Latest On Dee Ford, Kwon Alexander
- 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander has been cleared for game action, per Rapoport (video link), meaning it’s now Kyle Shanahan‘s call on whether to redeploy the high-priced defender Saturday. The 49ers used their second IR-return spot on Alexander, who is attempting to return from a midseason pectoral tear, but have not activated him yet.
- Winding down an oft-injured season, Dee Ford is back at 49ers practice and appears ready to return at a key juncture. The veteran defensive end has dealt with a few maladies, his most recent being a hamstring issue that he aggravated in December. Ford’s gone through limited practices the past two days.
49ers’ LT Joe Staley Not Considering Retirement
The 49ers have had a great year, but San Francisco stalwart Joe Staley has had to watch most of it from the sidelines. Between a broken fibula and a dislocated finger, the 35-year-old left tackle has played in just seven games this season, and given his age and the injuries, some have wondered if he might consider retirement after the season.
If the 49ers capture the Lombardi Trophy, which is really the only goal that Staley has not achieved in his long and illustrious career, one would think that retirement might be even more attractive. But Staley himself recently indicated that he has no intention of retiring, as Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
“I don’t know why everyone’s been asking me that question,” Staley said. “Because I got injured, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, you’re going to be retiring now.'” He added,“I signed a contract here. I still love playing football. It’s like the ninth time someone’s asked me that, and I’m starting to wonder why.”
Branch says that Staley was in a good humor when he made those comments, but his point was clear: he remains under contract through 2021, so he will at least play through the end of next year.
To be fair, reports in April 2019 indicated that Staley, the 28th-overall pick of the 2007 draft, was undecided on playing in 2020. But he signed an extension shortly thereafter, and his injury-plagued season has been an anomaly. He missed just four games from 2011-18 and was named to five Pro Bowls in that span.
And while he did not look much like himself during the games he did play in 2019, the season finale against the Seahawks, which secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the 49ers, was his best performance of the year, and he may be returning to form at just the right time. The 49ers host the Vikings in a divisional-round bout on Saturday.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/5/20
Here’s a couple transactions we missed from earlier in the week:
San Francisco 49ers
Signed to practice squad: DL Ray Smith
Seattle Seahawks
Signed to practice squad: WR Brendan Langley
NFL Workout Updates: 1/5/20
Here is a recap of some recent workouts around the league:
San Francisco 49ers
- WR Bralon Addison, C Jake Brendel, DB Chris Edwards, DT Willie Henry, S Derrick Kindred, DE Jonathan Kongbo, DT T.Y. McGill, LB Derrick Moncrief, OL Aaron Neary, DT Ray Smith, DL Ethan Westbrooks, DE Jonathan Woodard
Seattle Seahawks
- WR J.J. Jones, WR Brendan Langley
Browns Notes: GM Search, DePodesta, McCarthy, Saleh, Daboll
While the primary focus in Cleveland remains on their search for a new head coach, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Browns could have their eyes on a pair of front-office employees with the Seahawks for their general managerial opening. Via Garafolo’s report, Seattle’s co-directors of player personnel, Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer, are two well-respected executives that could emerge as leading candidates.
Here’s more notes from the Browns organization:
- NFL.com’s Ian Rapaport noted that two head coaching candidates in the Browns search that align with Kirchner and Fitterer are former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. McCarthy’s connection to the two Seattle executives is unclear, but Saleh started his coaching career in Seattle and has built his defensive scheme upon the Seahawks 4-3 at the peak of the “Legion of Boom.”
- The Browns pushed back their interview with Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for Cleveland’s head coaching position, according to Ian Rapaport of NFL.com. Daboll remains a candidate, but since the Bills were eliminated from the playoffs in Saturday’s overtime loss to the Texans, the team decided to delay his interview to this week so he could meet more of the team’s current front office staff.
- Browns chief strategist Paul DePodesta has been the center of a lot of coverage surrounding the power struggle in Cleveland. The onetime assistant general manager of the Oakland Athletics is spearheading the Browns head coach search, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, but is not under contract with the team beyond next week. With that said, DePodesta is still wanted in Cleveland and the team may want to extend the executive at the same time of the team’s general manager and head coaching hires to put the organization on the same page.
49ers Designate Kwon Alexander For Return
Kwon Alexander will have a chance to suit up for the 49ers in the playoffs. On Thursday, the Niners designated the linebacker for return, as Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports tweets. 
It’s not a given that Alexander will be able to play the Niners’ divisional round game so soon after suffering a pectoral injury. However, the move to bring him back from IR leaves that possibility open, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says Alexander has a good chance to play next Saturday.
Alexander, 25, was said to be done for the year after landing on IR with a torc pec on November 1st. In eight games, Alexander rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 33 ranked linebacker in the NFL, but it’s worth noting that PFF’s metrics have never been high on his work.
Getting Alexander back on the field in time for their Jan. 11 game would be a huge left for SF, particularly after their rash of injuries in the front seven.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/20
Today’s minor moves:
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed to reserve/futures contract: DB Marcus Sayles
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: S Antone Exum
- Signed to reserve/futures contract: S Derrick Kindred
Since it’s a reserve/futures deal, Kindred won’t be playing for the 49ers in the playoffs, he’ll be added to the offseason roster for 2020. A fourth-round pick of the Browns back in 2016, he started 17 games for Cleveland from 2016-18.
Latest On Browns’ HC Search
Following their Thursday interview with Mike McCarthy, Browns brass will head to Santa Clara, Calif., to meet with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link).
Saleh’s interview has now been scheduled for Saturday. The third-year San Francisco DC has never interviewed for a head coaching post and is thus far not connected to the other two coaching vacancies. However, one way the Browns may be considering going is a staff featuring multiple 49ers assistants.
Cleveland is also interested in 49ers offensive assistants Mike McDaniel and Mike LaFleur, each a Kyle Shanahan lieutenant at multiple stops. Saleh appears to be the San Francisco candidate the Browns are zeroing in on, but if the team hires the fiery DC, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that either LaFleur or McDaniel would then be a candidate to become the Browns’ offensive coordinator. HC interviews with McDaniel and LaFleur are believed to be on the docket, though it’s not known yet when they will occur.
Both were with Shanahan in Cleveland in 2014. Shanahan spent one season as the Browns’ OC and since took LaFleur and McDaniel to Atlanta and San Francisco. They serve as the 49ers’ pass- and run-game coordinators, respectively.
Shanahan blocked Mike LaFleur from joining brother Matt in Green Bay last year but let assistant Rich Scangarello defect to Denver because the Broncos were offering play-calling responsibilities. With Saleh being a defensive-minded coach, the Browns would then hand over their play-calling reins to whomever they hire as OC.
Latest On 49ers' Kwon Alexander
- J.J. Watt‘s return from a torn pectoral muscle has prompted questions about Kwon Alexander potentially doing the same. The 49ers linebacker is eligible to return for the team’s divisional-round game, but Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area hears such a re-emergence remains unlikely. The 49ers, however, have not completely given up on their highest-paid linebacker coming back for a potential NFC championship game. (Though, Kyle Shanahan deemed this unlikely.) The 49ers have yet to use their second IR-return slot. Like Watt, Alexander missed his team’s final eight regular-season games.
Latest On Browns’ Head Coaching Search
The Browns’ GM search is underway. On Tuesday, the Browns fired John Dorsey (or, mutually agreed to part ways with the veteran exec, depending on who you ask).
Before that, the Browns axed first-year head coach Freddie Kitchens. After that, the Browns wasted little time in requesting interviews. Here’s the latest on the names being considered for the job:
- 49ers’ run game coordinator Mike McDaniel is likely to interview with the Browns, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). No date has been set yet, but McDaniel figures to be one of three SF coaches to get a look. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and passing-game coordinator Mike LaFleur will also reportedly be interviewed this weekend.
- In addition to that Niners trio, the Browns have also requested an interview with Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy, as Schefter tweets. It’s shaping up to be a busy bye week for Bienemy, who has also drawn interest from the Panthers and Giants.