LaMichael James - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Links: Cowboys, 49ers, Suh, Cardinals, Redskins

July 27th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s see what’s happening around the NFC on this Sunday evening…

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones acknowledged that the team nearly selected Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel, tweets NFL.com’s Dan Hellie. The owner added that he will rethink the decision “for the rest of (his) career.” Jones did clarify that he ultimately made the correct pick in offensive tackle Zack Martin (again via a tweet from Hellie).
49ers running back LaMichael James dislocated his elbow in practice and will miss a month, writes Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. With Kendall Hunter out for the season with a torn ACL, the team only has rookie Carlos Hyde and Jewel Hampton as backup options for Frank Gore.
With a depleted running back group, ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson can envision the 49ers placing Hunter on the IR and adding a free agent running back (Twitter link). ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets out a list of possibilities: Willis McGahee, Felix Jones, Michael Bush, Kahlil Bell, Bernard Scott, LaRod Stephens-Howling and (in a separate tweet) fullback Brian Leonard.
Count Lions head coach Jim Caldwell among those who believe a contract extension will get done between the team and Ndamukong Suh. “I’m always optimistic,” Caldwell said to ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein. “I think you know me by now, and I think without question they are working at it, and I think something will be done at the appropriate time.”
The Cardinals used Robert Hughes as a fullback during practice, and ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss says the player is a “strong possibility” to be the team’s fourth running back.
The Redskins’ release of linebacker Brandon Jenkins should allow some younger players to shine, writes ESPN.com’s John Keim. “We like the play of the guys behind him,” head coach Jay Gruden said. “We thought the earlier we make that move to give Brandon a chance to go somewhere else would be beneficial to him.”

Kendall Hunter Tears ACL

July 26th, 2014 at 11:57am CST by Matt Feminis

The 49ers have collected depth at the running back position, and that depth will be put to the test early with the news that Kendall Hunter suffered a torn right ACL, writes SFgate.com’s Eric Branch. Hunter, who missed five games in 2012 because of a torn Achilles, will now be sidelined for the final year of his rookie contract.

Healthy in 2013, Hunter averaged 4.6 yards per carry as Frank Gore‘s backup. Now, the 49ers will now turn to a group of talented, inexperienced backs, including second-rounder Carlos Hyde, “redshirt” Marcus Lattimore and third-down back/kick returner LaMichael James.

NFC West Links: Lynch, Fitzgerald, Hunter

July 25th, 2014 at 9:45pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s hard to imagine a head coach being in a good mood when their star player decides to hold out, and Pete Carroll certainly confirms that notion. The Super Bowl-winning coach was asked about Marshawn Lynch‘s decision to skip Seahawks training camp and gave an honest (albeit snarky) answer.

“It’s a contract for a reason. We made a decision and it was signed, by us and by them,” Carroll told USA Today Sports’ Tom Pelissero. “We expect them to honor their contract just as we will. We’re going to honor it and we expect them to do the same.

“We’ve had a big plan for a long time working here, and Marshawn is a huge part of that plan, and we made a huge commitment to him a couple years ago. He remains a big part of that plan – if he’ll show up. The same thing will carry over to Doug (Baldwin) and Richard (Sherman) and Earl (Thomas) and Kam (Chancellor) and all of the guys that have signed with us.

“He’s got his own mind on this. We’ve communicated quite a bit, and I know where he is on it and we just have to see what happens.”

Lynch originally signed a four-year, $30MM deal in 2012 and the contract’s average annual value is among the top-six in the league.

Now, for some more NFC West notes…

In a series of tweets, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen suggests that Lynch could lose a portion of his signing bonus if he misses the first six days of camp. If the Seahawks star decides to miss the first 11 games and the preseason opener, Mortensen estimates Lynch could give up more than $624K (based on CBA’s $30K daily fine and $294K penalty for missed preseason game).
Cardinals team president Michael Bidwell was clear that he wants franchise receiver Larry Fitzgerald to spend the rest of his career in Arizona. “Our intent all along is to have Larry retire as an Arizona Cardinal,” he said (via AZCentral.com). “He’s been a great player on the field, a great person in the community, and a great ambassador not only for the Cardinals and the National Football League but also for the state of Arizona. We’ve worked hard to keep him a Cardinal, we’re going to keep him a Cardinal, and we intend to have him retire as a Cardinal.”
49ers running back Kendall Hunter was hurt during practice today, and ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets that the organization is “concerned” about the injury. The source indicated that the seriousness of the injury wasn’t known but the team “didn’t like way it looked.” If the injury proves to be serious, LaMichael James‘ chances of making the roster will certainly improve.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Poll: Who Will Be Traded?

May 25th, 2014 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine

As a result of free agency and the draft, there are players around the league that now find themselves in a bit of roster limbo. Plenty of veterans could be on a team’s trading block, so NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling took a look at the top-ten trade candidates in the league.

The Vikings added Matt Cassel and rookie Teddy Bridgewater and as a result, incumbent quarterback Christian Ponder tops Wesseling’s list. The writer states that Ponder has higher upside than a typical backup, and lists the Saints, Packers, Panthers and Falcons as potential trading partners. Fellow quarterback Ryan Mallett of the Patriots was second on the list, with Wesseling suggesting the Texans and Cowboys as landing spots.

Michael Roos‘ contract (and the addition of rookie Taylor Lewan) makes the Titans offensive tackle a definite trade option. Roos is number-four on Wesseling’s list, with the Panthers and Ravens listed as destinations. 49ers running back LaMichael James, Cardinals tight end Rob Housler and Raiders wideout Denarius Moore round out Wesseling’s offensive options.

On defense, Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers leads the way at number-four. The team is reportedly open to trading the Pro Bowler, and Wesseling suggests the Texans, Titans and Colts would be interested. Defensive end/linebackers Brandon Graham (Eagles) and Dion Jordan (Dolphins) come in at five and six, followed by Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan.

Wesseling mostly focused on players that were squeezed out of their team’s plans following the offseason. That means he omits Texans wideout Andre Johnson, who would clearly top the list if included. The Pro Bowler has been the subject of trade rumors for the past month.

Which player do you think is most likely to be traded? Is there somebody that you think should have been included? Let us know in the comments.

49ers Notes: Harbaugh, Thomas, James

May 23rd, 2014 at 4:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News had a pretty interesting Q&A session with 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh today concerning troubled linebacker Aldon Smith. The whole article is worth a read, but one highlight came when Kawakami asked, “What’s your standard [for player behavior]? Is it ten felony counts the standard? Do you have a standard?” Harbaugh responded, “I know you probably worked really hard on asking that question. Probably stared in the mirror and thought about just the way you could [ask] that.” The 49ers find themselves in a strange position with the All-Pro standout and Harbaugh is seeking to make things work with him while maintaining a positive locker room atmosphere. More out of SF..

The 49ers have signed third-round offensive lineman Brandon Thomas to his four-year rookie contract, the club announced today in a press release. Thomas, the last of the third round’s compensatory picks, tore his ACL during a predraft workout with the Saints and isn’t expected to contribute this season, but if his recovery goes well, he could ultimately be a steal for San Francisco.
Running back LaMichael James, who is less-than-happy with his role in San Francisco, joined the team this week, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. James forfeited a $50K workout bonus by staying in his home state of Texas for the start of the 49ers’ offseason program in April. James would welcome a trade and the club was said to be shopping him earlier this offseason, though GM Trent Baalke issued a denial soon after. As it stands, the Oregon product could be behind Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, and possibly Marcus Lattimore on the depth chart.
San Francisco is one of a handful of teams conducting their rookie minicamps this week, and the team has formally announced its full roster for the camp. The list features 15 non-roster players auditioning in the hopes of earning contracts, including wide receiver Jerry Rice Jr.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Eagles, 49ers, Giants, Packers, Saints, Gettleman

May 10th, 2014 at 9:58am CST by Matt Feminis

Eagles GM Howie Roseman met with the media following the first-round selection of Marcus Smith 26th overall, and Philly.com’s Jeff McLane had seven follow-up thoughts. Most notably, Roseman shared his initial plan of attack. Plan A entailed the team having a list of six players likely to be gone by No. 22 (where the Eagles originally were position prior to the trade down) but worth moving up for. To the best of McLane’s knowledge, that list included Anthony Barr, Odell Beckham Jr., Kyle Fuller, Ryan Shazier, Brandin Cooks and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

When those players were gone, Roseman was prepared to move down, pick up an additional pick and choose the best player available. McLane is ” not convinced Smith was at the top of that list, but of the players there he played a premium position of need and thus was moved to the front.” McLane also spoke to other teams’ representatives whose grades on Smith ranged from second to fourth round.

Here’s several more quick-hitting, NFC news and notes:

The Eagles place on emphasis on college graduates, says Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
The Giants drafted Weston Richburg 43rd overall last night, and what made him attractive to the team was his ability to not only block effectively, but handle the responsibility associated with the position, says ESPN’s Dan Graziano. “[Tom] Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese both said the center’s responsibility for handling line and protection calls will increase under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross said Richburg scored an impressive 31 on the Wonderlic test and impressed the Giants in his combine interview with his intelligence.”
The 49ers were very active Friday night, making five trades that netted veteran receiver Stevie Johnson as well as running back Carlos Hyde (No. 57), center Marcus Martin (No. 76), linebacker Chris Borland (No. 77) and offensive lineman Brandon Thomas (No. 100). Eric Branch at sfgate.com recaps the team’s busy day here. The 49ers also have seven picks in the final four rounds.
The 49ers deep stable of running backs now includes Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, Marcus Lattimore and Hyde. James wants more playing time and is open to a trade, but the team has no plans to move him, says ESPN’s Bill Williamson.
The Packers are confident Davante Adams is the next in a long line of productive receivers drafted in the second and third round, writes Bob McGinn in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Redskins second-rounder Trent Murphy, whom the team expects to contribute right away as a nickel rusher, “protects the team’s long-term interests at OLB,” tweets NFL Network’s Albert Breer.
With the selection of big cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste 53rd overall, the Saints continue to build a “Seattle-like secondary,” writes Larry Holder of Nola.com.
The Panthers announced via Twitter that GM Dave Gettleman will draft remotely via Skype today so he can be present for his son’s college graduation.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Cards, Rams, 49ers

May 9th, 2014 at 11:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks traded down multiple times before picking for the first time in this year’s draft, from 32nd to 40th to 45th. However, when they eventually did make a selection, they nabbed the player they had ticketed for that No. 32 pick in the first place, in Colorado wideout Paul Richardson — Richardson’s name was the one the Seahawks had ready at the end of the first round on Thursday, GM John Schneider told reporters, including Terry Blount of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Here’s more from around the NFC West:

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said his team has interest in a big receiver, but hasn’t found the right guy yet and doesn’t want to force the issue (Twitter link via Blount).
Cardinals GM Steve Keim admitted that he tried to get back into the second round via trade tonight, but didn’t find a taker, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets. It’s not clear which player Arizona was targeting.
According to Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, St. Louis suspected that another team wanted to draft Lamarcus Joyner, which is why the Rams moved up to No. 41 to take him. The club the Rams suspected of targeting Joyner then ended up trading down, says Fisher (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com). As Wagoner suggests (via Twitter), the Titans were the only team between No. 41 and the Rams’ original spot to trade down, so perhaps Fisher’s old team was eyeing Joyner as well.
Asked about the possibility of acquiring more draft picks after a flurry of trades today, 49ers GM Trent Baalke replied, “The more darts you have, the more balloons you can pop” (Twitter link via Scott Kegley of 49ers.com).
Baalke also weighed in on the topic of the team’s punt returner, suggesting that it’s not an area the 49ers feel a need to address: “LaMichael James did an excellent job for us a year ago, and that’s his job. We don’t feel an urgency to go out and replace LaMichael. That’s his job” (Sulia link via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee).

Latest On 49ers, Aldon Smith

April 25th, 2014 at 1:37pm CST by Zachary Links

This afternoon, 49ers GM Trent Baalke told reporters, including Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter), that he hopes Aldon Smith is with the team in “2016 and 2017 and 2018.” In the wake of Smith’s airport incident, many have wondered if the 49ers want to stay the course with the talented but troubled defensive force.

Baalke went on to say, “We’re a family. You don’t just open a door and toss people out of it,” tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. However, he stopped short of saying that he’ll pick up Smith’s option for 2015, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group (on Twitter). The GM added that he has no plans to trade running back LaMichael James.

Even though Baalke threw his support behind Smith today, it’s hard to get a read on what the team will do with Smith’s fifth-year option. Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News wrote earlier this month that he got the sense from club officials that Smith would not play for San Francisco in 2014. Meanwhile, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com wrote last week that the 49ers were not expected to trigger the option.

Meanwhile, the 49ers were said to be shopping James in an effort to move up in the draft. For his part, James hasn’t asked for a trade, but he would welcome the opportunity to see more playing time elsewhere. As it stands, James could be behind Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, and possible Marcus Lattimore on San Francisco’s depth chart.

49ers Shopping LaMichael James

April 16th, 2014 at 8:22pm CST by Zachary Links

8:22pm: A 49ers source says James would welcome a trade if it meant more playing time elsewhere, tweets Bill Williamson of ESPN. However, the source wouldn’t go so far as to say that the tailback requested a trade.

7:19pm: The 49ers are shopping running back LaMichael James, a source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. The 2012 second-round pick could be used to vault San Francisco higher up in next month’s draft.

When asked in February if he was shopping James, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said, “No discussions. LaMichael is a 49er. He’ll continue to be a 49er.” Two months later, it appears that stance has changed quite a bit. The 24-year-old ran for 5,082 yards and scored 53 rushing touchdowns while at Oregon but hasn’t seen much burn at the NFL level. Today, he finds himself behind Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, and possible Marcus Lattimore on the depth chart at tailback this season.

James served as the team’s primary returner last year and played well in that role, averaging nearly 11 yards per punt return, but Barrows’ source says James has made it clear to the team he wants a bigger role as running back as well. He carried the ball only 12 times in the 2013 regular season and just once in the playoffs.

Barrows notes that the Eagles, at one time, would have been a logical suitor since Chip Kelly was James’ coach at Oregon and that the man who scouted James for the 49ers, Tom Gamble, is now with the Eagles organization. Philadelphia, however, filled its running back void with Darren Sproles earlier this offseason.

NFC Links: Saints, 49ers, Rams

April 3rd, 2014 at 8:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are an assortment of NFC links to get you through this Thursday evening…

With Darren Sproles and Lance Moore both departing this offseason, the Saints should be looking for a return man, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. While Travaris Cadet has shown some abilities to return kicks, Triplett thinks the team could find their answer in a trio of potential first-round receivers: Odell Beckham Jr., Marqise Lee and Brandin Cooks.
When asked if LaMichael James could be traded to help the 49ers move up in the draft, ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson answered that the two-year veteran is more likely a “throw-in” than an actual trade chip.
The Rams will be hosting two offensive prospects, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The first is potential first-round pick, wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (via Twitter). The other is Missouri native Reggie Jordan, who is taking part in the team’s local visit day (via Twitter).