49ers In Talks To Trade No. 13 & No. 31 Picks
The 49ers are talking trade. They’re taking calls on both of their first round picks at Nos. 13 and 31 overall, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, and they’re open dealing one or both those choices. 
[RELATED: 49ers’ Matt Breida Signs Tender]
For months, the Niners have stood out as an obvious trade-down candidate. With no picks in the second, third, or fourth rounds, they’re eager to replenish their stockpile. After No. 31, their next pick doesn’t come until No. 156.
The 49ers turned their draft depth into edge rusher Dee Ford and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (now with the Saints). Earlier this year, they shipped defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to the Colts, bringing them the No. 13 overall pick – ammo they desperately needed.
That No. 13 pick could put them in range for an elite wide receiver, like Oklahoma star CeeDee Lamb. As tempting as that might be, they have other needs to address, including cornerback, interior offensive line, and defensive tackle.
2020 NFL Draft Picks By Team
The 2020 NFL Draft is just days away and it’s just a matter of time before picks are swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. Before the trading frenzy starts, let’s take a look at the draft picks owned by each team.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Draft Order By Round]
Updated: 4-17-20 (5:00pm CT)
Arizona Cardinals
1-8:
3-72:
4-114:
4-131: (from Houston)
6-202: (from New England)
7-222:
Atlanta Falcons
1-16:
2-47:
3-78:
4-119:
4-143: (from Baltimore*)
7-228: (from Tampa Bay, via Philadelphia)
Baltimore Ravens
1-28:
2-55: (from Atlanta, via New England)
2-60:
3-92:
3-106*:
4-129: (from New England)
4-134:
5-170: (from Minnesota)
7-225: (from Jets)
Buffalo Bills
2-54:
3-86:
4-128:
5-167:
6-188: (from Cleveland)
6-207: (from Baltimore via New England)
7-239: (from Minnesota)
Draft Rumors: Henderson, Dobbins, Davis
Are you ready for surprises on draft day? It sounds like you should be. “The media is wronger about mock drafts this year than you guys have ever been,” one NFL general manager told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). That’s undoubtedly because of the ongoing certainly involving COVID-19, which has caused the league to upend its predraft process. As Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com tweets, “group think” is less likely to occur in 2019 because scouts and executives were unable to congregate at pro days, events where evaluators typically will — intentionally or not — develop something of a consensus on prospects.
After deciding whether “wronger” is actually a word, let’s take a look at more on the upcoming draft:
- The Falcons held a predraft video meeting with Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson last week, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Atlanta currently holds the 16th overall pick, but recent reports have indicated general manager Thomas Dimitroff & Co. could be interested in moving up the board. Henderson is considered the draft’s second-best cornerback behind Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah, although some decision-makers may rate Henderson No. 1.
- Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins has held video meetings with several NFL teams, including the Chiefs, Packers, Bills, Lions, Saints, Dolphins, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. This isn’t the first time Dobbins has been linked to Miami, as he took a predraft visit with the Dolphins before such meetings were shut down due to COVID-19. Indeed, Dobbins left that visit feeling Miami was “infatuated” with him.
- Alabama defensive tackle Raekwon Davis says the 49ers, Packers, Dolphins, Ravens, and Eagles are the teams that have contacted him most, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. A massive presence at 6’6″, 310 pounds, Davis a first-round projection and comparisons to DeForest Buckner from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus, however, ranks Davis just 10th among interior defender prospects, noting his lack of development as a pass-rusher.
- The Ravens, 49ers, Panthers, Titans, and Seahawks have all held video sessions with TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, per Wilson. Blacklock, who stock has risen during the predraft process, missed the 2018 campaign with an Achilles injury but was productive during both his freshman and junior seasons. Last year, he posted 40 tackles (nine for loss) and 3.5 sacks.
49ers’ Matt Breida Signs Tender
49ers running back Matt Breida has signed his tender, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Per the terms of the second-round level cuff, Breida will earn $3.1MM in 2020. 
[RELATED: 49ers Re-Sign Verrett, Johnson]
The Niners reportedly used the second-round tender on Breida because they sensed that at least one other team was fixing to poach him at the original-round level. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s in the team’s plans for 2020 – reportedly, the Niners tendered him with the thought that he could be traded at a later date.
With Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman in the fold, Breida isn’t on track for a major role in the 49ers’ backfield. Jerick McKinnon is also in the mix – many thought that the Niners would cut Jet this offseason, but he’s on the books at a cheaper rate following his mid-March haircut.
At times, Breida impressed – he’s averaged at least 5.1 yards per tote in each of the last two seasons. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Over the course of three seasons, the Georgia Southern product has totaled just 381 carries.
2020 NFL Draft Capital By Team
Every NFL team automatically gets seven draft picks per season, but thanks to lots of trades and the compensatory pick process, many clubs end up with more (or less) than their original seven selections. After running down the NFL Draft round-by-round, let’s take a look at how much draft capital each club has amassed:
Updated: 4-16-20 (6:00pm CT)
14 picks
- Miami Dolphins
12 picks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Minnesota Vikings
- New England Patriots
10 picks
- Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Giants
9 picks
- Baltimore Ravens
- Detroit Lions
8 picks
- Carolina Panthers
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
7 picks
- Buffalo Bills
- Chicago Bears
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Washington Redskins
6 picks
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tennessee Titans
5 picks
- Kansas City Chiefs
- New Orleans Saints
49ers Could Draft First-Round DT
- Although the 49ers are already loaded along their defensive line (even after trading DeForest Buckner to the Colts), they could still target even more front four help in the first round. Specifically, San Francisco could be eyeing a defensive tackle such as South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw. The 49ers own both the 13th and 31st picks on Day 1 of the draft, leaving them ample opportunities to address nee areas.
49ers Re-Sign Jason Verrett, Dontae Johnson
The 49ers have re-signed cornerbacks Jason Verrett and Dontae Johnson to one-year deals, the club announced today.
Verrett, 28, has dealt with myriad injury issues throughout his career, and those health questions popped up again in 2019. Signed to a one-year, $1.5MM pact with San Francisco, Verrett appeared in just one game before being placed on injured reserve with an ankle ailment. Although there was some thought that he’d be able to return later in the season, Verrett remained on IR through the 49ers’ postseason run.
A first-round pick by the Chargers in the 2014 draft, Verrett has been outstanding when healthy. In 2015, for example, Verrett made 14 starts for San Diego and earned a Pro Bowl nod. However, that 2015 campaign represents the only season in which the TCU product has appeared in more six games. He’s only played in six total games since the start of the 2016 season.
Johnson, meanwhile, was Verrett’s direct replacement when the latter went on IR in 2019. San Francisco’s relationship with Johnson goes back far further than last season, however — Johnson was a fourth-round pick of the 49ers in 2014 and will now start his fourth stint with the club. He’s also spent time with the Seahawks, Bills, Cardinals, Chiefs, and Chargers. Johnson, 28, started all 16 games for San Francisco in 2017, but has largely been a special-teamer.
Jets, 49ers, Ravens Have Met With CeeDee Lamb
Speaking on Instagram Live, Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb confirmed that he’s held virtual pre-draft meetings with the Jets, 49ers, and Ravens (Twitter link via @TheSFNiners).
NFL clubs, of course, are not permitted to meet with prospects in person due to the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic. Lamb is widely expected to be one of the top three wideouts off the board along with Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs after posting at least 1,100 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons at Oklahoma.
Baltimore holds the 28th selection in the first round and doesn’t seem to have much of a chance of landing Lamb, but New York and San Francisco — picking 11th and 13th — are squarely in contention for the talented receiver. The Jets lost Robby Anderson in free agency, but replaced him with Breshad Perriman, and also have Jamison Crowder, Quincy Enunwa, and Josh Doctson on their roster.
The 49ers, meanwhile, weren’t able to re-sign veteran pass-catcher Emmanuel Sanders, who landed a two-year deal with the Saints. 2019 second-round pick Deebo Samuel currently projects as San Francisco’s No. 1 wideout, with Kendrick Bourne, Trent Taylor, Marquise Goodwin, and Dante Pettis in reserve. The 49ers received the No. 13 pick from the Colts in exchange for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, and they also hold their own selection at No. 31 overall.
2020 NFL Cap Room By Team
The biggest names in NFL free agency might be off the board, but there are still plenty of noteworthy players on the board and high-profile cuts on the way. And, while some teams did their spending early, others are still sitting on lots of cash.
The latest cap figures from OverTheCap show that several teams are poised to pounce in the latter waves of free agency, starting with the Browns. The numbers also show that teams like the Rams still have work to do in order to sign their upcoming draft class. Also, the Eagles’ 2020 figure doesn’t quite tell the whole story – thanks to high-priced multi-year deals including Darius Slay’s new contract, they’re already overcommitted on dollars for 2021.
Here’s the complete rundown for all 32 teams, in descending order of cap space:
- Browns – $40.2MM
- Lions – $29.5MM
- Eagles – $27.1MM
- Colts – $24MM
- Dolphins – $23.9MM
- Redskins – $23.8MM
- Chargers – $22.3MM
- Titans – $21.5MM
- Bills – $20.9MM
- Texans – $18.6MM
- Broncos – $17.5MM
- Giants – $17.1MM
- Jets – $15.5MM
- Jaguars – $14.6MM
- Cowboys – $13.6MM
- Buccaneers – $13.5MM
- 49ers – $13.4MM
- Seahawks – $12.6MM
- Vikings – $12.3MM
- Ravens – $11.3MM
- Packers – $11.08MM
- Bears – $11.03MM
- Panthers – $9.4MM
- Raiders – $8.8MM
- Bengals – $7.3MM
- Steelers – $7.2MM
- Cardinals – $7MM
- Saints – $5.3MM
- Chiefs – $2.9MM
- Falcons – $2.4MM
- Patriots – $1.2MM
- Rams – (-$5.3MM)
49ers Notes: Garoppolo, Draft, Kinlaw
After Jimmy Garoppolo struggled in the Super Bowl, many wondered whether the 49ers would explore quarterback options this offseason. Ultimately, they did not bite on Tom Brady or any of the other big-name passers. As far as teammate Kyle Juszczyk is concerned, the talk of replacing Jimmy G was overblown.
“I think people like the headlines,” Juszczyk told KNBR’s (h/t NBC Sports). “Jimmy G is a popular character out there, so if you can include his name in anything, I think you’re going to get a few more readers, a few more viewers that are going to check it out..I really, truly don’t understand why Jimmy gets [scrutinized] so hard. I think the guy had a phenomenal season, and I think anyone in our building will tell you that.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan and other Niners officials have made similar comments to support Garoppolo. Meanwhile, we’ve heard that the Brady-SF connection was a bit overstated, even though the QB saw a potential match.
Here’s more on the Niners:
- Looking ahead to the draft, the 49ers are looking at offensive tackles who could be available late in the first round or early in the second round, Matt Barrows of The Athletic writes. They currently hold Nos. 13 and 31, but their other leanings suggest that they’ll look to trade back. For example, they’re doing lots of homework on middle-round tight ends, Barrows hears, even though they do not have any picks in Rounds 2-4 at present. They also have versatile defensive linemen and speedy wide receivers on the radar, Barrows hears. Strong safety is also on the to-do list as Jaquiski Tartt enters his walk year, but Barrows writes that it’s not one of the top priorities.
- If the 49ers stand pat at No. 13 overall, they could be tempted by South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports writes. Kinlaw is green, but he also offers tremendous potential. In time, he could be the kind of player the Niners need to replace the impact of DeForest Buckner up front.
- California governor Gavin Newsom isn’t optimistic about the 49ers, Rams, and Chargers being able to host fans in their stadiums by September. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is pushing the NFL to start its 2020 season on time.