Tom Savage‘s San Francisco stay may end up being brief. The 49ers announced Saturday they’ve waived the former Texans quarterback.
The team brought in Savage on Tuesday and does not have a veteran presence on its roster, with second-year man C.J. Beathard starting and rookie Nick Mullens backing him up. But the 49ers will move on without Savage for now and promote defensive back Tyvis Powell.
This is the second time Savage has been cut this year. The Saints parted ways with him prior to the season, acquiring Teddy Bridgewater to back up Drew Brees and keeping versatile QB Taysom Hill as well.
This separation may not last long, though. Savage looks to have a chance to return to the team soon, with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco tweeting the 49ers will probably bring him back in the coming days. A need for DB depth resulted in this transaction, but should that situation clear up in the near future, Savage may return. Still, his stock’s taken a noticeable dive since being named Houston’s Week 1 starter last season.
Powell has bounced on and off the 49ers’ active roster this year. He’s up with the 53-man unit now because of injuries. Jimmie Ward is doubtful to play Sunday against the Rams, and Richard Sherman, K’Waun Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon are questionable.
The 49ers have signed quarterback Tom Savage, per a club announcement. To make room, tight end Cole Wick has been released.
The Niners have been seeking a third quarterback since losing Jimmy Garoppolo in September. They finally have one in Savage, though he’s a long way from seeing the field. For now, Savage is penciled in as the third-string signal caller behind C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens.
Savage inked a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Saints earlier this year, and appeared to be the favorite to serve as Drew Brees‘ top backup, but he was cut after Teddy Bridgewater was acquired via trade. A fourth-round pick in 2014, Savage appeared in 13 games and made nine starts over four seasons with the Texans.
October 11th, 2018 at 6:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson
With nearly a third of the 2018 regular season in the books, it’s fair to start looking ahead to the 2019 draft, especially if you’re a fan of a team that’s not looking like a playoff team this year. Using Football Outsiders’ DVOA On the Clock report, let’s take a look at a few teams who could secure the No. 1 overall selection in 2019:
Arizona Cardinals (19.6% chance of No. 1 pick, 61.5% chance of top-five pick)
The Cardinals allowed the Sam Bradford experiment to last for the better part of three games before turning things over to rookie quarterback Josh Rosen, who has appeared competent thus far. David Johnson is an All-Pro talent at running back, but Arizona hasn’t been very creative in its use of him, and he’s faced eight or more defenders in the box on 33.78% of his attempts, 10th-most in the league. The Cardinals are still as a top-10 defense in terms of DVOA (meaning they’re efficient) despite ranking as a bottom-10 unit in both yards allowed and scoring, so continued success on that side of the ball could move Arizona away from the top overall pick.
San Francisco 49ers (18.6%, 59.8%)
The 49ers’ top quarterback (Jimmy Garoppolo), running back (Jerick McKinnon) and wide receiver (Marquise Goodwin) have all been injured this year, and each health issue helped push the 49ers’ chances of earning the No. 1 pick upward. With C.J. Beathard now leading San Francisco’s offense, and Alfred Morris taking over in the backfield for the time being while Matt Breida deals with an ankle injury, it’s unclear how many points the 49ers will be able to muster the rest of the way. Pair those offensive problems with a defense that ranks just 26th in adjusted sack rate, and San Francisco could be in the market for a top-five selection in 2019.
Buffalo Bills (13.2%, 56%)
While rookie signal-caller Josh Allen perhaps hasn’t looked as poor as many believed he would, he still ranks second-to-last among quarterbacks in adjusted net yards per attempt. His performance, as well as that of Buffalo’s porous offensive line, has contributed to the Bills ranking dead last in both yards per drive and points per drive. A surprisingly strong defense (and a full-effort approach that speaks well of head coach Sean McDermott) could help push the Bills towards the end of the top-10 picks, but their offense is going to hold them back.
Oakland Raiders (9.3%, 41.7%)
It’s a good thing Jon Gruden landed a 10-year contract because his first season with the Raiders isn’t going as planned. Oakland’s defense is the slowest in the NFL (which perhaps isn’t a surprise given that the Raiders are fielding the league’s oldest roster), and the club’s offense has been hit-or-miss. After trading superstar Khalil Mack, Oakland ranks dead last in sacks and second-to-last in adjusted sack rate. And, as a bonus, the Raiders get to face Patrick Mahomes twice a year for the next decade.
New York Giants (8.1%, 37.1%)
The Giants are the only team in the NFL that has at least a 5% chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick and at least a 10% chance of making the postseason, per Football Outsiders. That’s largely due to the lackluster quality of the NFC East, where no team is over the .500 mark, and New York’s remaining schedule, which ranks as the easiest in the league. On the other hand, FiveThirtyEight currently projects the Giants to finish with the NFL’s worst record, so until the NFC East clarifies itself, New York’s outlook is ¯_(ツ)_/¯.
Atlanta Falcons (8%, 35.3%)
The one team on this list that would have been a complete surprise coming into 2018, the Falcons have been decimated on the defensive side of the ball. Starting safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen, plus linebacker Deion Jones, are all out for the season after suffering injuries, and Atlanta’s defense has responded in kind, giving up the second-most points in the league on a per-game basis. Matt Ryan and the rest of the Falcons’ offense can still win shootouts, but Atlanta could be in line to pick within the top-five for the first time since 2008.
So, what do you think? Will one of these teams land the No. 1 overall pick in 2019? Vote below!
Two more practice squad players got raises this week after other teams tried to poach them, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Jets center Nico Falah and 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley are now making $28,235 a week, well above the taxi squad minimum. Given the way they are valued by their respective teams, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either player promoted to the main roster soon.
While Breida was able to avoid a high ankle sprain, he’ll likely miss Monday’s contest. With Jerick McKinnon already out for the season, this leaves the 49ers with a pair of healthy running backs: Alfred Morris and Raheem Mostert. Head coach KyleShanahan said the team could end up promoting Jeff Wilson from the practice squad for some extra depth, or maybe they’ll look outside the organization for reinforcement.
Breida has stepped up during McKinnon’s absence, compiling 369 rushing yards and one touchdown on 49 carries. His 7.5 yards per attempt is currently the best mark in the NFL, and he’s yet to commit a fumble this season. On the flip side, Morris and Mostert have been underwhelming, combining for 3.5 yards per carry.
The team may be willing to ride it out with Morris as their starting running back, especially since the majority of the auditionees have served as third-down backs throughout their careers. Vereen was the most productive in 2017, as he hauled in 44 receptions for 253 yards (he also had another 164 rushing yards on 45 carries). West finished last season with 27 receptions in 13 games with the Chiefs, while Ellington had 39 receptions during his stints with the Cardinals and Texans.
The 49ers will likely have another starting running back when they take the field against the Packers on Monday night. Matt Breida is going to be doubtful to suit up in Green Bay, Kyle Shanahan said (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch, on Twitter). The good news on Breida, though, is he didn’t suffer a high ankle sprain. Instead, it’s a less severe mid-ankle sprain, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Alfred Morris would be in line to start, with Raheem Mostert possibly backing him up. Shanahan said the team will consider bringing Jeff Wilson up from the practice squad. The 49ers intended to deploy Jerick McKinnon as their starter, and they turned to Breida after the initial first-stringer’s season-ending injury. But Breida should be expected to return fairly soon.
The team brought in Savage on Tuesday and does not have a veteran presence on its roster, with second-year man C.J. Beathard starting and rookie Nick Mullens backing him up. But the 49ers will move on without Savage for now and promote defensive back Tyvis Powell.