49ers Host WR Donte Moncrief
Tavon Austin isn’t the only free agent wide receiver working out for the 49ers. San Francisco also hosted veteran pass-catchers Donte Moncrief and J.J. Nelson, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
While the 49ers still have ample receiver depth, including first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk, Dante Pettis, and Trent Taylor, the club has lost several options during the offseason. 2019 breakout star Deebo Samuel could miss time after breaking his foot earlier this year, veteran Marquise Goodwin was traded to the Eagles, and Travis Benjamin opted out of the season due to COVID-19.
Moncrief was once a budding star in Indianapolis, and while he’s still only 27 years old, his stock has fallen considerably over the past few years. He inked a two-year deal with the Steelers in advance of the 2019 campaign, but was released midway through the season after posting just four catches. Moncrief latched on with the Panthers for three games, but didn’t record any statistics.
Nelson, meanwhile, put up consecutive 500+-yard seasons with the Cardinals in 2016-17, but his offensive role has dwindled since then. In 2019, the former fifth-round selection appeared in 15 games for the Raiders but managed only four receptions.
49ers, TE George Kittle Agree To Extension
The 49ers and tight end George Kittle are in agreement on a five-year, $75MM extension, as Ian Rapoport and Michael Silver of NFL.com report (via Twitter). Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that $30MM is guaranteed at signing — including an $18MM signing bonus — and there are $40MM in total guarantees (Twitter link).
We had been hearing that this deal was expected to come together shortly, and that it would completely reset the tight end market. And it has done just that, as Kittle’s $15MM average annual value far outpaces the $10.5MM figure that Austin Hooper received just this year from the Browns. It also represents something of a halfway point between the former top of the TE market and the top of the WR market.
Still, given Kittle’s dominance as a receiver and blocker, there was plenty of speculation that his payday would come in a little higher. Indeed, some were projecting a six-year pact worth close to $100MM, but the 49ers managed to give out a historic contract while staying in their comfort zone. Kittle’s deal places him 12th among all pass catchers, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic observes (via Twitter), though the guaranteed money is definitely a win for Kittle.
Since 2017, Kittle has recorded 2,945 receiving yards, the most of any tight end in his first three seasons. And, since 2018, Kittle’s had 1,464 yards after the catch, more than any other player in the league not named Christian McCaffrey. He earned his second straight Pro Bowl bid in 2019 and his first (but probably not only) First Team All-Pro selection. The advanced metrics love him just as much, as the Iowa product graded out as Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated player at any position last year.
In short, the 26-year-old (27 in October) has established himself as one of the best offensive weapons in the game, and with WR1 Deebo Samuel expected to miss time with a foot injury, San Francisco may be leaning on Kittle even more heavily to start the 2020 season. The team may now turn its attention to other 2021 free agents like Kyle Juszczyk and Richard Sherman.
49ers, George Kittle Progressing On Deal
Aug. 13: Ian Rapoport and Michael Silver of NFL.com report that Kittle and the Niners are “closing in” on the extension, which sounds as though it could be finalized in the next day or two (Twitter link).
Aug. 12: George Kittle chimed in on his contract situation with the 49ers, shooting down a report that he had agreed to an extension (Twitter link). But the sides are hitting checkpoints as they work toward what will be a monster re-up.
The All-Pro tight end and the 49ers have made “healthier progress” on an extension agreement, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. This deal is expected to make Kittle the NFL’s highest-paid tight end by a significant margin. This has long been the expectation, with the tight end market barely moving over the past five years and Kittle emerging as one of the NFL’s best players over the past two.
Austin Hooper‘s $10.5MM-per-year Browns deal currently stands as the top tight end contract, though Hunter Henry‘s franchise tag came in at $10.6MM. Pro Football Focus’ top-graded player in 2019, Kittle has established himself on a higher tier than those two and almost every other active tight end. His 49ers extension is expected to bridge the gap between tight ends and higher-end wide receivers.
Earlier this week, Kittle’s agent, Jack Bechta, said progress remained elusive in his talks with the 49ers (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Michael Silver). But teams are set to begin full training camp workouts in less than a week. That will increase the risk Kittle takes by practicing under the terms of his fifth-round rookie contract. The star tight end is set to make barely $2MM in base salary this season.
With Deebo Samuel expected to miss time with a foot injury, the 49ers can be expected to lean heavier on Kittle. The Iowa product, who will turn 27 in October, has combined for 2,430 yards and 10 touchdowns over the past two seasons and has proven to be an elite run-blocking presence as well. It should be expected that Kittle’s deal will help pave the way for fellow All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce and Pro Bowler Zach Ertz to sign lucrative third contracts.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/20
Here are today’s minor moves. We will update as necessary throughout the day:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE George Obinna
- Waived: DT Jeffery Whatley
Denver Broncos
- Waived/NFI: DL Jonathan Harris
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Malik Turner
- Waived: S Frankie Griffin
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DE Josh Mauro
- Waived: WR C.J. Board
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed off waivers (from Steelers): CB Breon Borders
- Signed: DT Brandin Bryant
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Darius Kilgo
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Prince Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OT William Sweet
49ers Host Tavon Austin
The 49ers are bringing in veteran receiver Tavon Austin for a visit, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team hopes to finalize a contract with the speedster.
Austin, 30, was selected by the Rams with the ninth overall pick of the 2013 draft. The club could not resist Austin’s playmaking ability as a receiver, rusher, and returner, and while he has certainly had his moments of explosiveness, injuries have also dogged him throughout his career.
Over his seven years in the league, Austin has caught 215 passes and has averaged less than 10 yards per reception, which is disappointing for a player with his speed. The two years he spent in Dallas from 2018-19 saw him average over 15 yards per catch, but he was limited to seven games in 2018 and totaled just 21 receptions during his time with the Cowboys.
However, the Rams utilized him as a ball carrier much more than the Cowboys did, and he does boast a strong 6.8 yard-per-carry average. And that’s to say nothing of his return experience. While he has not returned more than three kickoffs in a season since his rookie campaign, he has returned 185 punts in his career, with a career return average of 7.9 yards to go along with three house calls.
If anyone can get the most out of Austin’s ability, it’s 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. With Marquise Goodwin and Travis Benjamin out of the picture, Shanahan could use some speed in his WR depth chart, and the team could also benefit from an experienced punt returner given Richie James‘ injury concerns.
Austin has earned nearly $40MM in his career, but his next contract may not be for much more than the veteran minimum.
49ers To Sign Spencer Long
The 49ers are signing Spencer Long, according to an announcement from his agent (Twitter link). The offensive lineman was released by the Bills earlier this week, making him an unrestricted free agent.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team]
The Bills’ decision to release Long came as a bit of a surprise. Buffalo exercised the 2020 option on his deal in March and he appeared to be a strong fill-in option for Jon Feliciano at right guard. Instead, they dropped him to save $2.4MM against the salary cap.
The versatile vet saw time in 14 games for the Bills last year. Before that, Long made a total of 44 starts for Washington and the Jets between 2014 and 2018. In San Francisco, he’ll provide the 49ers with some sorely needed depth after offensive lineman Jake Brendel and tackle Shon Coleman opted out. Long, who can play multiple positions, will support the Niners’ front five of Trent Williams, Laken Tomlinson, Weston Richburg, Tom Compton, and Mike McGlinchey.
The Niners had ample room to sign Long. After the opt outs, GM John Lynch was left with $12.5MM in cap space.
2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team
A total of 67 NFL players opted out of the 2020 season, leaving teams with major roster holes and newly-found cap space. Here’s the rundown of every team’s official cap figure, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter):
- Cleveland Browns – $40.5MM
- New England Patriots – $33.4MM
- Washington Football Team – $30.6MM
- Denver Broncos – $29.5MM
- New York Jets – $29.3MM
- Tennessee Titans – $25.2MM
- Miami Dolphins – $24.7MM
- Buffalo Bills – $24.2MM
- Philadelphia Eagles – $23.7MM
- Detroit Lions – $22.9MM
- Indianapolis Colts – $22.3MM
- New York Giants – $21.4MM
- Houston Texans – $21.1MM
- Cincinnati Bengals – $18.6MM
- Chicago Bears – $17.2MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars – $17MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $14.5MM
- Los Angeles Chargers – $13.7MM
- Green Bay Packers – $12.3MM
- Carolina Panthers – $13.2MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $13MM
- San Francisco 49ers – $12.5MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $12.4MM
- Dallas Cowboys – $9.9MM
- New Orleans Saints – $7.8MM
- Atlanta Falcons – $7.4MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $7MM
- Arizona Cardinals – $5.6MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $4.5MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $3.9MM
- Las Vegas Raiders – $3.3MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $1.4MM
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/20
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: LB Ahmad Thomas
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Isaiah Zuber
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Marcus Green
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): DB D.J. Reed
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Jaydon Mickens
2020 NFL Opt Out Tracker
Per an agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA, players with COVID-19 health concerns can opt out of the 2020 season. Initially, the deadline was believed to be Tuesday, August 4. Talks between the league and the union have pushed it to August 6.
Chiefs guard and medical school graduate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was the first player to officially opt out. Scores of players followed.
Here’s the rundown, so far:
Baltimore Ravens
- OT Andre Smith (story)
- WR De’Anthony Thomas (story)
Buffalo Bills
- CB E.J. Gaines (story)
- DT Star Lotulelei (story)
Carolina Panthers
- LB Jordan Mack
- LB Christian Miller
Chicago Bears
- DT Eddie Goldman (story)
- S Jordan Lucas
Cincinnati Bengals
- T Isaiah Prince (story)
- DT Josh Tupou (story)
Cleveland Browns
- DT Andrew Billings
- T Drake Dorbeck
- G Colby Gossett
- G Drew Forbes
- G Malcolm Pridgedon
Dallas Cowboys
- CB Maurice Canady (story)
- WR Stephen Guidry
- FB Jamize Olawale
Denver Broncos
- DT Joel Heath
- DT Kyle Peko
Detroit Lions
- WR Geronimo Allison (story)
- DT John Atkins
- C Russell Bodine (story)
Green Bay Packers
- WR Devin Funchess (story)
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
- DB Rolan Milligan
- LB Skai Moore
- DB Marvell Tell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- DE Lerentee McCray
- CB Rashaan Melvin (story)
- DT Al Woods (story)
Kansas City Chiefs
- G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (story)
- T Lucas Niang (story)
- RB Damien Williams (story)
Las Vegas Raiders
- LB Ukeme Eligwe
- CB D.J. Killings
- DE Jeremiah Valoaga
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
- WR Allen Hurns (story)
- WR Albert Wilson (story)
Minnesota Vikings
- NT Michael Pierce (story)
New England Patriots
- RB Brandon Bolden (story)
- T Marcus Cannon (story)
- S Patrick Chung (story)
- LB Dont’a Hightower (story)
- WR Marqise Lee (story)
- OL Najee Toran
- FB Danny Vitale (story)
New Orleans Saints
- TE Jason Vander Laan
- TE Cole Wick
New York Giants
- CB Sam Beal
- WR Da’Mari Scott
- T Nate Solder (story)
- CB Shakial Taylor
New York Jets
- WR Josh Doctson
- OL Leo Koloamatangi
- LB C.J. Mosley (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
- WR Travis Benjamin (story)
- OL Jake Brendel
- T Shon Coleman
Seattle Seahawks
- G Chance Warmack (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- T Brad Seaton
Tennessee Titans
- OL Anthony McKinney
Washington Football Team
Free agents
- G Larry Warford (story)
Free Agency Notes: Ansah, Nkemdiche, Webb
While the 49ers opted to sign Dion Jordan, the other top-five 2013 draft pick they hosted on a recent visit received good news. Ziggy Ansah passed his 49ers physical, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The former Lions and Seahawks defensive end has battled injuries in recent years, including a shoulder malady during his 2019 season in Seattle. However, Ansah is currently at 280 pounds and healthy. Although the former Pro Bowler is entering his age-31 season and has not contributed much statistically since his 12-sack 2017, his improved health should generate interest from other teams in the near future.
Here is the latest from the free agent market:
- Former Cardinals first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche is aiming to return to the league. He has spoken with multiple teams, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. The one-time No. 1 recruit in the country did not pan out in Arizona or Miami, ballooning to 345 pounds during a thus-far unproductive career. But Garafolo adds Nkemdiche is back down to 315 and has told teams he is healthy. The Dolphins waived Nkemdiche in November.
- Prior to the Falcons‘ agreement with ex-Bengals cornerback Darqueze Dennard, they were interested in one of his former Cincinnati teammates. Atlanta was monitoring B.W. Webb, per ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (on Twitter). Webb started 12 Bengals games last season and was productive as a Giants slot cornerback in 2018. Now 30, Webb has the historically unusual distinction of playing for a different team in each of his six NFL seasons. The former Cowboys fourth-round pick has played with Dallas, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, New Orleans, the Giants and Cincinnati.
- Free agent tight end Geoff Swaim took a physical for the Texans recently, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (on Twitter). Teams are permitted to give physicals to free agents if they are serious about signing them. Swaim, however, remains unsigned days after this physical occurred. Swaim spent the first five seasons of his career with the Cowboys and Jaguars. He ended the past two seasons on IR.
- Defensive tackle Darius Kilgo has been fully cleared from the quadriceps injury he suffered last season, Rapoport tweets. A 2015 Broncos draft choice, Kilgo suffered the injury while with the Lions last year. He has not played in a regular-season game since suiting up for the 2018 Titans.