49ers Getting Interest In WR Pierre Garcon
The 49ers have received inquiries from at least three teams regarding the availability of wide receiver Pierre Garcon, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com first mentioned the possibility that Garcon could be on the trade block.
Per Schefter, many clubs are interested in Garcon thanks to his veteran presence, and he’s always been valued as a tough, hard-nosed player. He’s also relatively affordable, as any club that acquired Garcon would only be responsible for 9/17 of his base salary, which works out to just under $3MM for the rest of the season.
For the 49ers, the financials wouldn’t be quite as simple in the event of a Garcon trade. San Francisco gave Garcon a $12MM signing bonus when it landed him prior to the 2017 campaign, and that money will all find its way to the 49ers’ salary cap. However, because we’ve passed June 1, San Francisco wouldn’t see any additional money hit its cap this season. Instead, the rest of Garcon’s guarantees ($7.2MM) would accelerate onto the Niners’ cap in 2019. That shouldn’t present much of a problem for the 49ers, who have nearly $70MM in available funds next season.
Garcon, 32, joined San Francisco last season after spending the first nine years of his NFL career with the Colts and Redskins. He played in only eight games in 2017, posting 40 catches and 500 yards before a neck injury ended his year. This season, Garcon has started seven games and managed 21 receptions and 230 yards.
PFR Originals: 10/21/18 – 10/28/18
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- After the Giants dealt defensive tackle Damon Harrison and cornerback Eli Apple last week, Sam Robinson asked PFR readers whom New York might trade next. New York lost once again today, and it seems logical that the club will sell off more assets before the NFL’s trade deadline on Tuesday. Any number of players — from quarterback Eli Manning and linebacker Alec Ogletree to linebacker Oliver Vernon and safety Landon Collins — could make sense as trade candidates, but readers believe corner Janoris Jenkins is the most likely Giant to be on the move in the coming days.
- In a similar vein, Sam asked PFR readers if the Broncos should be sellers ahead of the trade deadline. Nearly 90% of respondents believed Denver should begin to cash in its trade chips, and that was before the team fell to Kansas City on Sunday, dropping its record to 3-5. Like the Giants, the Broncos have a number of veterans who could be appealing to rival clubs, such as receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, cornerbacks Chris Harris and Bradley Roby, and edge rushers Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett.
- Using ESPN’s playoff probability leverage, I asked PFR readers which Week 8 game was the most important. While ESPN’s metric pointed to Eagles/Jaguars as Week’s 8 most critical contest, our respondents said Saints/Vikings had the most on the line. Philadelphia pulled out the victory against Jacksonville, while New Orleans will face Minnesota on Sunday night.
Raiders’ Bruce Irvin Drawing Trade Interest
The Raiders have already traded wide receiver Amari Cooper and are open to dealing defensive backs Gareon Conley and Karl Joseph, but there’s an additional Oakland player who is also available. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the Raiders have discussed edge rusher Bruce Irvin with other clubs.
With a limited number of pass rushers available on the trade market, Irvin is a logical candidate to be dealt. However, the Raiders are struggling to find a taker for Irvin’s salary, according to Schefter. If a club acquired Irvin before Tuesday’s deadline, it would be on the hook for the rest of Irvin’s 2018 base salary, which amounts to roughly $4.2MM. Irvin is also under contract for 2019, but he can be released without financial penalty.
Irvin, 30, could potentially offer versatility to a number of clubs, as he’s played both defensive end and outside linebacker during his career. Now in his third season with the Raiders, Irvin has started six games this year while three sacks and four quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus has graded Irvin as a below-average defensive end in 2018, ranking him as a bottom-20 edge defender among 101 qualifiers.
Any number of teams could potentially use another rotational pass rusher, but teams with a true need on the edge include the Rams, Jets, Chiefs, and Lions. The Chargers could also make sense as a landing spot for Irvin given Joey Bosa‘s uncertain injury timeline, while the Bengals are now down a defensive end after Carl Lawson tore his ACL earlier today.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/28/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Jerome Cunningham
- Released: RB Joel Bouagnon
Bengals DE Carl Lawson Tears ACL, Done For Season
Bengals defensive end Carl Lawson suffered a torn ACL against the Buccaneers and will miss the remainder of the 2018 season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Lawson, 23, was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft and immediately contributed upon entering the NFL. While Cincinnati limited his playtime given his collegiate injury history (Lawson saw only 41% of the Bengals’ defensive snaps a year ago), he still managed to post 8.5 sacks and 21 quarterback hits, the latter of which tied him for 19th league-wide. This season, Lawson had posted only one sack, but still was ranked as a top-15 edge rusher, per Pro Football Focus.
Despite a bevy of talent up front, the Bengals entered Sunday’s contest ranked just 19th in adjusted sack rate, and they’ll now have to move on without Lawson in tow. Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson are Cincinnati’s starters at defensive end, while Sam Hubbard and Jordan Willis will continue to get rotational snaps.
The Bengals don’t currently have a defensive end on their roster, so they could conceivably look to the free agent market for reinforcements, although — unsurprisingly — there aren’t a ton of quality options freely available. A trade could also be possible, although Cincinnati would have to work out a deal before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/18
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on injured reserve: CB C.J. Goodwin
Patriots Interested In Acquiring WR, Have Discussed Demaryius Thomas
The Patriots are interested in acquiring a “bona fide, premium” receiver before Tuesday’s trade deadline, according to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports (Twitter link), and New England has at least discussed Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas, reports Michael Girardi of NFL.com (Twitter link).
New England, of course, has already made one move for a pass-catcher earlier this year, picking up Josh Gordon and a seventh-round pick from the Browns in exchange for a fifth-rounder. But adding another receiver to a depth chart that already includes Gordon, Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarrelle Patterson could prove appealing for the Patriots as they head into the second half of the season.
As Girardi tweets, the Patriots aren’t necessarily focused on any one player or position as the trade deadline approaches, but Thomas is undoubtedly available for the right price. The Broncos have reportedly received interest in both Thomas and fellow wideout Emmanuel Sanders, but they’d prefer to move Thomas — and his contract — off their books. Thomas is signed through 2019, but the Patriots — or any club that acquired the veteran receiver — could cut him after 2018 with no dead money accelerating onto their cap.
For the rest of the 2018 campaign, Thomas would be relatively affordable, as he’s due roughly $4.5MM over the next nine weeks. The Patriots currently have ~$5.1MM in available cap space, per Over the Cap, meaning they’d just barley be able to fit Thomas onto their books without making any other moves. Thomas, 30, has posted 33 receptions on 49 targets, managing 372 yards and three touchdowns in the process.
Extra Points: Fins, Bengals, Pats, Redskins
The Dolphins are not inclined to trade wide receiver DeVante Parker unless they receive “serious, serious compensation,” tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who adds Parker is now on a “better footing” in South Beach given the Dolphins’ rash of injuries at wideout. Miami had reportedly been seeking a third-round pick for Parker, whose agent recently lashed out at head coach Adam Gase, going as far as telling Gase to “make himself inactive” instead of altering Parker’s gameday status. Parker started Thursday night against the Texans after the Dolphins lost several pass-catchers, including Albert Wilson (who’s done for the year) and Kenny Stills (who could return in Week 9, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Bengals have lost a number of tight ends to injury, but they’re “not thrilled” with the idea of trading for a replacement, reports Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer, who adds Cincinnati believes it would be difficult for an acquisition to get “acclimated” to a new offense at midseason. Tyler Eifert, who has been affected by injuries for the majority of his career, broke his ankle earlier this season, while Tyler Kroft is currently dealing with a foot injury that has no return timetable. C.J. Uzomah is now the club’s starting tight end, with Matt Lengel and Jordan Franks in reserve. While a trade may be unlikely, Dehner did offer a number of candidates who could make sense, including Jared Cook (Raiders), Marcedes Lewis (Packers), and Charles Clay (Bills).
- Former Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell underwent yet another surgery on his knee two days after New England released him, according to Kevin Duffy of the Boston Herald. The Pats cut Mitchell, a 2016 fourth-round pick, in August after failing to trade him. Injury issues have derailed the Georgia product’s career, as he missed the entire 2017 campaign and was unable to fully participate in practice this offseason after undergoing a minor procedure on his knee. After being waived, Mitchell filed a grievance against the Patriots, arguing that he should be paid his entire 2018 base salary ($640K). Per Duffy, Mitchell is still working out with the hope of returning to the NFL, although he has no timetable for recovery.
- Redskins cornerback Quinton Dunbar is dealing with a nerve issue in his shin after taking a recent hit, as Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk writes. “That’s something that’s going to take a little bit of time,” said Washington head coach Jay Gruden. “He’s going to try to run [Thursday], see [how] his leg feels and see if it can hold up or not. We’ll make a decision hopefully by Friday.” Dunbar, 26, is a full-time starter for the first time in his career, and he’s played more than 90% of the Redskins’ defensive snaps while grading as the NFL’s No. 32 corner among 112 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. If Dunbar can’t go against the Giants on Sunday, Greg Stroman would likely see more action against in the Redskins’ nickel package alongside Josh Norman and Fabian Moreau.
- The 2018 offseason saw seven NFL clubs make a change at head coach, and a similar number of teams will likely be looking for new leaders next January. As front offices attempt to find the next Sean McVay, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero asked around the league to find out what young coaches could take over clubs next winter. Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores is a de facto defensive coordinator and has the respect of his locker room, per Pelissero, while Cowboys defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Kris Richard has helped Dallas’ secondary transform into a competent unit. Other assistants who could garner 2019 interest include Vikings OC John DeFilippo, Saints TEs coach Dan Campbell, and Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley.
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook Out Until Week 11?
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook could be sidelined through Minnesota’s Week 10 bye, sources tell Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com.
Cook originally injured his hamstring in Week 2 and missed the Vikings’ next game before returning in Week 4. However, Cook managed to play 18 offensive snaps in that Thursday night contest against the Rams, and hasn’t been on the field since. Cook, of course, missed the majority of his rookie season in 2017 after suffering a torn ACL.
If Cook can’t go until Week 11, he’ll miss two massively important games against the Saints and Lions. Veteran Latavius Murray, who has handled the load in Cook’s absence, would again take over as Minnesota’s starting running back. Over the past three weeks, Murray has rushed for 266 yards while averaging 5.32 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns. Undrafted free agents Roc Thomas and Mike Boone will take a few snaps, but Murray will shoulder the majority of the work.
Cook, the 41st overall pick in 2017, had injury issues in college, as well, but was excellent in four games as the Vikings’ starter last season. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry on 74 rushes, scoring twice before that aforementioned ACL injury ended his season. Among running backs with fewer than 100 attempts, Cook ranked eighth in Football Outsiders’ DYAR, which measures value over replacement level.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/24/18
Today’s workout updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):
Arizona Cardinals
- TE Ethan Wolf; K Zane Gonzalez
Cincinnati Bengals
- TE Marcus Lucas
Cleveland Browns
- WR Deontez Alexander, Marcus Tucker; CB Linden Stephens; LB Corey Nelson
Detroit Lions
- RBs Gerald Holmes, Jalen Simmons; DE Anthony Lanier; DT Josh Banks
Houston Texans
- TE Khari Lee
Indianapolis Colts
- WRs C.J. Board, Montay Crockett, Chad Hansen; DT Zaycoven Henderson; S A.J. Howard
Jacksonville Jaguars
- LBs Richie Brown, Colton Jumper, Mike Needham, Aaron Wallace; CB Breon Borders; S Jack Tocho
Kansas City Chiefs
Minnesota Vikings
- T Andrew Lauderdale
Oakland Raiders
- OTs Darius James, Jamar McGloster, De’Ondre Wesley; Gs Maurquice Shakir, Isaiah Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- G J.J. Dielman; S Justin Currie
Tennessee Titans
- RB Ralph Webb; TE Khari Lee; DT Vincent Valentine; LBs Vontarrius Dora, Gimel President