49ers To Sign RB Wayne Gallman
Following a visit with Wayne Gallman, the 49ers agreed to terms to add the veteran to their backfield mix on Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
The four-year Giants back saw his role increase last season, when Saquon Barkley went down in Week 2. Gallman will join a 49ers backfield that includes Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson.
Gallman, 26, led the Giants with 682 rushing yards last season. Despite Big Blue bringing in veterans Alfred Morris and Devonta Freeman, Gallman kept his job as Barkley’s top understudy. He averaged a career-best 4.6 yards per carry and rushed for six touchdowns in his contract year.
San Francisco’s backfield featured Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon last season; neither are part of the current 49ers equation. Coleman signed with the Jets, and McKinnon is a free agent. Both Mostert and Wilson are signed to low-cost deals, and each missed extensive time due to injury last season.
The 49ers ended up using five backs during the 2020 season, with Jamycal Hasty also contributing. Hasty remains on San Francisco’s roster and, unlike Mostert and Wilson, is signed beyond 2021. The former UDFA will soon vie for time with Gallman as well.
49ers To Meet With DE Arden Key
Less than a week after the Raiders released Arden Key, the young defensive end secured a meeting in a familiar locale. The 49ers are hosting Key on a visit Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The former Bay Area resident lasted just one season in Las Vegas. The Raiders waived the ex-third-round pick last week, with fellow third-year D-lineman Maurice Hurst receiving the boot as well. The 49ers have lost multiple D-ends this offseason, with the Raiders signing Solomon Thomas and Kerry Hyder defecting to the Seahawks.
The 49ers still have Dee Ford on their roster, but he and Nick Bosa are coming off major injuries. Ford’s status is less certain, creating a need for edge depth alongside Bosa and Arik Armstead. Dion Jordan, a San Francisco contributor last season, is a free agent.
Key played three seasons with the Raiders, who nabbed the LSU product after he unexpectedly fell into Round 3. The Raiders used Key as a 10-game starter as a rookie but relegated him to backup duty over the past two seasons. For his career, Key has just three sacks in 37 games. He did register 11 QB hits in 2020, however, and will only be 25 come Week 1.
TE Jordan Reed Intends To Retire
Jordan Reed made a return to the NFL last season, catching on with the 49ers after missing all of 2019 due to injury. But the eight-year veteran is not expected to continue his career.
Reed, 30, is planning to retire, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). While the former third-round pick quickly showed potential as a pass-catching weapon, constant injury trouble disrupted that promise. Reed, however, will walk away after a four-touchdown season, one in which he played a key role following George Kittle‘s early-season malady.
Washington nabbed Reed in 2013, and while he never surpassed 14 games in a season, the ex-Florida Gator became one of the league’s best pass-catching tight ends for a stretch. Reed followed up a career-high 952-yard, 11-touchdown 2015 season by signing a five-year, $46.5MM extension. This preceded his lone Pro Bowl, in 2016, when Reed teamed with Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder in Washington’s potent passing attack.
Injuries intervened often, however. Reed missed 53 regular-season games and suffered at least four concussions as a pro. Those head injuries came after he sustained multiple concussions at Florida. Reed also suffered two MCL sprains, battled toe trouble for years and dealt with hamstring, chest, quadriceps and thumb maladies during his career.
Most notably, Reed missed the entire 2019 season because of a preseason concussion and contemplated retirement in 2020. Washington released Reed that year, but he caught on with San Francisco as Kittle’s backup. Reed played in 10 games last season, returning to action after an MCL sprain sidelined him in Week 3.
Reed will finish his career with 355 receptions for 3,602 yards and 28 touchdowns. Those numbers rank third in catches and yards among tight ends — behind only Jerry Smith and Chris Cooley — in Washington franchise history.
49ers Meet With RB Wayne Gallman
After four seasons with the Giants, Wayne Gallman is exploring his options in free agency. The 49ers are interested in the former fourth-round pick.
The 49ers are hosting Gallman on a visit, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Gallman served as Saquon Barkley‘s backup for three seasons and saw extended time last year after the Pro Bowler’s Week 2 ACL tear.
This news comes after the 49ers’ unsuccessful pursuit of Giovani Bernard, who chose the Buccaneers over the 49ers and Seahawks. The 49ers return Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, who are each attached to low-cost contracts, but appear to be searching for more backfield help. Tevin Coleman signed with the Jets, and former big-ticket signing Jerick McKinnon remains a free agent.
Gallman, 26, established new career-high marks in rushing yards (682) and yards per carry (4.6) last season. The Clemson product also added a career-best six rushing touchdowns in 2020, playing the lead role for a Giants team that signed Devonta Freeman and promoted Alfred Morris in the wake of Barkley’s injury.
The Giants moved in a different direction for their RB2 gig, signing Devontae Booker to a $3MM-per-year deal early in free agency. Big Blue’s previous regime drafted Gallman, who seems set to leave New York.
Latest On Trey Lance, Justin Fields
Trey Lance conducted his second pro day Monday in Fargo, North Dakota. A few notable teams attended the event. While previous reports indicated the 49ers, Falcons and Broncos were to have personnel at the showcase, the Patriots were there as well.
The Pats sent Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Dave Ziegler to observe Lance, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. The Panthers and Bears are not believed to have sent representatives to watch the North Dakota State prospect throw this time, Breer adds, though both teams were at his first pro day. Washington, which has been linked to Lance recently, did have a contingent present, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets.
[RELATED: 49ers Open To Drafting Trey Lance?]
Lance ran 49ers drills at the workout. The idea of working in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense appeals to Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones, according to Breer. Lance and Fields opted to go through with second pro days in order for Shanahan and John Lynch to be on-hand. Lance has worked with QB guru John Beck in recent weeks and, per Graziano, did so at Shanahan’s request (Twitter link). San Francisco’s staff gave Beck a set of drills for Lance to work on during the leadup to his second pro day. Shanahan coached Beck when he served as Washington’s OC in the early 2010s.
The Panthers sent their top brass to Lance’s first pro day March 12; Matt Rhule, GM Scott Fitterer and OC Joe Brady made that trip, Breer adds. The Bears sent Matt Nagy to watch Fields’ second pro day last week, with Washington having director of college scouting Tim Gribble at that event. Nagy and GM Ryan Pace made the trip to watch Lance last month but were not believed to be at Lance’s second throwing session, which, like Fields’ workout sequel, was closed to media.
Denver OC Pat Shurmur was at both Fields and Lance’s second sessions, and while the Broncos are not a lock to draft one of this year’s top five passers, teams believe they are lurking as as stealth QB suitor, according to Breer. The Broncos are set to pick ninth. One of those QBs could well fall to them, but the Broncos have also been linked to a possible trade-up for a quarterback. The team last drafted a first-round quarterback in 2016 (Paxton Lynch) but has never selected one in the top 10. If the 49ers take Jones, the Broncos would stand to be in play for Lance or Fields.
Alex Smith Retires From NFL
On Monday, quarterback Alex Smith announced his retirement from the NFL (via Instagram). After mounting an improbable comeback in 2020, the 36-year-old says that he’s now ready to begin a new chapter. 
“Two years ago I was stuck in a wheelchair, staring down at my mangled leg, wondering if I would ever be able to go on a walk again or play with my kids in the yard,” said Smith. “I almost lost everything. But football wouldn’t let me give up. Because, no, this isn’t just a game. It’s not just what happens between those white lines on a Sunday afternoon. It’s about the challenges and the commitment they require. It’s about how hard and how far you can push yourself. It’s about the bond between those 53 guys in the locker room and everybody else in the organization. It’s about fully committing yourself to something bigger.”
Smith nearly lost his leg after a horrific injury in 2018. In addition to the numerous fractures, Smith suffered a series of complications. Most believed that Smith’s career was over. But, somehow, he managed to retake the field in 2020 with Washington. After going 5-1 across six starts, Washington released him from the remainder of his contract. According to Smith, Ron Rivera & Co. didn’t necessarily want him back in the first place.
“When I decided to come back, I definitely threw a wrench in the team’s plan,” Smith said in February. “They didn’t see it, didn’t want me there, didn’t want me to be a part of it, didn’t want me to be on the team, the roster, didn’t want to give me a chance.”
Surely, some teams were willing to give Smith a chance this year. Just a few weeks ago, the Texans were rumored as a possible destination for the former No. 1 overall pick. Still, Smith has nothing left to prove — especially after making his miraculous recovery. We here at PFR wish Smith the best in retirement.
49ers To Meet With Tony Jefferson
The 49ers are set to meet with Tony Jefferson this week (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). The veteran safety has not played in nearly two years, but he could mount a comeback with the 49ers if he passes his physical. 
An ACL tear in October of 2019 sidetracked Jefferson’s NFL career. Then, the pandemic interfered with Jefferson’s rehab. Under normal circumstances, Jefferson would have been mostly healed by April. Instead, he was unable to see his physical therapist or gain access to the equipment he needed.
“I was really getting into a groove with my workouts and my rehab,” Jefferson said. “Now, I’m waiting two or three weeks just to get a medicine ball.”
After spending the early part of his career with the Cardinals, Jefferson inked a four-year, $34MM contract with the Ravens in 2017. He started in all 35 of his games for Baltimore from 2017-2019, but the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus weren’t fond of his work in 2019 (the five-game season). The Ravens went on to release Jefferson in February of 2020, but he wasn’t healthy enough to land a deal elsewhere.
Jefferson will have to settle for less than his last contract, but he’ll be better positioned next year if he can turn in a healthy season. After all, he’s still just 29 years old with five-plus seasons worth of starting experience to his credit.
49ers Open To Drafting Trey Lance?
The 49ers have been most heavily connected to Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, and many expect John Lynch & Co. to nab the Crimson Tide passer when they are on the clock with the No. 3 overall pick. But Trey Lance‘s Pro Day is tomorrow, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com says the Niners are heading into Lance’s showcase with a completely open mind (video link).
Fowler goes on to say that Lance could swing the pendulum in his favor if he performs well. As reported previously, the North Dakota State product will run drills that are favored by 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan in an effort to show that he can thrive in a system that on the surface appears to be best-suited to Jones. He will also have NFL staffers running his throwing session as opposed to his own coaches.
San Francisco attended Justin Fields‘ Pro Day earlier this week — his workout was also tailored to the 49ers’ system — and Shanahan has spoken with Fields’ pre-draft coach, John Beck, multiple times this offseason. According to Fowler, Fields was able to allay concerns that the Niners and other clubs have with respect to his decision-making ability with intelligent Zoom meetings where he discussed his thought processes and his gameday preparation.
Fowler sort of implies, however, that Fields is not really in the mix for the No. 3 pick, saying that if the 49ers don’t pick him, it’s not because they don’t like him, it’s because they love someone else. But on a recent segment on VSin, former NFL executive Michael Lombardi offers a much more straightforward take. Lombardi’s sources tell him that if San Francisco does not draft Jones, then Lance will be the pick, not Fields (video link).
Either way, none of those three signal-callers will have to wait too long to hear their names called. With a number of QB-needy clubs holding picks that put them in range for a player like Jones, Lance, or Fields — or at least make a trade up a reasonable proposition — we are expecting five signal-callers to be off the board within the first 10-12 selections.
49ers, Ravens, Saints To Skip Offseason Workouts
The list of teams preparing to move ahead with a virtual offseason program has nearly reached 20. The 49ers, Ravens and Saints joined the brigade Saturday, voicing support of the NFLPA’s call to boycott voluntary workouts.
Teams can begin onsite offseason work Monday, though on-field work cannot begin until May 17. The 49ers’ statement indicated many players will not attend (on Twitter); the Ravens and Saints’ statements did not include this language (Twitter links). John Harbaugh said a second straight year with a virtual offseason would be a “colossal mistake,” via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley (on Twitter), but the Ravens will proceed in this direction anyway.
Saturday’s three teams (so far) announcing they will not show for the start of the voluntary offseason program makes 19 franchises not expected to attend workouts. However, some players on the first team to stand with the NFLPA — the Broncos — will attend their program, and others are on the fence.
It will be interesting to see if other teams who have seen players vow to stay away see some in their ranks report to workouts. Phase 2 of the offseason program will include a rookie minicamp, which will feature draftees and UDFAs vying to take some veterans’ jobs. The NFL and NFLPA have not reached a resolution on the offseason format, despite the league unilaterally releasing a schedule, but the sides still have some time until on-field work commences. Until then, the NFL will see some teams report to workouts and others stay home.
Here are the teams that are planning to begin a virtual offseason Monday:
- Atlanta Falcons
- Baltimore Ravens
- Chicago Bears
- Cleveland Browns
- Denver Broncos
- Detroit Lions
- Houston Texans
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New Orleans Saints
- New York Giants
- New York Jets
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Latest On 49ers' First-Round Pick
Of the three high-end quarterback prospects expected to be available to the 49ers at No. 3 overall, Justin Fields has lagged behind the other two — Trey Lance and Mac Jones — in terms of being linked to San Francisco. But Kyle Shanahan has reached out to Fields’ pre-draft coach, former NFL QB John Beck, at points this offseason. Beck has overseen Fields’ pre-draft preparations and has taken over that role for Lance in recent weeks. Beck was with Washington when Shanahan served as the team’s OC.
“Knowing that I’ve been around (Fields) the last three months, he’ll reach out and just want to ask questions or talk,” Beck said, via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows (subscription required) of Shanahan. “And kind of like prod into: What are the things we’re working on, the things that I think having played in his system, having been coached by him, I know how he’s going to coach quarterbacks. I know what he’s looking for.”
Beck, who added that he has also spoken with 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters this offseason, incorporated 49ers concepts into Fields’ first pro day. Peters, 49ers QBs coach Rich Scangarello and college scouting director Ethan Waugh attended Fields’ first pro day. Beck will not attend Fields’ second showcase, but the 49ers will run the workout. Here is the latest from the NFC West:
- With Trevor Lawrence almost certainly Jacksonville-bound and Zach Wilson on track to join the Jets, the 49ers’ QB preference has emerged as perhaps the draft’s top talking point. Few in the team’s building know which passer Shanahan prefers. He and John Lynch have only told “a couple” of people the quarterback they are targeting, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Podcast (video link). It will come down to Fields, Lance and Jones. Thus far, Jones may have a slight lead. While Shanahan and Lynch showed rare transparency following their trade up to No. 3, their secrecy within the building will continue to generate interest as to which QB Shanahan wants. Lynch and Shanahan opting to attend Jones’ pro day over Fields’ may have served as an early tell, but the 49ers are attending Fields and Lance’s second showcases.