the Thomases remain on the table, but it appears nothing will happen until the offseason. Klis goes on to note that the contract situations of both players are quite different, and he describes what it might take for Denver to retain both (spoiler: a lot of money).
  • Rapoport tweets that the 49ers could get Aldon Smith back as early as Monday, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes that, with the impending returns of Smith, NaVorro Bowman, and Glenn Dorsey, San Francisco could be looking to deal a defensive player or two from the back end of its depth chart to create roster space for those players.
  • Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Steelers, after making little effort to re-sign Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery in the offseason, are still looking for a reliable complement for Antonio Brown.
  • Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel wonders if the Packers will make a trade to address their weakness at inside linebacker.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets that, if the Jets part ways with head coach Rex Ryan, the Falcons would be the perfect landing spot for him.
  • Joel Corry of National Football Post takes a deeper look at Gerald McCoy’s new deal with the Buccaneers.

 

AFC East Notes: Jackson, Chandler Jones, Jets

October 26th, 2014 at 11:00am CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots are rumored to be on the lookout for help at running back and wide receiver in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline, and Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald believes such an addition would be ideal. Although the team recently acquired Akeem Ayers via trade, Guregian says “Band-Aids” like Ayers and Isaac Sopoaga, who came to New England at the 2013 trade deadline, are not enough to make the Patriots realistic contenders for the AFC Crown.

Instead, she believes the team needs to make a deal similar to the one it swung for Aqib Talib back in 2012. Guregian mentions a series of pipe dreams, like the Texans‘ Andre Johnson and the Redskins‘ Pierre Garcon, but while she does not mention Vincent Jackson, it appears as if he could be a realistic option. Jackson would give Tom Brady a dynamic target whose size and physicality complements the speed and shiftiness of Julian Edelman, and, as James Walker of ESPN.com tweets, his presence would give New England a real chance of upsetting the Broncos if the two teams should meet again in the playoffs.

Now for some more notes from the AFC East:

  • CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports that Patriots defensive lineman Chandler Jones will not need surgery on his injured hip. He will be out, however, for at least four weeks, though he does hope to be ready for the stretch run.
  • Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News opines that the Jets are better off tanking in 2014 to assure themselves of the chance to draft a true difference maker in 2015.
  • Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that the Dolphins have a deep roster without glaring weaknesses–unlike their division rivals–and rather than make a big addition, Miami simply needs more consistency to make a legitimate run at the AFC East.

More Trade Rumors: Bucs, Eagles, Pats

October 26th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at a couple more trade-related items to add to this morning’s rumors:

NFL To Play Five London Games In 2015?

October 26th, 2014 at 9:36am CST by Rory Parks

Citing the London Daily Mail, ESPN.com news services reports that the NFL will play five games in London next season.

The league, which has played at least one regular season game in London’s Wembley Stadium every year since 2007, is expected to make an official announcement soon, according to the Daily News report. However, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy tells ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell that the Daily Mail’s report isn’t accurate.

If the league does indeed increase the number of overseas contests for next season, it will only add to the reportedly increasing momentum to put an NFL franchise in London.

Trade Buzz: V-Jax, Rams, Vikings

October 26th, 2014 at 9:22am CST by Rory Parks

There seems to be more buzz surrounding this year’s NFL trade deadline than in years past, and Michael Fensom of the National Desk points out that Week 8 will be the final “audition” for those players who have generated the most interest, including the Buccaneers‘ Vincent Jackson and the Bengals‘ Jermaine Gresham. Fensom also observes that, since January 2012, the teams that have made the most trades are also among the most successful clubs on the field.

Of course, as CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora writes, the odds that a major trade comes to fruition are pretty slim, especially since so few teams are clearly out of the hunt at this point in the season. That does not mean, however, that it is not worth your while to take a look at some of the latest trade buzz. The trade deadline is Tuesday, October 28:

  • NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the Eagles, Patriots, and Seahawks are among the teams calling about Jackson. He adds (via Twitter) that the Chiefs are also involved. He points out, however, that the Buccaneers are looking for real value in any trade involving Jackson, and Rapoport defines “real value” as a second-round pick (Twitter link).
  • Rapoport tweets that another player that could be on the move is Rams DT Kendall Langford, who has generated some interest. La Canfora believes that St. Louis may have also fielded some calls on RB Zac Stacy.
  • La Canfora writes that the Raiders are willing to deal Matt Schaub, but there is unsurprisingly not much of a market for him.
  • La Canfora adds that players who had previously been discussed as trade possibilities, like the Eagles‘ Brandon Graham, have since been taken off the table.
  • Fensom reasons that, given the Seahawks‘ reported interest in tight ends, Seattle is a potential landing spot for Gresham.
  • Our Zach Links recently wrote that Titans WR Nate Washington has been made available via trade, but Fensom writes that other Tennessee players like Wesley Woodyard and Michael Griffin are also rumored to be available.
  • There is also speculation that the Vikings are looking to sell, and Fensom lists Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings as potential trade chips.

Extra Points: McCoy, Woodyard, Mosley, Smith

October 25th, 2014 at 10:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers and Gerald McCoy exchanged countless proposals and they have been working on a deal every week since before camp, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s a deal that both sides wanted and they got it done with a reported seven-year, $98MM extension earlier today.

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

More Minor Moves: Saturday

October 25th, 2014 at 9:05pm CST by Rob DiRe

Our first post featuring the minor moves of the day filled up pretty quickly, so here is a second place to see some of Saturday’s later day transactions. As always, if there are any more moves, this post will be updated at the top.

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