Latest On Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Clady
It looked increasingly likely last week that 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick would be on the move, with the Broncos and Browns among the teams exploring a potential deal. However, the tide appears to have turned on Kaepernick this week — at least for now.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com is the latest to report that the 49ers look poised to keep Kaepernick on their roster beyond April 1, the date when his $11.9MM base salary for 2016 becomes fully guaranteed. That guarantee date won’t preclude the Niners from surveying trade options for the QB prior to – or during – this year’s draft though, so it’s possible that talks with the Broncos, Browns, or another club could re-ignite in a few weeks.
- There are four or five teams considering a trade for Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Clady is available now that Denver has added Russell Okung. Still, given the modest contracts signed by Okung and Kelvin Beachum this week (both deals have team opt-outs after year one), I’d be a little surprised if any clubs are willing to give up much to take on Clady’s $9.5MM salary. Like Okung and Beachum, Clady is no sure thing going forward when it comes to health.
Broncos Sign Russell Okung
4:24pm: The Broncos have officially announced the signing.
4:17pm: Okung’s deal with Denver is essentially two contracts in one, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. For 2016, he’ll get $5MM guaranteed in 2016 with a chance to make up to $8MM in incentives. Then, after that (link), Denver has a window after the season in which they can pick up an option for a four-year deal worth $12MM per year with $20.5MM guaranteed.
Overall, the deal can be worth up to $10.6MM per year if he can stay healthy, La Canfora tweets. He adds that Okung also had a one-year offer on the table from the Lions.
The Seahawks did not have an offer out to Okung at the end of his negotiations, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.
3:13pm: Teams are interested in a deal for Clady, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.
3:03pm: The Broncos have reached agreement on a deal with Russell Okung, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The two sides are finalizing a five-year pact that will pay the standout tackle $10.6MM per year. The deal could pay up to $12MM/year, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Recently, it was reported that Okung had offers in hand from the Steelers, Lions, and Giants. When the Steelers agreed to sign Ryan Harris, that trimmed down the veteran’s market somewhat. However, that signing left the Broncos with a little extra cash and a desire to reinforce their offensive line, leading them to the Okung deal today.
As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes, the signing of Okung could allow the Broncos to trade fellow tackle Ryan Clady. The team has been attempting to negotiate a pay cut with Clady, who missed the entire 2015 campaign due to injury. Now, Denver can conceivably roll with Okung and rid themselves of Clady’s deal, while taking back something in the way of compensation.
The 28-year-old had two interesting wrinkles to his free agency situation. One is that Okung underwent surgery on his injured shoulder in January. The tackle was also representing himself, which is rather rare in the NFL. Okung’s decision to act as his own agent hampered him in at least one regard as he was barred from talking to every team except for the Seahawks during the legal tampering period. At the end of the day, however, he has scored himself a sizable deal.
The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Okung as the No. 31 tackle in the NFL last year with an overall grade of 72.1.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
Earlier this week, we heard that the Broncos have suggested to the 49ers that quarterback Colin Kaepernick is only worth a fourth-round selection. The 49ers, unsurprisingly, want more for the signal caller who was once regarded as the face of their franchise. The Jets and Browns have also been connected to the QB, but there hasn’t been a ton of movement on that front, either.
What’s next for the 49ers and Kaepernick? Here’s the latest:
- The 49ers will not look to release Kaepernick, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com hears. “There’s a good chance he’s still on the team the way things look now,” one source said. The Broncos, Jets, and Browns have not shown any real urgency in trying to get a deal done for No. 7 and San Francisco is standing its ground. It’s not totally clear what the asking price is, but Maiocco writes that their trade demand is “believed to be a second- or early third-round” draft choice. On April 1st, Kaepernick’s base salary of $11.9MM will become fully guaranteed. Until then, his salary is guaranteed for injury only.
- 49ers coach Chip Kelly was upbeat when asked about Kaepernick, though he acknowledged that it’s possible that he might not be with the team come next month. “If he’s here on April 4 we’re going to coach the heck out of him, and he’s going to work his (tail) off,” Kelly said at San Jose State’s pro day, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. Kelly also added that he has exchanged texts with the quarterback, a development that should not be overlooked as there reportedly hasn’t been much communication between the two men this offseason.
- Recently, on PFR’s Instagram, we asked readers to weigh in on what the Broncos should do at quarterback. Featured options included Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Hoyer. Click here to follow us on Instagram (@ProFootballRumors).
Extra Points: Cowboys, Brooks, J. Reed, Suggs
After parting ways with the Falcons in January, Lionel Vital – Atlanta’s former director of player personnel – is joining the Cowboys‘ front office. As first reported by Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Dallas is hiring Vital as a senior personnel executive. He’ll report to Cowboys assistant director of player personnel Will McClay, a source tells David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:
- All indications are that Ahmad Brooks‘ spot on the 49ers‘ roster remains safe for at least another season, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. The Niners don’t have an in-house replacement lined up at Brooks’ position, and his $8MM cap hit isn’t exorbitant now that San Francisco is carrying a league-high $58MM+ in cap room, per OverTheCap.com.
- Washington tight end Jordan Reed has completed his agent change, signing with Joel Segal for representation, per Mike Jones and Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Reed is extension-eligible, and based on the deals recently signed by Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz, he appears to be in good position to cash in.
- Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs was charged with two misdemeanors related to a car accident earlier this month, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). TMZ first reported the news. Depending on how the case plays out, Suggs could eventually face NFL discipline.
- The NFL formally announced the performance-based pay bonuses for 2015 this week, and Broncos center Matt Paradis received the most additional pay (nearly $392K). The PBP bonuses are primarily distributed to players whose playing time was significant and whose salaries were not. The figures don’t affect teams’ salary caps.
Broncos To Host Russell Okung For Visit
A new team has entered the Russell Okung sweepstakes, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, who tweets that the free agent left tackle is traveling today to visit the Broncos. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports first reported (via Twitter) that Okung was expected to head to Denver to meet with the Super Bowl champs.
Okung, the highest-ranked player still available from our list of this year’s top free agents, has also received interest from the Giants and Lions, and is still mulling a return to the Seahawks. The former first-round pick had drawn interest from the Steelers as well, but Pittsburgh removed itself from the running for Okung by agreeing to sign free agent tackle Ryan Harris.
Of course, Harris was Denver’s left tackle a year ago, which is one reason the Broncos are potentially in the market for help at the position. The team has been attempting to negotiate a pay cut with veteran tackle Ryan Clady, who missed the entire 2015 campaign due to injury. Okung’s visit could provide the Broncos with additional leverage in talks with Clady, and may give the club a Plan B if a deal can’t be reached with Clady.
Okung has two interesting wrinkles to his free agency situation. The 28-year-old underwent surgery on his injured shoulder in January, and is also representing himself, which is rather rare in the NFL. Okung’s decision to act as his own agent meant that he was barred from talking to every team except for the Seahawks during the legal tampering period, which is likely one reason why he has been on the market longer than anticipated.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos To Match Dolphins’ Offer Sheet For C.J. Anderson
With today’s deadline looming, the Broncos have decided to match the Dolphins’ offer sheet for running back C.J. Anderson, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). By matching the offer, Denver will bring Anderson back on the terms of that deal, rather than letting him leave for Miami.
Anderson confirmed the decision himself, announcing in a tweet: “I will be apart of the Broncos for 4 more years blessed to be apart of this wonderful Organization and super blessed for this opp.”
[RELATED: Details on C.J. Anderson’s offer sheet]
An undrafted free agent out of California in 2013, Anderson burst onto the scene during his sophomore season. He compiled 849 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2014, and he added another 324 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air. Anderson only started six games in 2015, finishing with 720 yards and five scores on 152 attempts. Despite the up-and-down season, Anderson played a major part in Denver’s Super Bowl win, rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown in the championship game.
Having been assigned a low-end RFA tender worth $1.671MM, Anderson was free to sign an offer sheet with another team, and got one he liked from the Dolphins, worth $18MM over four years. If the Broncos had elected not to match the offer, they wouldn’t have received any compensation for losing their running back.
It’s fair to criticize the Broncos for not using a second-round tender (worth $2.553MM) on Anderson, which likely would have discouraged rival offers. However, when Denver placed an RFA tender on Anderson, the team had not yet lost free agents like Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson, and Danny Trevathan. Had GM John Elway known that all of those players would depart, he likely would’ve used a little extra cap room on Anderson by giving him a higher tender.
Additionally, if Anderson had received the second-round tender, he likely would have played out the season on that salary, becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2016. A big year would have put him in a good position to land an even larger deal, and the Broncos wouldn’t have had the right of first refusal at that point.
With Anderson headed back to Denver, he looks like the favorite to be the No. 1 back for the Broncos in 2016 — not only does he have a big new contract, but fellow running back Ronnie Hillman is currently a free agent. As for the Dolphins, they still have 2015 draftee Jay Ajayi, but will likely continue to monitor the market for a veteran to complement him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick is reportedly willing to restructure his contract and take a pay cut to get out of San Francisco, and there are multiple teams – namely the Broncos and Browns – said to be interested in him. Meanwhile, despite their denials at the combine, the 49ers seem increasingly open to the idea of trading their quarterback.
So, what’s the hold up? Let’s dig in and find out. Here’s the latest on No. 7:
- The Broncos have told the 49ers they believe that Kaepernick is worth a fourth-round pick, according to Michael Silver of NFL Network (via Twitter). Of course, the two sides would have to figure out a way to make that work as the 49ers are hoping for much more in a potential deal.
- The Broncos have not offered a specific fourth-round pick, only suggesting to the 49ers that a fourth-round pick is the proper value for the quarterback (link). Denver’s fourth-rounder for 2016 currently belongs to the Ravens due to a previous trade, but the Broncos do hold the final non-compensatory pick of the third round.
- As of this morning, things were “quiet” with regards to a deal. The Broncos were holding firm, there had been no movement with regard to the Browns, and the 49ers were “chilling,” as Silver puts it (link).
- ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports (via colleague Pat McManamon) there have been “no serious discussions on draft pick considerations or compensation” between the Browns and 49ers. The report adds that the Browns are “being patient” as they consider how best to upgrade the quarterback spot.
Latest Rumors: Osweiler, Broncos, A. Smith, Titans
Earlier this week, quarterback Brock Osweiler agreed to leave the Broncos for a four-year, $72MM contract with the Texans, but agent Jimmy Sexton never gave Denver a chance to match the offer, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
Sexton told Osweiler not to return any calls from any Broncos employees until the agent had reached a deal with either Denver or Houston. Osweiler wanted out of the Mile High City after the Broncos went back to Peyton Manning for their playoff run, a source close to Osweiler’s family told Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). If true, that obviously helped the Texans win the battle for his services.
“They wanted him in Denver, but (general manager) Rick (Smith) hung in there and got the deal consummated,” Texans 
owner Bob McNair said. “I couldn’t be more excited.”
Smith and head coach Bill O’Brien undoubtedly join McNair in his excitement. After watching tape of pending free agent QBs, both came to an agreement that Osweiler was atop their wish list.
“We came out of the film room agreeing that Brock Osweiler was the quarterback to lead us where we want to go,” Smith said.
However, the Texans didn’t know whether they’d have a chance to land Osweiler, as McNair stated.
“He could have signed (with Denver) and not been available. We really didn’t know, but we were still looking at him and hoping he would be available,” said McNair.
More on the Broncos and a couple other NFL teams:
- With Manning and Osweiler gone, the Broncos are “exercising patience” in their search for a signal-caller, tweets The Denver Post’s Troy Renck, who lists Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer, and draft prospects as their targets. They aren’t yet considering Robert Griffin III, per Renck.
- Offensive tackle Andre Smith – who visited the Vikings on Sunday – doesn’t have any more meetings currently lined up, but his agent told him this morning there are other teams that could be interested in him (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). Smith spent 2009-15 with the Bengals after they selected him sixth overall and made 73 regular-season starts in 82 appearances. If Smith signs with the Vikings, he’d be the third starting-caliber O-lineman to do so this offseason, joining guards Alex Boone and Mike Harris.
- Linebacker Terence Garvin will visit the Titans on Monday, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link). Garvin has been with the Steelers since they signed him as an undrafted free agent from West Virginia in 2012. The 25-year-old has appeared in 43 regular-season games (one start) and amassed 21 special teams tackles. Garvin met with Washington earlier this week.
Watt, Bryant, Others Get Salary Guarantees
Several NFL players have contracts containing language which states that they’ll get a full or partial salary guarantees for 2016 and/or 2017 if they remained on their respective teams on Sunday, the fifth day of the league year. Let’s check in on those players (link courtesy of CBS Sports’ Joel Corry):
- Ryan Tannehill, quarterback (Dolphins): $3.5MM of $17.975MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
- Dez Bryant, wide receiver (Cowboys): $13MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
- T.Y. Hilton, wide receiver (Colts): $3MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed. $6MM roster bonus now
payable. - Anthony Castonzo, offensive tackle (Colts): $2.5MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed. $4.5MM roster bonus now payable.
- Tyron Smith, offensive tackle (Cowboys): $10MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
- Branden Albert, offensive tackle (Dolphins): $6MM of $8.245MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
- Mike Pouncey, center (Dolphins): $9MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed, as is $2MM of Pouncey’s $7.95MM base salary in 2017.
- Maurkice Pouncey, center (Steelers): $3.5MM roster bonus now payable.
- Cameron Heyward, defensive end (Steelers): $5MM roster bonus now payable.
- J.J. Watt, defensive end (Texans): $10.5MM base salaries for 2016 and 2017 are guaranteed.
- Robert Quinn, defensive end (Rams): $7,777,777MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
- Lavonte David, linebacker (Buccaneers): $5MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
- Chris Harris Jr., cornerback (Broncos): $6.9MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Details On C.J. Anderson/Dolphins Offer Sheet
By using the low restricted free agent tender on running back C.J. Anderson, the Broncos opened themselves up to losing the 25-year-old, and just days later, the Dolphins signed Anderson to an offer sheet worth $18MM over four years. Mike Klis of 9 News was the first to report Anderson’s signing, and now he provides the details of Miami’s offer sheet.
Anderson would earn $6MM total in 2016, made up of a guaranteed $675K base salary, a $5.25MM signing bonus, and a $100K workout bonus. In 2017, he’d earn a $2.9MM base salary, $1.7MM of which would be guaranteed, and he’d have another $100K workout bonus. In both 2018 and 2019, Anderson would have base salaries of $4.5MM, neither of which would be guaranteed.
As Klis notes, the most difficult aspect of the contract from the Broncos’ perspective is the $6MM guarantee in 2016. Denver only has about $12.5MM in cap space at the moment, and they still need to find a starting quarterback after losing Brock Osweiler to the Texans. So while the rest of the offer sheet is pretty reasonable, it’s the 2016 terms that might make-or-break the decision for the Broncos.
Of course, for less than $1MM in extra expenditures, Denver could have likely protected itself against losing Anderson. The low tender is worth $1.671MM, while the second-round tender (which would have entitled the Broncos to a second-round pick had they declined to match an offer sheet) is worth $2.553MM, just $882K more. Denver clearly misread the market for Anderson, and they’d be admitting that mistake even further by matching Miami’s offer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.