RB Jerick McKinnon Wants To Remain With 49ers
The 49ers haven’t exactly gotten a return on their investment when it comes to RB Jerick McKinnon. The club gave the former Viking a four-year, $30MM contract in March 2018, but a torn ACL cost him all of the 2018 season, and a separate knee ailment kept off the field for the entirety of the 2019 campaign, so he may never play a single snap for San Francisco.
However, we heard in December that the Niners are open to bringing the 27-year-old back in 2020, provided that he accepts a pay cut. He is due a $6.5MM salary next year, but the club could save $4.5MM against the cap by releasing him, and given the depth of its RB corps and the need to extend star players, a release would be quite tempting.
McKinnon fully appreciates the reality of his situation and is willing to work with the 49ers if it means he gets to return to the Bay Area next season. “I’m willing to do whatever,” McKinnon said (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com). “The organization knows I want to be a part of this team, so when that time comes there will be a talk between both parties.”
McKinnon also said that the Niners have not yet informed him of their plans for him, but that will probably happen soon. Fellow RB Raheem Mostert was a revelation in 2019, racking up 5.6 yards per carry and eight TDs in the regular season, and he was even better in the playoffs. Restricted free agent Matt Breida was pretty effective as well, and the club will likely retain him via a multiyear pact or an RFA tender.
Tevin Coleman was decent in his first year with San Francisco, but the team could part ways with him and save $4.55MM against the cap while absorbing no dead money. Speculatively, if the 49ers feel good enough about McKinnon’s health, they could cut Coleman and return McKinnon — who is easily the best pass catcher of the bunch and who would therefore offer a nice complement to Mostert and Breida — at a reduced rate.
Falcons Eyeing LG Help
Falcons owner Arthur Blank recently brought up his team’s need for help at left guard, as Albert Breer of SI.com points out. Breer believes the mere fact that the owner is getting into the specifics of O-line upgrades in the offseason is indicative of how critical that unit will be for Atlanta next season.
Of course, the Falcons invested two first-round picks in the offensive line in 2019, when they drafted Chris Lindstrom with the No. 14 overall pick and Kaleb McGary with the No. 31 overall selection. Lindstrom, a right guard, injured his foot in the season opener and ultimately played in only five games, and though McGary started all 16 contests, he struggled, yielding a league-high 13 sacks from his right tackle position.
Still, those two will enter the 2020 campaign as the starters on the right side of the line and will hope to live up to their draft status. The fact that Blank brought up left guard is somewhat interesting, as the Falcons signed LG James Carpenter to a four-year pact last offseason and he started the team’s first 11 games before succumbing to a season-ending concussion. The Falcons would save a minimal amount of money by cutting Carpenter, though they could certainly keep him around as an experienced backup and seek an upgrade.
But such an upgrade may need to come via the draft again, as Atlanta is right up against the salary cap. If GM Thomas Dimitroff does find the room to acquire a free agent, players like Brandon Scherff or Andrus Peat could be in play.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/3/20
Here are today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: C Lo Falemaka
Denver Broncos
- Released from reserve/retired list: WR Romell Guerrier
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Cole Herdman
Trent Williams To Play For Redskins In 2020?
Not too long ago, left tackle Trent Williams was adamant about never playing for the Redskins again, even though he’s under contract with Washington through the 2020 season. Now, however, the tide could be turning.
Per JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington, there is optimism that the club could get its seven-time Pro Bowler back. Williams sat out the entire 2019 season, because even when he ended his holdout in late October to prevent his contract from tolling, he could not pass his physical due to the pain he felt when he put on his helmet.
That pain, of course, is one small part of a much larger battle between Williams and the Redskins. Williams felt a great deal of animosity towards the organization for how it dealt with what turned out to be a cancerous tumor on his head, and the fact that the Redskins put him on the NFI list in November and opted to not pay him the remainder of his $5.1MM salary only made things worse.
But previous reports indicated that most of Williams’ ire was directed towards former team president Bruce Allen, who was fired at the end of December. Since then, the Redskins have hired the well-respected Ron Rivera as head coach, and Rivera has overhauled the club’s medical staff.
Rivera, in a recent interview with Larry Michael on Redskins Nation, indicated he wants Williams back. “We got to get Trent in, we got to sit him down, see where he is, see how he is, healthwise too,” Rivera said. “We have not really had the contact we need to have to know. He’s still our guy.”
Williams, who will turn 32 prior to the 2020 regular season, missed 13 games over the 2016-18 seasons due to various injuries, but he graded out as the league’s best overall tackle in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, and still managed to place No. 21 in a relatively down 2018. He is due a $12.5MM salary in 2020 if he stays with the ‘Skins under his current deal.
Lions, CB Darius Slay Still Discussing Long-Term Contract
The Lions and cornerback Darius Slay continue to discuss a long-term deal, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. However, it does not sound like the two sides are particularly close to an agreement, and Fowler says Detroit could look to trade the 29-year-old if a new contract is not in place in the coming weeks.
Of course, Slay’s name came up frequently in trade rumors in advance of October’s deadline, and he skipped voluntary and mandatory work last spring in an effort to get a new contract. He did report to training camp on time, but he was vocal about his displeasure over the team’s trade of Quandre Diggs, and shortly thereafter he said he didn’t care if he was traded himself.
But he walked back those comments (to some degree) about a week later, saying he would be open to spending his entire career in the Motor City. However, Fowler points out that the Lions and Slay have been working on a new deal for some time, and they still seem to have a fair amount of negotiating to do.
Since he plays a premium position and just earned his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod, Slay is surely aiming for a contract that will put him near the top of the CB market. That would mean a yearly rate of about $15MM and guarantees in the $40-50MM range. Slay’s current contract, which expires at the end of next season, would pay him $10MM in salary in 2020, with workout and roster bonuses that could push that figure closer to $10.5MM
In 2019, Slay picked up two interceptions, 13 passes defensed and 46 tackles.
Greg Olsen To Visit Bills, Redskins
That didn’t take long. Hours after Greg Olsen‘s release from the Panthers was made official, his free agency tour is taking shape. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the veteran tight end will take visits with the Bills and Redskins this week (Twitter link).
Though it doesn’t guarantee anything, this development makes it sound as if Olsen will play in 2020 and will postpone his journey to the broadcast booth for at least another year. If he were to sign with Washington, Olsen would reunite with longtime Carolina head coach Ron Rivera, and recent rumors suggested that Olsen is indeed amenable to joining the ‘Skins.
Fresh off their second playoff appearance in three years, the Bills would appear to give Olsen a better chance at bringing home a championship ring in 2020. But both Buffalo and Washington are obvious fits for the 34-year-old (35 in March), as neither club got much production from the tight end position in 2019.
The Bills were paced by rookie Dawson Knox, who averaged just under 26 yards per game. Rookie tight ends rarely excel, and while the Bills surely expect Knox to take a step forward in 2020, Olsen would represent a reliable veteran target for QB Josh Allen.
The Redskins, meanwhile, lost Jordan Reed for the 2019 season due to yet another concussion, and they have a young quarterback of their own in Dwayne Haskins who would benefit from Olsen’s presence. But Olsen will likely generate more interest from other clubs before he decides to put pen to paper.
John Sullivan Done With Football?
Albert Breer of SI.com believes center John Sullivan is done with football. The 34-year-old started in Super Bowl LIII for the Rams at the end of the 2018 season, but LA declined his 2019 option, and he did not suit up for anyone this past season.
That alone would suggest that the 2008 sixth-rounder has hung up the cleats for good, but Breer has even more evidence. Sullivan, whose Pro Football Reference page lists him at 312 pounds, recently told Breer that he is down to 235 pounds and feels great physically.
Sullivan, a Notre Dame product, never earned a Pro Bowl nod, but he was the full-time starter at center for the Vikings from 2009-14 and was a key factor in running back Adrian Peterson‘s success during that time, including his 2012 MVP campaign. After a one-year stopover with the Redskins, Sullivan joined the Rams in April 2017.
His first year with the club went rather well, as he graded out as the tenth-best center in the NFL that season, according to Pro Football Focus. But his performance slipped dramatically in 2018, which prompted the Rams to cut ties with him.
In his career, Sullivan started 125 regular season games and seven more in the postseason, and he earned over $35MM for his efforts, per Spotrac.
Latest On Justin Simmons, Broncos
Though both sides want to get a deal done, contract talks between safety Justin Simmons and the Broncos have yet to become serious, as Mike Klis of 9News.com reports. The franchise tag remains a possibility, and Simmons has indicated that he would be open to playing out the 2020 season under the tag.
Either way, he stands to make a handsome raise over the $2.025MM he pocketed in 2019, the final year of his rookie deal. The franchise tag is estimated to check in at $12.735MM, and Simmons would probably earn at least that much on a yearly basis if he and Denver can come to terms on a long-term pact.
Simmons and the Broncos engaged in extension talks before the 2019 season started, but the former third-round pick bet on himself and won. He notched a career-high four interceptions to go along with 15 passes defensed and 93 total tackles. He also provides the type of versatility that head coach Vic Fangio covets, which allowed him to play every single defensive snap for the second consecutive year.
Interestingly, Simmons’ former agent with Creative Artists Agency, Rich Hurtado, was recently hired by Broncos GM John Elway and was put in charge of the team’s salary cap and contract negotiations. So Hurtado, who advocated for Simmons in his earlier contract negotiations, is now on the opposite side of the table, but Simmons is not concerned. He expressed his excitement for Hurtado and reiterated his desire to stay in Denver for the foreseeable future.
“Obviously, we’d like to get a long-term deal done and speaking with Elway and all the guys there, they’re great and I love the system,” he said. “I think the system fits for both parties — for myself and for [Fangio].”
In addition to Simmons, Elway will also need to figure out what to do with a number of other key defensive players who are eligible for free agency, like Chris Harris, Derek Wolfe, and Shelby Harris.
Lions Sign Joshua Garnett
The Lions have signed free agent guard Joshua Garnett, the team announced. The 49ers selected Garnett with the No. 28 overall pick of the 2016 draft, but he never came close to living up to that draft status. Though the Stanford product started in 11 of his 15 games as a rookie, he failed to impress, and then he missed all of 2017 after undergoing knee surgery.
He appeared in only seven games as a reserve in 2018, so it was no surprise when San Francisco cut ties with him before the 2019 campaign got underway. Garnett, who will turn 26 later this month, generated plenty of interest on the workout circuit this past season and wound up auditioning for six different clubs. He did not sign a contract with any of them, though he reportedly showed well during his November workout with the Texans.
The Lions’ O-line was not particularly good at run-blocking or pass protection in 2019 and earned below-average DVOA marks in both categories. Detroit will presumably return Joe Dahl at left guard in 2020, but even though right guard Graham Glasgow performed well in 2019, he is eligible for unrestricted free agency in March and the team is likely going to let him walk. If that happens, Garnett could get a shot at a starting job
Though the Lions have been rumored as a potential landing spot for one of this year’s top QB prospects, recent rumors have suggested that they could trade down from their current No. 3 overall pick in an effort to collect more draft capital and address their many needs.
Patriots Prepared To Pay Tom Brady $30MM/Year
Tom Brady and the Patriots could very well extend their remarkably fruitful relationship into 2020 and beyond, and New England is prepared to do whatever it can to make that happen. Per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Pats are willing to pay Brady $30MM or more per season to get him to stay in Foxborough (video link).
That would bring Brady more in line with the pay of elite QBs around the league, but in addition to the size of his own contract, Brady wants the club to pony up some cash and/or draft capital to bring in more talent to surround him. The Pats were carried by their defense this year, and their general dearth of weapons at wide receiver and tight end proved to be costly down the stretch of the 2019 season and played a major role in their wildcard round defeat.
We have long heard that the Chargers could be among the non-Patriots suitors for Brady, and Rapoport confirms that the Bolts are expected to make a strong push for the legendary signal-caller. RapSheet notes in a written piece that the Chargers, who are prepared to move into an extravagant new stadium in LA, could incorporate Brady’s TB12 workout facility, which is important to Brady. Rapoport also mentions the Titans as a potential landing spot (depending, of course, on what they choose to do with Ryan Tannehill).
Meanwhile, the Patriots are working on contingency plans just in case they cannot convince Brady to rejoin them. One such option includes a trade for a veteran QB, and there could be several viable players on the trade market, including Cam Newton and Andy Dalton.