49ers To Release S Tashaun Gipson
Very shortly after his arrival in San Francisco, Tashaun Gipson is already back on the open market. The veteran is being released, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 
The 32-year-old signed last week, providing the team with an experienced option on the backend – something which was deemed necessary given the uncertainty surrounding starter Jimmie Ward. The latter, it has seen been learned, will likely miss at least the first month of the regular season as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
That makes the Gipson release somewhat surprising, and leaves the 49ers in the same situation they were in before their preseason finale at safety. Gipson could have been a starter, given his extensive experience with the Browns, Jaguars, Texans and, most recently, Bears. His struggles in pass coverage likely contributed to his lengthy stretch as a free agent, however.
San Francisco has Tarvarius Moore and George Odum as internal options to replace Ward as a starter alongside 2021 fifth-rounder Talanoa Hufanga. They will also have some added flexibility from a financial standpoint after re-working Jimmy Garoppolo‘s contract if they wish to add another free agent. One option could be Anthony Harris, who was let go earlier today by the Eagles.
Gipson, meanwhile, will join Harris in looking for a new landing spot – either on San Francisco’s practice squad or a 53-man roster elsewhere – in the days leading up to the regular season.
49ers To Release DE Kemoko Turay
Kemoko Turay will be part of the 49ers’ roster cuts Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Turay is a vested veteran and will head straight to free agency.
The 49ers took a flier on Turay, giving the 27-year-old edge rusher a one-year deal worth $1.7MM. The team will eat a bit of dead money, after guaranteeing the Rutgers product $1MM.
San Francisco has assembled a deep defensive line, creating a roster crunch of sorts. In addition to Turay, the 49ers brought back Kerry Hyder (after a year in Seattle) and used a second-round pick on defensive end Drake Jackson. The team’s depth here has resulted in a former second-round pick being cut.
The former Colts draftee could be an intriguing depth add for a team soon. Although Turay has battled injuries during much of his career, he registered 5.5 sacks during his final Indianapolis season.
One of a few D-linemen the Colts have taken in Round 2 in recent years, Turay did not stick as a starter. He has lined up as a first-stringer in only three games (all in 2018), with injuries in 2019 and ’20 doing well to move him to the rotational level for good. But the former No. 52 overall pick totaled four sacks and 13 QB hits as a rookie and re-emerged from his injury trouble to play in 13 games last season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/29/22
Teams have until 3pm Tuesday to slash their rosters from 80 to 53 players. Here are the Monday moves teams are making en route to doing so. The list will be updated throughout the day.
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: CB Jace Whittaker, S James Wiggins
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Darrell Baker
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: C Jimmy Murray
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: OL Jacob Capra, DE Daniel Joseph, DB Jordan Miller, OL Tanner Owen, WR Neil Pau’u, DB Josh Thomas
Chicago Bears
- Waived: S Jon Alexander, C Corey Dublin, WR Kevin Shaa
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: DE Chris Odom (story)
- Released: WR Javon Wims
- Waived: WR Ja’Marcus Bradley, DT Glen Logan, S Jovante Moffatt, T Ben Petrula, DE Curtis Weaver
Denver Broncos
- Waived: CB Bless Austin, LB Jeremiah Gemmel, OL Sebastian Gutierrez, RB JaQuan Hardy
- Waived/injured: CB Donnie Lewis
Detroit Lions
- Released: QB Tim Boyle
- Waived: CB Mark Gilbert, WR Tom Kennedy, WR Kalil Pimpleton, CB Saivion Smith
Houston Texans
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Chester Rogers
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: QB Jack Coan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: S Rudy Ford, K.C. McDermott
- Waived: LB Tyrell Adams, DL Auzoyah Alufohai, RB Ryquell Armstead, CB Benjie Franklin, DB Brandon Rusnak, LB Chapelle Russell, OL Badara Traore
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: LB Emeke Egbule, TE Sage Surratt
Miami Dolphins
- Released: OL Adam Pankey
- Waived: OL Blaise Andries, DL Owen Carney Jr., RB Gerrid Doaks, CB Elijah Hamilton, LB Darius Hodge, DT Niles Scott, RB ZaQuandre White, CB Quincy Wilson
- Placed on IR: LB Calvin Munson
- Waived/injured: CB D’Angelo Ross
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: CB Tye Smith
- Placed on IR: WR Olabisi Johnson (story), DL T.Y. McGill
- Waived: WR Myron Mitchell, T Timon Parris
New York Giants
- Waived: DB Yusuf Corker, WR Keelan Doss, DB Olaijah Griffin, OL Josh Rivas, K Ryan Santoso, OL Eric Smith, WR Travis Toivonen
New York Jets
- Waived: DE Bradlee Anae, WR Irvin Charles, CB Javelin Guidry, WR Calvin Jackson Jr., RB La’Mical Perine, LB Del’Shawn Phillips, QB Chris Streveler
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: CB Josh Blackwell, QB Carson Strong, OL Cameron Tom, DT Renell Wren
- Waived/injured: WR Greg Ward
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: DL Ron’Dell Carter, CB Linden Stephens, TE Jace Sternberger
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: CB Ken Crawley
- Waived: OL Dohnovan West
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: LB Andre Anthony, WR Jerreth Sterns
Tennessee Titans
- Released: S Adrian Colbert
- Waived: S Tyree Gillespie, OL Willie Wright
Washington Commanders
- Waived: DT Tyler Clark, DE Jacub Panasiuk, DB Steven Parker
49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo Agree To Restructure; QB To Stay In San Francisco
In an 11th-hour twist, the 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo are planning to continue their partnership. The parties agreed to a restructured contract that is expected to keep the two-time NFC championship game starter in San Francisco, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
This one-year deal includes a no-trade clause and a no-franchise tag clause, Schefter adds. Garoppolo will remain a 2023 free agent-to-be. This adjusted deal will be worth $6.5MM in fully guaranteed base salary, per Schefter, who adds playing-time bonuses could add another $9MM to the accord (Twitter link). The 49ers, who had given Garoppolo’s camp permission to negotiate his contract with other teams months ago, had been working with the veteran passer since last week on this pay cut, Schefter tweets.
Monday’s compromise will both provide the 49ers with Trey Lance insurance and ensure Garoppolo collects a decent 2022 sum. While this is nowhere close to the $24.2MM base salary his 2018 extension was set to pay him, keeping that number on the books was never in the cards for the 49ers. A Garoppolo release may well have led to a payment shy of this $6.5MM salary as well. This new contract also includes $500K in roster bonuses. In total, Garoppolo’s 2022 compensation package maxes out at $15.45MM, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. The path toward cashing in all those incentives is likely tied to Lance.
For the 49ers’ payroll, Garoppolo will now come in well below the $26.95MM cap figure to which he was previously tethered. The ninth-year quarterback is now expected to count around $8.5MM on San Francisco’s cap sheet, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. This is an interesting solution for the 49ers, who have moved up beyond $20MM in cap space after entering Monday ranking 32nd in available funds.
Garoppolo’s base salary would have become guaranteed just before the 49ers’ Week 1 game. The 49ers were never going to allow that guarantee to vest, but they had tried to trade their four-plus-year starter throughout the offseason. Garoppolo was most closely linked to the Seahawks (in the event of a 49ers release) and Browns as a Deshaun Watson stopgap. Cleveland is sticking with Jacoby Brissett, while Seattle’s Geno Smith path is for real now. It is possible those teams could circle back to Garoppolo before the trade deadline, but he would now have to approve any trade. Garoppolo had a no-trade clause last year, but his contract did not previously include one for 2022.
The fifth-year 49ers passer underwent shoulder surgery in March, sidetracking his trade market, but is believed to have recovered. Garoppolo, 30, has been throwing for weeks now. He can now resume practicing with his teammates. How this affects Lance, whom the 49ers have repeatedly endorsed as their 2022 starter, will be fascinating. Lance’s QB1 predecessor had interest in being released, per Chris Mortensen, but circled back to San Francisco due to this being his best chance for success (Twitter link).
Although the 49ers traded two future first-round picks to move up for the North Dakota State prospect last year, Lance has thrown fewer than 400 passes in games since his senior year of high school. After dominating for the Division I-FCS superpower as a redshirt freshman in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic nixed the 2020 FCS season. Lance played in the Bison’s one 2020 game and declared for the 2021 draft. Garoppolo suffered a calf injury during the first half of last season, bringing in Lance for a spot start, but Kyle Shanahan reinstalled his veteran starter. Lance did not threaten Garoppolo’s status the rest of the way, and the 49ers rallied to their second NFC title game in three seasons. Lance spent his rookie year battling a finger injury, but he has recovered and made strides during his second pro offseason.
While Garoppolo has been frequently maligned during his Bay Area tenure, he is well-liked by his teammates and has posted top-15 QBR figures in his past two healthy seasons (2019, 2021). Last season was not exactly a healthy Garoppolo season; the former Patriots backup ran into a thumb issue late in the season but played through it. Lance was acquired to be an upgrade, however, and likely will remain the team’s preferred 2022 option. But instead of Garoppolo trying his hand with the Seahawks or Browns, he will remain a 49er for the time being.
This could also buy the 49ers more time with Garoppolo, with his salary more manageable as a trade chip now. If Lance impresses early, Garoppolo would reside as a trade attraction for a team in need. An early-season injury affecting a team that does not currently possess a QB need would increase San Francisco’s bargaining position as well. The no-trade clause will also protect Garoppolo from being sent to an undesired location, helping explain the decision to dramatically reduce his salary.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/22
We will keep track of today’s minor moves right here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: P Cameron Dicker
Chicago Bears
- Waived (non-football illness): OL Jean Delance
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: DE Curtis Weaver
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: DE Markaviest Bryant, T Amon Simon, OL James Empey, WR T.J. Vasher
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: LB Ty Summers
Las Vegas Raiders:
- Placed on IR: RT Brandon Parker, DT Tyler Lancaster, LB Tae Davis (story)
- Waived: TE Nicke Bowers, WR Justin Hall
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: DL Josh Black, RB Abram Smith, OL Khalique Washington, CB Brian Allen, T Derrick Kelly, CB Quenton Meeks
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: CB Ka’dar Hollman
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Jameson Houston, TE Cade Brewer, LB Aaron Donkor, RB Ronnie Rivers
- Placed on reserve/PUP list: CB Tre Brown
Washington Commanders
- Released via injury settlement: DE Bunmi Rotimi
Summers is a 2019 seventh-round pick who has just one career start but who has established himself as a key contributor on Green Bay’s special teams unit over his first three seasons in the league. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com expects the TCU product to generate interest on the waiver wire (Twitter link). Indeed, Packers HC Matt LaFleur said that the team made the decision to part ways with Summers now in order to give him a chance to hook on with a new club before the wave of impending cuts that will soon flood the market (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
The Seahawks’ decision to move Brown to the PUP list means that he will be sidelined for at least the first four games of the season. That marks a disappointing start to his second NFL campaign; the fourth-rounder had two separate IR stints last year. That limited him to just five games (three starts), during which he registered 10 tackles and one pass deflection. Seattle has seen plenty of roster turnover at the CB position this offseason, leaving Brown in line for at least a rotational role. In his absence, the team will rely even more on starters Sidney Jones and Artie Burns, with rookies Coby Bryant likely to play in the slot.
49ers WR Malik Turner Fined For Unsportsmanlike Conduct
- 49ers wideout Malik Turner received a fine of $5,750 for unsportsmanlike conduct during the team’s preseason win over the Vikings, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The 26-year-old split his first four seasons evenly between the Seahawks and Cowboys, playing primarily on special teams. He is likely to have a similar role in San Francisco, though the league’s discipline won’t help his impressions with the team in the build-up to the season.
[SOURCE LINK]
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/22
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Barrington Wade
Houston Texans
- Waived: K Matt Ammendola
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: T Roderick Johnson
- Waived: QB Dustin Crum, RB Tayon Fleet-Davis, WR Aaron Parker and LB Mike Rose
New Orleans Saints
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Kevin White
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Austin Mack
Seahawks Still Eyeing Jimmy Garoppolo?
5:15pm: While Lock was initially expected to get the call, Smith will in fact start tonight’s contest (video link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). That means Smith will have worked with the first-team offense in each game this summer, signalling that a Garoppolo acquisition could be the only thing preventing him from getting the nod in Week 1.
1:17pm: The Seahawks have gone through their Geno Smith–Drew Lock competition for months, and they are still not ready to name a starter. Smith is viewed as the frontrunner, though Lock will start Seattle’s third preseason game after missing the second exhibition contest due to COVID-19. But the team looks to still have Jimmy Garoppolo on its radar.
A report in July indicated the Seahawks had held internal discussions on Garoppolo and had, as should be expected given their situation, studied the veteran passer’s film. An August report pointed to the 49ers waiting on a Garoppolo release to prevent an early Seahawks arrival. That line of thinking still appears to be San Francisco’s play here. The Seahawks are interested in signing Garoppolo, former GM Michael Lombardi said on his GM Shuffle podcast this week. If no trade is in the cards, Lombardi adds the 49ers are planning to cut Garoppolo as late as possible to prevent him from assimilating quickly enough to play against them in September.
[RELATED: Which QB Will Start Most Games For 2022 Seahawks?]
The NFC West rivals’ San Francisco meeting occurs in Week 2. The 49ers holding out hope for a Garoppolo trade elsewhere or waiting until the 11th hour to cut their four-plus-year starter would do well to keep the Seahawks from trotting him out there against his former team — at least in the first meeting. The right shoulder procedure Garoppolo underwent in March pushed this situation to this point, but the two-time NFC championship game starter has been working out away from the team for weeks now.
John Lynch said during a KNBR appearance this week (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, on Twitter) the 49ers are moving closer to releasing Garoppolo. With minimal trade interest, something Lombardi indicated is still the case, the 49ers will have until the eve of their Week 1 game against the Bears to cut Garoppolo to avoid his $24.2MM base salary from becoming guaranteed. Barring a last-minute Lance injury, Garoppolo’s salary will not be on the 49ers’ 2022 payroll come Week 1. The last remaining question here is where he will go.
With the Panthers trading for Baker Mayfield in July, the Seahawks became the logical Garoppolo fit. The team showed no interest in taking on Mayfield’s fifth-year option salary and has not been linked to an intra-divisional trade for Garoppolo. The sides linking up via free agency, however, has been mentioned this offseason.
The Browns could still lurk. Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the Browns’ Garoppolo interest. Deshaun Watson will miss the season’s first 11 games, leaving Jacoby Brissett as Cleveland’s fill-in. Garoppolo has proven to be a more capable passer than Brissett, and with Kevin Stefanski running a version of the Mike/Kyle Shanahan/Gary Kubiak offense, a Garoppolo learning curve would not be steep. Then again, the Seahawks have a Shanahan/Sean McVay-style offense in place thanks to second-year OC Shane Waldron. These similarities would create an interesting September free agency for Garoppolo — if, in fact, no team pulls off a late trade.
A Seattle signing would not exactly be stunning, considering the team’s current competition has pit 2021 backups against one another. Smith has not been a regular starter since 2014, while the Broncos benched Lock last year. Reported Seahawks interest in Lock as a 2019 prospect aside, his not seizing the job from Smith should point to Garoppolo interest.
Garoppolo going to Seattle would both seemingly put the team — which finished eighth in DVOA last season — in better position to contend in 2022 and re-establish the ninth-year passer’s value. These outcomes would also work against the Seahawks’ 2023 draft position, but the team does have two first-round picks as ammo ahead of what is expected to be a far superior QB draft compared to 2022.
49ers Looking Into O-Line Trades
After their offensive line included Laken Tomlinson and Alex Mack last season, the 49ers lost each in the offseason. Their right tackle situation also presents questions, with Mike McGlinchey presently shut down after experiencing an issue in his return from surgery.
This has left San Francisco with an inexperienced front alongside Trent Williams. As a result, the team has made trade inquiries, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes. No deal appears imminent, and the 49ers will obviously monitor the waiver wire closely at this position after teams cut their rosters down to 53 Tuesday.
The team has another experienced piece up front, in two-year right guard starter Daniel Brunskill, but as of now, he is not a projected starter. San Francisco’s interior line is expected to consist of 2021 second-round pick Aaron Banks, veteran UDFA Jake Brendel and fourth-round rookie Spencer Burford, per Branch. Even Banks’ spot may be in question. The 49ers have been rotating Jason Poe, a rookie UDFA out of Division I-FCS Mercer, in place of Banks at points during this week’s practices, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes.
Kyle Shanahan did caution, with more than two weeks remaining until the 49ers’ opener, this group is not yet set. Colton McKivitz, a 2020 fifth-rounder who spent most of last season on the 49ers’ practice squad, is positioned as the team’s backup right tackle.
With Banks having played five offensive snaps as a rookie, Brendel having made three starts in six seasons and Burford a quick study from Conference USA, this represents a staggering shift for a team that advanced to the NFC championship game. Brendel has only logged 250 career offensive snaps.
Brunskill is also battling a hamstring injury. While a swing job may well await Brunskill, the team may need his experience soon. McGlinchey, who joins Brunskill in being on an expiring deal, appears to be week-to-week due to a knee issue. The fifth-year right tackle played eight snaps in the 49ers’ preseason opener, but he has not returned since. McGlinchey received a platelet-rich plasma treatment last week. The player who subbed for McGlinchey after his quadriceps tear last season, Tom Compton, signed with the Broncos in March.
The line Jimmy Garoppolo played behind appeared far more equipped than the one Trey Lance will have come Week 1. The 49ers will not be the only team looking to add O-linemen in the coming days, and their NFC title game cameo will make doing so more difficult. They sit 29th for waiver priority.
49ers S Jimmie Ward Likely To Land On IR
It sounds like veteran Jimmie Ward is going to miss part of the upcoming season. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner writes that the 49ers safety is likely to land on injured reserve to start the regular season, which would knock him out for the first four games.
[RELATED: 49ers To Sign S Tashaun Gipson]
Ward originally suffered a hamstring injury back on August 14. The injury was described as “pretty bad,” and while the safety was expected to miss some time with the issue, it was uncertain if it’d extend into the regular season. It sounds like that’ll be the case, meaning Ward would miss at least one game for the sixth-consecutive season.
With that said, the 31-year-old has been healthier in recent years. After being limited to only 16 games between 2017 and 2018, Ward has missed only six contests over the past three years. He started a career-high 16 games this past season, finishing with 77 tackles, six passes defended, and two interceptions. Pro Football Focus ended up ranking him 16th among 92 qualifying safeties last season.
“He allows us to do what we do,” Lynch said (via Wagoner). “He’s a safety who plays like a safety but also covers like a corner. He’s often times our best cover man, so it’s a big loss. But we got to find a way to step up.”
Assuming Ward does miss some time, the 49ers would likely turn to former cornerback Dontae Johnson, Tarvarius Moore, or George Odum. The 49ers also recently signed safety Tashaun Gipson.