49ers To Sign DE Kerry Hyder
The 49ers have reached a one-year deal with edge rusher Kerry Hyder, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Hyder, 28, appeared in 16 games as a reserve for the Cowboys in 2019 after spending the previous three seasons with the Lions. Last year, Hyder played on 40% of Dallas’ defensive snaps, posting one sack and four quarterback hits.
Hyder’s best season came in 2016, when he managed a career-high eight sacks with Detroit. His defensive line coach that year was Kris Kocurek, who now holds the same role with the 49ers.
Nick Bosa and Dee Ford will start at defensive end for San Francisco, so Hyder will compete with Ronald Blair, Kentavius Street, and others for playing time on the edge.
49ers, LB Joe Walker Agree To Deal
Joe Walker will change NFC West teams, moving from the Cardinals to the 49ers. The defending NFC champions agreed to a one-year deal with the linebacker, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
A former Eagles seventh-round pick, Walker supplanted Haason Reddick in the Cardinals’ lineup last season. He originally caught on with the Cards after being signed off the Eagles’ practice squad. The 27-year-old defender will have a chance to carve out a role with the 49ers.
San Francisco did not tender linebacker Elijah Lee as a restricted free agent last week, opening up a depth spot for Walker. While the 49ers have their top three fairly well positioned — in Kwon Alexander, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw — the 2019 Cardinals starter will be a prime candidate to serve as a backup.
The Oregon product registered 65 tackles (five for loss) and a forced fumble last season. He had previously made just 17 stops in his Eagles career. Despite being a starter, Walker also played 70% of Arizona’s special teams snaps last season.
Contract Details: Mayo, Patriots, Bailey
A handful of contract details to pass along:
- LB David Mayo, Giants: three-year extension. $8.4MM deal, including $3.5MM guaranteed. Salaries: $1.5MM guaranteed (2020), $2.25MM (2021), $2.5MM (2022). Via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter.
- WR Damiere Byrd, Patriots: one year, $2.5MM. $1MM base salary, $350K signing bonus, $900K in receptions incentives. Via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter.
- S Adrian Phillips, Patriots: two years. Deal worth up to $7.5MM, $3MM guaranteed, $1.5MM signing bonus. Can earn up to $4MM in 2020. Via Yates on Twitter.
- K Dan Bailey, Vikings: re-signed. Three-year deal worth up to $12MM. $5MM guaranteed, $3.15MM signing bonus. Via Yates on Twitter.
- OL Joe Looney, Cowboys: signed. One-year, $2.4375MM deal. As Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets, one of the new CBA’s veteran benefits is that the deal will count $1.25MM less on the cap than it would have last season.
- OT Shon Coleman, 49ers: one-year extension. Worth $962.5K, including $825K base salary and $137.5K signing bonus. Via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner on Twitter.
- DB Jaylen Watkins, Texans: signed. Two-year deal worth $3MM, per Wilson.
- OT Roderick Johnson, Texans: re-signed. One-year deal worth $1.75MM, per Wilson.
49ers, OL Tom Compton Agree To Deal
Shortly after the 49ers moved on from multiyear starting guard Mike Person, they agreed to terms with Tom Compton. The defending NFC champions will add Compton on a one-year, $3MM deal, Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets.
The 49ers will be Compton’s fifth team in five years. Following four years with the Redskins, the veteran offensive lineman has become one of the league’s most available journeymen. Compton, 30, has played in at least 11 games with different teams over the past four seasons — the Falcons, Bears, Vikings and Jets.
At two of his previous career stops, however, Compton worked with 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan. The ex-Washington and Atlanta OC may have designs on plugging him into Person’s role opposite Laken Tomlinson or placing him in a competition with another familiar blocker. The 49ers now have Compton and 31-year-old swing man Ben Garland in the fold; each has played for Shanahan in multiple cities. Garland and Compton were teammates with the ’16 Falcons as well.
A former sixth-round pick out of South Dakota, Compton has spent most of his career as a backup. His lone season as a full-time starter came with the 2018 Vikings, whose offensive line was not exactly a celebrated unit. Compton played 363 snaps last season with the Jets, starting five games for an embattled unit, and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 67 overall guard.
49ers To Cut Mike Person
The 49ers are moving on from Michael Person. The starting guard will be released on Thursday, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Person, 32 in June, has spent the last two years with the Niners. Last year, they kept him from free agency with a three-year, $9MM pact including $3MM in guarantees. It was a low-cost deal with little in the way of locked-down money, so it wasn’t tough for SF to shed him.
At the time of the deal, it looked like a major win for the 49ers. As the 49ers’ starting right guard in 2018, Person graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 18 ranked guard in the NFL out of 71 qualified players.
This year, he started in all 14 of his regular season contests at multiple offensive line spots. Despite his experience and versatility, the 49ers have opted against keeping him as they’re tight against the cap.
49ers To Re-Sign Ben Garland
The 49ers are set to re-sign Ben Garland, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’ll return on a one-year deal worth $2.25MM.
Garland joined the Niners last year after three seasons with the Falcons. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan overlapped with him in that first Atlanta season, making it a natural fit.
Garland entered the NFL as a defensive lineman but later found his footing as a protector. He’s never been a full-time starter, but he’s been well-regarded by coaches and advanced metrics alike for his work in recent years.
49ers Place Second-Round Tender On WR Kendrick Bourne
The 49ers have applied a second-round tender to wideout Kendrick Bourne, his agents told ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).
Bourne has spent the past three seasons with the 49ers, and he’s really come into his own between 2018 and 2019. Over the past two years, the receiver has hauled in a total of 72 receptions for 845 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He’s also appeared in 16 games in each of the past two years.
Bourne also appeared in all three playoff games for San Francisco this past season, hauling in six total receptions. That included a pair of catches for 42 yards during the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss.
Bourne could have a chance to take on a bigger role in 2020. With Deebo Samuel atop the receiver depth chart, Bourne will compete with the likes of Dante Pettis and Marquise Goodwin for snaps.
49ers, Jerick McKinnon Restructure Contract
The 49ers and running back Jerick McKinnon agreed to restructure his contract, a source tells Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. McKinnon had been seen as a likely cap casualty. Instead, he will stay in San Francisco.
McKinnon is now signed through 2020, with Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio noting (via Twitter) the running back agreed to trim a year off his contract. The ex-Viking agreed to slash a lofty salary down to the veteran minimum, per Caplan, who adds that does not include the per-game roster bonuses the veteran would be in line to receive (Twitter link).
McKinnon will earn $910K in base salary and, thanks to a $4MM prorated signing bonus, count for $2.91MM against the 49ers’ 2020 cap, according to OverTheCap.
The Niners organization has long hoped to see what McKinnon could do in head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s offense. Shanahan and general manager John Lynch targetted McKinnon in the 2018 offseason, signing the versatile back to a four-year, $30MM contract. However, two seasons later, McKinnon has yet to take the field in a regular-season game for the 49ers.
After suffering a torn-ACL during practice prior to the 2018 season, another knee surgery cost McKinnon the 2019 season as well. When we last saw McKinnon in regular-season action, McKinnon was working as a scatback for the Vikings contributing off of handoffs and catching passes out of the backfield. In his final season in Minnesota, McKinnon received 201 touches (150 carries and 51 receptions) for 991 yards from scrimmage (570 rushing and 421 receiving) and 5 touchdowns (3 rushing and 2 receiving).
Under his original agreement, McKinnon was set to count $8.55MM against the salary cap in 2020 and San Francisco could have saved $4.55MM in cap space from releasing him (per Over the Cap). With Matt Breida entering free agency and Tevin Coleman remaining a possible cap casualty, keeping McKinnon in the fold at a lower number gives the Niners some added financial flexibility.
49ers Re-Sign Ronald Blair
The 49ers defensive line underwent quite the shock on Monday when they traded DeForest Buckner to the Colts. However, after resigning Arik Armstead, San Francisco will also be reuniting with defensive lineman Ronald Blair on a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Over his four years in the Bay Area, Blair served as a situational pass-rusher and was the primary backup to Dee Ford and Nick Bosa this past season. Blair proved to be a solid option but suffered a torn-ACL in the team’s ninth game. Without Blair, San Francisco struggled to find another rotational piece to competently spell Bosa and Ford.
Blair seemed set to have an active market for his services this offseason, but the current situation surrounding COVID-19, which prevents teams from conducting physicals with free agents, likely limited interest from teams without familiarity with his ACL injury.
While San Francisco has a tough challenge to replace Buckner’s production, the team appears set to hope added depth (and better health) can help make up for some of their losses. Blair has recorded 88 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 27 quarterback hits, and 22 tackles for loss in 47 games over his career.
Five Teams Interested In Phillip Dorsett
Free-agent wideout Phillip Dorsett tells ESPN’s Josina Anderson that the Jets, Seahawks, Chargers, 49ers, and Raiders have all shown preliminary interest in his services. Dorsett added, “I just want to come in and have a great opportunity to play and showcase how I can really flourish as a player.”
While Dorsett has never lived up to the expectations placed upon a first-round pick (the Colts selected Dorsett with the 29th overall pick in 2015), he has consistently been a healthy pass-catching depth option over his five-year career.
Dorsett was most productive in 2016. Appearing in 15 games with a career-high 7 starts, Dorsett caught 33 receptions for 528 yards and 2 touchdowns with the Colts. Indianapolis shipped Dorsett to the Patriots the following offseason in a trade for quarterback Jacoby Brissett. In New England over the past three seasons, Dorsett was a decently productive depth piece, accruing 73 receptions for 881 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Of course, the Patriots struggles to find legitimate options at wide receiver over the past few seasons have been well documented. Yet even amidst the dire straights, Dorsett was never able to emerge as a top option. Still, given his long history as a sturdy player, it’s no surprise that many teams remain interested in his services.