NFC Coaching Notes: 49ers, Lions, Saints, Packers
Earlier this month, the 49ers announced a bundle of coaching hires and title changes. Head coach Kyle Shanahan informed the public of title changes for Chris Foerster (adding run game coordinator to his title of offensive line coach), Klay Kubiak (defensive quality control to assistant quarterbacks coach), and Bobby Slowik (offensive passing game specialist to offensive passing game coordinator).
Additionally, San Francisco announced the hires of James Cregg and Joe Graves as assistant offensive line coaches, Asauni Rufus and Deuce Schwartz as offensive quality control coaches, and Brian Schneider as special teams coordinator.
Here are a few other coaching notes from around the NFC starting with a note from the Motor City:
- After seeing a good amount of shuffling in his defensive staff, Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell hinted at one last hire as the NFL Combine concluded earlier this month. The eventual hire of Lamar University defensive line coach Cameron Davis as the Lions’ new assistant defensive line coach was announced by the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches.
- The Saints’ new head coach Dennis Allen announced some new hires to his coaching staff earlier this month. After taking a year off from coaching last year, longtime NFL wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell is joining New Orleans as a senior offensive assistant. Former journeyman cornerback Sterling Moore spent last season with the Saints as a defensive intern and has earned the position of defensive assistant. Joining Dr. Matt Rhea, who was hired away from the University of Alabama as the Saints’ director of sports science, the Saints also poached the Crimson Tide’s assistant strength and conditioning coach Matt Clapp to serve as their strength coach.
- Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reported a couple of title changes and coaching hires for Matt LaFleur‘s staff in Green Bay. Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery added the title of running game coordinator to his billing. Former assistant defensive backs coach Ryan Downard was promoted to safeties coach. Quinshon Odom joins the Packers as a coaching assistant (minority fellowship) after stints as a graduate assistant coach as Eastern Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and the University of Texas. Former journeyman wide receiver and special teamer Micheal Spurlock adds a ninth team to his list, joining Green Bay as a special teams quality control coach after some time assistant coaching in the college ranks.
49ers Re-Sign CB Darqueze Dennard
Darqueze Dennard is staying in San Francisco. The 49ers reached an agreement to retain the veteran cornerback Friday, announcing a one-year deal.
This doubles as a rebound opportunity for the former first-round pick. The longtime Bengals defender played in just three games last season — with the Giants and 49ers — and has not had a regular role since 2020. His 49ers practice squad landing late last season has secured another opportunity.
The Bengals drafted Dennard 24th overall in 2014, between their Dre Kirkpatrick and William Jackson first-round selections, and the Michigan State product settled in as a slot corner. The Bengals re-signed Dennard after his rookie contract expired in 2019. Despite a knee injury delaying the start to his season, Dennard allowed just a 48.6% completion rate when targeted. But Cincinnati let him walk in 2020.
The Falcons used Dennard in eight games that season, but a hamstring injury limited him. He allowed a 62.7% completion rate when targeted as a Falcon. Dennard’s 2021 Cardinals agreement led to a preseason IR placement and an injury settlement.
San Francisco lost its longtime slot corner, K’Waun Williams, to Denver this week. Dennard, 30, figures to be in the conversation to fill the void. Though, given his recent injury trouble and off-grid 2021, he will certainly have competition.
49ers To Sign Kerry Hyder
Kerry Hyder is returning to the Bay Area. The 49ers are signing the defensive end to a one-year, $1.5MM deal, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link). He adds that half of the contract’s value is guaranteed, while the other half is available through sack incentives. 
Hyder, who will be 31 by the start of the 2022 season, was released by the Seahawks last week along with fellow veteran Carlos Dunlap. His time in Seattle was underwhelming, considering the year he was coming off of previously. In 15 games (including seven starts), he totalled 33 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. He began his career with the Lions, and spent one year with the Cowboys in 2019.
By returning to San Francisco, though, Hyder will look to replicate his career-best campaign in 2020, which he spent with the 49ers. He started 14 of 16 games, registering 49 stops, 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. With a 70% snap share, that season also marked his biggest workload. The Texas Tech alum will reunite with a familiar face on the coaching staff in Kris Kocurek, head of the team’s defensive line.
Hyder will join a San Francisco front already featuring the likes of Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Dee Ford. Even if he is unable to duplicate his success from two years ago, he should still play a significant role in the team’s pass rush, which ranked fifth in the league in sacks last season.
Latest On 49ers’ Quarterback Situation
While the Browns hope to unload Baker Mayfield soon, the 49ers are content to slow-play a Jimmy Garoppolo trade. San Francisco is prepared to go through free agency with Garoppolo’s $26.9MM cap number on its books, with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com noting the veteran QB’s market has not taken off.
The 49ers holding onto Garoppolo for several more weeks could give them a chance to further assess Trey Lance‘s readiness to take the reins for a contending team. But it does not appear the team views Garoppolo as a 2022 insurance plan. Lance has been given the impression he will take over as San Francisco’s full-time starter next season, Fowler adds, with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch also noting Garoppolo will almost certainly be gone by Week 1.
Garoppolo, 30, joins Mayfield in having seen several QB1 slots filled by long-term options or bridge players. Teams are also concerned about Garoppolo’s shoulder surgery, which is set to sideline him until the summer. The Colts did not engage in particularly serious Garoppolo discussions, Fowler adds. Indianapolis was linked to Jameis Winston and, to some degree, Mayfield before moving to Matt Ryan.
This report seems to contradict a Tuesday indication the 49ers have received an offer of two second-round picks for Garoppolo. That haul, which would match the one the Chiefs gave the 49ers for Alex Smith in 2013, would likely satisfy San Francisco. A Mayfield-to-Carolina path has all but closed, while the Seahawks are still on the radar for the supplanted Cleveland starter. The Seahawks are unlikely to acquire Garoppolo, being an NFC West team.
San Francisco holds less than $4MM in cap space, so a Garoppolo trade would benefit the franchise, which already cleared nearly $20MM in space to allow for prior deals to be finalized. The team’s plans to extend Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa would also come into focus post-Garoppolo, with Lance tied to his rookie deal through 2024.
49ers Re-Sign DB Dontae Johnson, DL Jordan Willis
The 49ers are bringing back two key defenders. The 49ers have re-signed defensive lineman Jordan Willis and defensive back Dontae Johnson.
[RELATED: 49ers Re-Sign RB Jeff Wilson]
Willis made a name for himself in the playoffs, blocking a key punt that was returned for a game-tying touchdown in the 49ers’ playoff win over the Packers. Prior to that, the 26-year-old found himself in 10 regular season games, collecting 15 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble. He was suspended for the first six games of the season after violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Johnson has had two long stints with the 49ers, with his latest run beginning in the 2019. The former fourth-round pick also spent the first four seasons of his career in San Francisco. Johnson has appeared in 103 games (28 starts), including a 2021 campaign where he collected 30 tackles and one forced fumble in 16 games (three starts).
Earlier today, the 49ers re-signed running back Jeff Wilson to a one-year deal.
49ers Re-Sign RB Jeff Wilson
Jeff Wilson is sticking around San Francisco for at least another season. The running back announced on Instagram that he’s re-signing with the 49ers.
“We got business to handle,” Wilson wrote. “When you got something to prove it hit different! Last year was honestly the toughest time of life but through those times it has built and molded me to what you’ll see! Ready to slide with my guys.”
Following a breakout 2020 campaign that saw him finish with 733 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns, Wilson had a delayed start to the 2021 season after suffering a summer foot injury. The running back returned to the field in November and ended up seeing time in nine games (four starts) for the 49ers, collecting 325 yards from scrimmage and two scores. He didn’t get a touch in two playoff games.
Elijah Mitchell exploded as a rookie in 2021, and he’ll likely lead the depth chart heading into his sophomore season. The 49ers are also rostering fellow 2021 draft pick Trey Sermon along with JaMycal Hasty.
NFC West Notes: Rams, Penny, Lock, 49ers
Before the Bills swooped in with an awe-inspiring contract, the Rams expected to re-sign Von Miller. According to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, the Rams were flexible with the AAV of Miller’s deal and were generally offering around $14MM to $16MM per season.
The Rams “reiterated their commitment” to the linebacker during negotiations, while Miller made it a priority to work things out with the Super Bowl-winning organization. Of course, the money had to be right, but Rodrigue writes that the Rams were confident in their offer. However, the Bills emerged with a big-money offer that was ultimately too good to refuse.
Rodrigue also notes that Miller’s departure will ultimately net the organization a compensation pick, but because of the player’s tenure in the NFL, the organization can’t expect higher than a fifth-round selection.
More notes out of the NFC West…
- Rashaad Penny told the media that it was a “no brainer” to re-sign with the Seahawks (per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times on Twitter). The running back also confirmed that he turned down offers for more money in order to stay in Seattle. The former first-round pick inked a one-year, $5.75MM deal to stick with the Seahawks. This past season, Penny totaled 797 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns.
- Pete Carroll seems to have some optimism for quarterback Drew Lock, telling reporters that the Seahawks are “focused on the things Drew Lock did well in Denver and not the times he struggled,” with the coach adding that “we think we see something that could be really special” (per Condotta on Twitter).
- While the organization isn’t necessarily counting on Lock, the organization has high hopes for the QB. “We’ll continue to explore options,” said GM John Schneider (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson), “but we have a ton of faith in Drew. We’re excited about it. We’re excited about a change of scenery for him. I know a couple of my buddies were trying to acquire him all last spring and into the fall. He’s a guy that, in my opinion, the media has beat down a little bit. We’re excited to get him into our culture with our coaching staff, and we’ll continue to look for guys to compete with him.”
- Jimmy Garoppolo‘s shoulder surgery earlier this month went “as expected,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). With the shoulder surgery taking place in early March, the 49ers are hoping the QB will be back on the field before training camp. Of course, the only question remaining is whether Garoppolo will be attending training camp with the 49ers or another team.
Contract Details: Winston, Ward, Fournette, Conklin, Jones, Jewell, Vander Esch
Here are the latest details from recently agreed-upon contracts around the NFL:
- Charvarius Ward, CB (49ers): Three years, $40.5MM. Of Ward’s $26.7MM in guarantees, $12MM comes via a signing bonus, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus tweets. The 49ers will keep Ward’s initial cap hit low, with his 2022 figure checking in at $3.8MM. That spikes to $16.3MM in 2023. Two void years are included in Ward’s deal, giving the 49ers a cap charge of $4.81MM in 2025.
- Jameis Winston, QB (Saints): Two years, $28MM. Winston received a $14MM signing bonus and has a $1.2MM fully guaranteed 2022 base salary, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. $5.8MM of Winston’s $12.8MM 2023 base salary is presently guaranteed for injury; it will become fully guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2023 league year. Winston can earn up to $16MM in incentives, $8MM in each year, through team accomplishments — as long as Winston is the Saints’ primary starter — and participation rate.
- Leonard Fournette, RB (Buccaneers): Three years, $21MM. Along with a $4.5MM signing bonus, the Bucs fully guaranteed Fournette’s 2022 base salary ($2MM) and $2MM of his $6.5MM 2023 base, Florio notes. Another $2MM of that amount turns from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee next year. Fournette’s $6.5MM 2024 base is nonguaranteed. Among the deal’s $1.5MM in incentives, which only cover 2023 and 2024, Fournette can collect $250K for finishing a season in the top 15 in rushing yards and $500K for a top-10 rushing finish.
- Tyler Conklin, TE (Jets): Three years, $20.25MM. The Jets are guaranteeing Conklin $10MM, including $3.9MM of his 2023 base salary. Conklin’s cap hits go $3.4MM, $8.4MM, $8.4MM from 2022-24, Spielberger tweets.
- Ben Jones, C (Titans): Two years, $14MM. Jones will see $8MM guaranteed, which comes via $6.88MM signing bonus and a guaranteed $1.12MM 2022 base salary, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Jones’ deal includes a $1MM roster bonus due on Day 5 of the 2023 league year. His 2023 base salary comes in at $5MM.
- Josey Jewell, LB (Broncos): Two years, $11MM. The Broncos guaranteed Jewell $6MM, which is present through a $4MM signing bonus and a $1.5MM 2022 base salary, Wilson tweets. His nonguaranteed 2023 base comes in at $4.49MM. An additional $1MM in incentives are also available for the four-year veteran.
- Leighton Vander Esch, LB (Cowboys): One year, $2MM. The Cowboys are guaranteeing $1.75MM and included an additional $1MM in playing-time incentives, Ari Meirov of PFF tweets.
Latest On DE Arden Key
After a breakout year in San Francisco, defensive end Arden Key is generating a market for himself. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that he is visiting with the Jaguars today, having already done so with the Lions (Twitter link). 
Key was a third round pick of the Raiders in 2018. He played three seasons in Oakland/Vegas, starting 10 of 37 games. He played only in a rotational role after his rookie campaign, however, and totalled 49 tackles and three sacks. After the team brought in more established names like Yannick Ngakoue and Quinton Jefferson along the front seven, however, he was cut last offseason.
The LSU product signed with the 49ers less than one week later, and enjoyed the best season of his career in San Francisco. While he was still only used in a rotational capacity, playing just 35% of the team’s defensive snaps, his stated goal of improving as a pass-rusher was realized. He registered 6.5 sacks and another five tackles for loss, which has earned him outside interest.
The Lions’ defensive front is headed by the likes of Michael Brockers and recent draftees Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill. On the edges, they have Romeo Okwara and Charles Harris, each of whom are under contract for one more season. That holds true for Dawuane Smoot of the Jaguars as well, who also have Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson in their edge-rushing corps.
While both the Jaguars and Lions could add more pass rushers with the top two picks in this year’s draft, Key would represent a solid depth addition to either team. Garafolo adds that there may be other teams meeting with him, so his final destination may not be known for a little while longer.
Latest On Jimmy Garoppolo
With Matt Ryan being traded to the Colts, the list of potential landing spots for Jimmy Garoppolo has gotten smaller. The move will likely have an impact on his trade value, although the 49ers reportedly have a relatively strong market for Garoppolo already. 
[RELATED: Falcons Sign Mariota]
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, 49ers general manager John Lynch “is telling interested teams that he has an offer in hand of two second round picks” for the outgoing quarterback. That would constitute twice the price San Francisco paid to acquire him from the Patriots in 2017. More notably, it would outstrip the compensation from the Ryan and Carson Wentz deals.
It has been thought the 49ers would move on from Garoppolo, 30, once they drafted Trey Lance third overall last year. Not surprisingly, then, they were reportedly fielding trade calls on him earlier this month. Any move would be complicated not only by the rest of the market, but also Garoppolo’s recent surgery as well as his contract status. He carries a cap hit of just under $27MM for one more season on his current deal.
Florio lists the Seahawks as a potential trade destination. The Colts were long thought to be interested in the former Patriot, but the acquisition of Ryan eliminates them from contention. With the Falcons and Saints signing Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston, respectively, they are likewise doubtful to be interested. Seattle added Drew Lock in the Russell Wilson deal, but the NFC West squad is one of a dwindling number of teams – another potentially being the Panthers – facing questions about its starting QB.
If the 49ers do indeed have a noteworthy offer available to them, one of the last dominoes in this year’s QB market could fall in the near future.