49ers KR/WR Richie James Suffers Broken Wrist
More difficult news for the 49ers on the injury front. WR1 Deebo Samuel suffered a broken foot earlier this week and is unlikely to be ready for the start of the regular season, and now Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports that fellow wideout Richie James has suffered a broken wrist (Twitter link).
James will be sidelined for at least two months, so his availability for Week 1 is also in doubt. And while he is not nearly as important to the 49ers’ offense as Samuel is — James has appeared in less than 20% of the club’s offensive snaps over his first two years in the league and has just 15 catches for 295 yards and two TDs in that time — he has served as San Francisco’s primary kick and punt returner.
In 2019, he averaged eight yards per punt return and 21.4 yards per kick return. Those numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page, but they’re not bad either. If James is forced to miss time, Dante Pettis or Trent Taylor may get a crack at return duties.
The 49ers selected James in the seventh round of the 2018 draft. His injury comes at an especially unfortunate time, as he may have had an outside chance at more training camp reps at WR given Samuel’s absence.
Jamal Adams Seeking $20MM+/Year?
Jets safety Jamal Adams has been in the news a great deal this offseason as he pushes for a new contract, and he made another splash yesterday when he requested a trade. As Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv writes, the Jets’ stance on the issue has not changed, and the team has no intention of trading him or allowing him to seek a trade on his own. New York still wants to keep him long-term and pay him as a top-of-the-market safety, but the team is hoping for a little patience from him in light of the uncertainty created by the pandemic.
After all, Adams remains under club control for two more seasons and can be hit with the franchise tag after that, and teams are generally loathe to extend a player with that much time remaining on his existing deal. While Adams continues — with reason — to point to the Panthers’ recent extension for Christian McCaffrey as justification for his demands, the C-MAC deal is an exception to the rule. After all, players like Jalen Ramsey, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and Cameron Heyward are still waiting for their new deals, and it’s clear that potential salary cap cuts and other fiscal concerns are the primary reason for those delays. And as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes, GM Joe Douglas is under cash-flow restrictions imposed by ownership, which helps explain why the team is reluctant to do an Adams deal now (and perhaps why Douglas stayed out of the deep end of the FA pool, though his restraint in that regard has generally been lauded given the team’s recent history with splashy signings).
Adding to the Jets’ frustrations with Adams is the fact that, if he is traded to certain teams, he would not demand a contract extension. And further compounding the problem is that Adams may not be content to be the league’s highest-paid safety, which would give him an AAV of roughly $15MM. Instead, a source who has looked into acquiring Adams tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that Adams is actually seeking a contract that would put him among the highest-compensated defensive players at any position, which would mean an AAV in excess of $20MM (Twitter link). Given his youth and skill level, it’s not surprising to see Adams shoot for that goal, but it would be surprising to see him achieve it.
As for a couple of the teams on Adams’ list of preferred destinations? Field Yates of ESPN.com believes the Cowboys remain the best fit (Twitter link), but regardless of fit, the draft capital it would take to land the First Team All-Pro — not to mention the eventual extension — is a huge obstacle to clear. Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com does not believe the 49ers will swing a deal given the club’s preference to keep as many draft picks as possible going forward, a desire underscored by the number of players on the current roster that are under or will soon be under premium contracts (Twitter links).
Similarly, although Zach Berman of The Athletic thinks the general concern over the Eagles‘ 2021 cap situation is overblown, he does not see the team parting with a first-round pick and ponying up a big-money deal at some point in the next year for a DB. If Philadelphia were to make that type of move, Berman believes it would be for a pass rusher like Jacksonville’s Yannick Ngakoue.
Chiefs, 49ers, Cowboys Among Teams On Jamal Adams’ Preferred Destination List
Jamal Adams has made an official trade request, and although the Jets have yet to grant it, the All-Pro safety has formed a list of teams he would be fine with joining.
Both of the Super Bowl LIV participants — the Chiefs and 49ers — headline the list. The Cowboys — who submitted an offer for Adams last October — are also included among a seven-team contingent that features the Ravens, Eagles, Texans and Seahawks, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The Cowboys are the only team on this list that did not qualify for the playoffs last season. Adams, however, is a Texas native. Dallas offered a first-rounder and a Day 3 choice for the Jets standout last year.
As of now, the Jets are not prepared to trade Adams. But the safety may be more amenable to playing the fourth year of his rookie contract with one of the seven teams on this trade wish list than he is with the Jets, who have not made the playoffs since 2010.
The Jets are taking their time on extension talks for their top player, but with Adams signed through 2021 via the fifth-year option, that is not exactly uncommon. Teams often slow-play extensions for former first-rounders because of the option, but Adams is attempting to force the issue.
49ers’ Deebo Samuel Suffers Broken Foot
49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel broke his foot during a throwing session, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Samuel suffered the injury on Tuesday in Nashville and he’ll have surgery today to correct the Jones fracture in his left foot. 
Samuel “should be able” to suit up “early in the season,” Rapoport hears, noting the 2019 second-round pick faces a 12- to 16-week timetable (Twitter link). It stands to reason that he won’t be ready to go in time for the opener, when the 49ers are slated to face the Cardinals on Sept. 13.
Samuel impressed as a rookie last year, hauling in 57 grabs for 802 yards and three touchdowns. This year, he was slated to serve as one of the team’s leading receivers, along with NFL frosh Brandon Aiyuk, Jalen Hurd, and Kendrick Bourne. The Niners may choose to stand pat, depending on how Samuel’s recovery goes, but they’ll likely assess available wide receiver options as well.
While it represents good news that Samuel will likely be able to return during the season’s first half, this is a considerable blow to a passing attack that lost Emmanuel Sanders. The 49ers allowed the 2019 trade acquisition-turned-Super Bowl starter to defect to the Saints in free agency. The drop from Samuel to the rest of San Francisco’s receivers is fairly significant.
The 49ers still employ 2018 second-round pick Dante Pettis, but after a promising rookie season, the Washington alum barely played down the stretch as an NFL sophomore. Slot receiver Trent Taylor is also returning from a broken foot, which cost him the entire 2019 season. That experience may prompt the 49ers to act swiftly to cover themselves on the wideout front.
Free agent options include Taylor Gabriel, who played for Kyle Shanahan with the 2016 Falcons. Jordan Matthews, whom the 49ers added last year, is also back on the market. So are Jermaine Kearse and Dontrelle Inman. Bigger names like Josh Gordon — who applied again for NFL reinstatement today — and Antonio Brown reside on the market as well. The 49ers were connected to the then-less controversial wideout last year but opted not to pull the trigger on a trade.
San Francisco has been aggressive on the trade market to plug holes recently, from adding Sanders to giving up more draft capital to acquire Trent Williams shortly after Joe Staley‘s retirement. It would not be surprising to see the defending NFC champions make a move to bolster this position while Samuel recovers.
49ers, Kyle Shanahan Agree To Extension
After giving Kyle Shanahan a six-year extension in 2017, the 49ers are doubling down. The defending NFC champions and their fourth-year head coach agreed on another six-year deal Monday, as first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Niners officially confirmed the news on Tuesday morning, via press release.
The deal does not tack three years onto Shanahan’s previous pact. It will replace the previous contract, tying the 40-year-old head coach to the 49ers through the 2025 season. This contract will place Shanahan among the top-five highest-paid coaches, Schefter adds.
The second-generation HC had three years remaining on his initial San Francisco deal, but with the rebuild he and John Lynch oversaw producing one of the league’s great single-season turnarounds, the franchise moved quickly to lock down its sideline boss. The negotiation between Shanahan and 49ers CEO Jed York moved quickly, Schefter notes.
Shanahan spent several seasons as an offensive coordinator, moving from Washington to Cleveland to Atlanta before landing the San Francisco HC job. Brought in along with Lynch to orchestrate a rebuild — after the 49ers made their initial two post-Jim Harbaugh coaches (Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly) one-and-dones — and the 2019 brought that to fruition. The 49ers followed a 4-12 2018 season — one largely without Jimmy Garoppolo — with a 13-3 slate that secured NFC home-field advantage and the franchise’s seventh Super Bowl berth.
Lynch remains on his original deal, which runs through 2022. But after the career TV analyst worked alongside Shanahan to rebuild the 49ers, it is not hard to envision the franchise rewarding its GM as well.
This Date In Transactions History: 49ers Trade Issac Bruce To The Rams
On this date in 2010, the 49ers traded Issac Bruce to the Rams. However, this wasn’t a typical trade. The deal was facilitated in order to allow Bruce, then 37, to retire with his original franchise. 
Bruce started his career with the Rams in 1994, the team’s final season in Los Angeles. The second-round pick played sparingly as a rookie, but he broke out as an NFL sophomore in St. Louis with 119 catches, 1,781 yards, and 13 touchdowns, all of which went down as his career bests. In his 14 illustrious years with the Rams, Bruce amassed four Pro Bowl trips and eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in eight different seasons.
“Sixteen years was enough for me,” Bruce said at his farewell press conference. “I think a lot was done. But that second training camp practice (in two-a-days) may have played a part in it. I was ready to move on and do something else other than playing football.”
After so many productive seasons in the NFL, Bruce had little left to prove. Bruce was the leading wide receiver in the Rams’ “Greatest Show On Turf” Super Bowl-winning season and left the team as its all-time receiving leader with 14,109 yards. His second act with the Niners was not quite as flashy with 835 yards in his first SF season and 264 yards in his 2009 finale.
“The two years I was away, I kept tabs on this organization,” Bruce said. “I played against this organization, I played against its players. The funny thing is I found myself encouraging them when things didn’t look bright for them. I looked down and saw myself in a different colored uniform. It was honestly just to me personally — it just wasn’t right.”
So, with the trade, Bruce returned back to the Rams and became the last member of the Rams’ first Los Angeles run to hang ’em up. Later, his No. 80 jersey was retired by the team. Bruce was denied entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame multiple times, but he was finally enshrined in 2020, after six years of eligibility.
This Date In Transactions History: 49ers’ Anthony Davis Retires
Five years ago today, 49ers tackle Anthony Davis announced his retirement from the NFL at the age of 25. Davis’ decision came as a surprise to everyone, though he left the door open to returning at some point in the future. 
Davis was the Niners’ first-round pick in 2010, coming off the board No. 11 overall. In his first four seasons, he started 71 games at right tackle and played in all 16 regular season contests. Then, in 2014, he was limited to seven games thanks to hamstring, knee, and concussion problems.
Davis was just the latest in a string of 49ers departures that offseason. First, head coach Jim Harbaugh exited. Then, linebackers Chris Borland and Patrick Willis retired, despite still likely having a few good years of production ahead of them. Davis was similarly concerned about the toll the game had taken on him, though he attempted to come back to football the following year in 2016.
Davis and the Niners weren’t quite on the same page. Before the draft, Davis took to Twitter and suggested that the Niners should take an offensive tackle in the Top 10. Then, he took an even more direct shot at the team: “I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do.”
The Niners, meanwhile, weren’t so thrilled with him either. When asked about Davis’ potential return, 49ers offensive line coach Pat Flaherty said that nothing would be handed to him.
“And he knows this, coming from me, if he wants to play, then he’s got to come back and prove he can play,” Flaherty said. “It’s got to come from within. You can tell him exactly what I just said, ‘Listen, you’ll have an opportunity to play. But that’s all it is. You decided for whatever reason to retire. If you come back in the game, nothing is going to be handed to you. You’re going to have to work your tail off.’ And the conversation that I’ve had back when I first got here, was he was acceptable to that. Now, I don’t see him. I don’t know why. So I can’t answer that one.”
Davis’ return to the Niners lasted only one game. After appearing in the season opener against the Rams, Davis retired for a second time. In May of last year, Davis said he wanted to return to the field and the 49ers released him from his deal. Davis, 31 in October, didn’t sign with another club and remains a free agent today, though it’s not clear if he still has interest in playing.
Coaching Staffs Permitted To Return To Facilities
As expected, the NFL has issued a memo authorizing coaching staffs to return to their team’s facilities tomorrow, June 5, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). Rapoport passes along the relevant portion of the memo in a separate tweet.
The league further noted that teams can have up to 100 people in their facilities at any one time (subject to state and local regulations, of course). As of right now, only players undergoing medical treatment are permitted in the facilities, as has been the case. However, the memo did note that the league will continue working with team medical staffs to implement testing for coaches and other club personnel prior to green-lighting the return of players.
Despite some earlier rumblings that the league would try to squeeze in a belated minicamp, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reiterates that the focus remains on getting coaches and players together for the scheduled start of training camp in July, not minicamp (Twitter link). Indeed, we have heard previously that some coaches would not take advantage of a minicamp even if one was authorized, and Buccaneers HC Bruce Arians said his players will not be at team facilities before training camp (Twitter link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
That may be the case for most teams. As Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes (via Twitter), the NFL has left open the possibility of having players return on a limited basis later this month, but the union would have to agree to that, and it does not seem inclined to do so. In addition, multiple coaches tell Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that they will remain away from facilities until training camp, in spite of today’s memo (Twitter link).
Still, this is a positive step towards the business-as-usual goal that the NFL has espoused all along. At this point, it appears as if only the 49ers‘ coaches will be unable to access their facilities tomorrow (Twitter link via Rapoport). Santa Clara County has been slower to lift restrictions than other Bay Area counties, as Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets, but the team is in communication with local authorities to obtain the necessary permission as soon as possible.
49ers Notes: Mostert, Williams
- While George Kittle is believed to be next in line for a 49ers extension, running back Raheem Mostert could land a new deal before the star tight end, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic writes. On one hand, Mostert is certainly underpaid. He signed a three-year extension last spring with an annual value of less than $3MM. Mostert was largely a special teams player at the time, but after posting 772 yards and eight touchdowns in 2020, he’s worth more. On the other hand, San Francisco controls Mostert’s rights through the 2021 campaign, he’s already 28 years old, and running back’s shelf lives are notoriously short.
- Trent Williams played alongside a bevy of average-or-worse quarterbacks during his time with the Redskins, but the veteran left tackle believes he’s stepping into an excellent signal-caller situation with the 49ers. “I think Jimmy [Garoppolo] is awesome,” Williams told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. “I think he has proven that he’s a quarterback that you can win with…From being in my position, not having a lot of success in the league, having a good quarterback then to having a kind of musical chairs back there, I know the importance of it. So I’m extremely happy just to be part of an offense that really don’t need me to win. I add to it.” San Francisco, which acquired Williams in exchange for third- and fifth-round picks, hasn’t worked out an extension with the 31-year-old, but reportedly has agreed to give him more money upfront.
49ers, George Kittle Far Apart In Talks
The 49ers and George Kittle have begun extension talks, but they’ve got a ways to go. Kittle’s agent Jack Bechta says there’s a major gap to bridge and, perhaps, some fundamental disagreement over how Kittle should be viewed.
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“I don’t care about the tight end market, I’m being paid to do a George Kittle deal,” Bechta said.
Since 2017, Kittle has amassed 2,945 receiving yards, the most of any tight end in their first three seasons – and that’s not counting the playoffs. And, since 2018, Kittle’s had 1,464 yards after the catch, more than any other player in the league not named Christian McCaffrey.
Meanwhile, Kittle’s blocking has been a game-changer for the 49ers’ run game. In Kittle’s 14 games last year, SF averaged 4.83 yards per carry and tallied 23 rushing touchdowns. In the two games he missed, 49ers running backs averaged just 2.63 yards per try with no TDs.
With that in mind, Bechta is aiming higher than Austin Hooper‘s four-year, $42MM deal with the Browns. Instead, Kittle’s agent is using the wide receiver and left tackle markets as comps to reflect his client’s value. Kittle, 27 in October, doesn’t have to settle for “tight end money” in exchange for his prime seasons. Instead, he could land something in the neighborhood of $18MM per year with a larger guaranteed portion than Hooper, who has just over 50% of his deal truly locked in.
The 49ers appreciate Kittle’s value and they’ve made his extension a priority, so we still expect a deal to come together. However, it may take a bit longer than expected for them to meet in the middle.