49ers Notes: Draft, Street
- Arizona’s division rival, the 49ers, also have an important draft ahead of them. The 49ers pick second overall, and the last we heard they were targeting Ohio State pass-rusher Nick Bosa. But the 49ers are also looking to add pass-catchers, and will soon host a pair of wideouts for visits. San Francisco will bring in South Carolina receiver Deebo Samuel and Ole Miss receiver A.J. Brown, sources told Matt Barrows of The Athletic. It sounds like the 49ers are still leaning Bosa at number two, assuming the Cardinals pass on him, but are looking to bring in a new weapon for Jimmy Garoppolo with one of their next picks.
- Speaking of the 49ers, we have an update on Kentavius Street. Street was a highly regarded prospect from NC State last year, but he tore his ACL at his pro day. San Francisco still thought highly enough of him to draft him in the fourth round, but he missed his entire rookie season. Street bulked up while he was sidelined with the injury, and coach Kyle Shanahan said from the owners meetings he’s been encouraged by his progress, according to Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports. Shanahan said he could see Street playing both inside and outside, and he’s a good bet to make an impact as a sophomore.
Montez Sweat To Meet With 4 Teams
One of several potential impact front-seven players in this draft, Montez Sweat has his first round of visits lined up.
The Mississippi State product detailed his itinerary to the NFL Network recently (via NBC Sports Bay Area), and that docket includes meetings with the 49ers, Raiders, Bills and Packers. The Dolphins have also shown interest.
Both the Bay Area teams have also set up visits with Kentucky’s Josh Allen, another edge rusher expected to be taken early in the first round. Sweat did not have quite the statistically productive year Allen did as as senior, but he finished his two-year Bulldogs career — after two seasons at Michigan State — with 22.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss.
Sweat blazed to a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, elevating his profile. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound prospect has a pre-existing heart condition, which could scare away some teams, but was cleared to participate in all drills last month in Indianapolis. The Raiders last year showed they did not mind drafting defensive linemen with medical question marks, grabbing Maurice Hurst with a fifth-round pick despite the Michigan product’s heart condition.
The 49ers have been primarily linked to Nick Bosa at No. 2 but are understandably investigating the front-seven talent pool, particularly in case the Cardinals’ Kyler Murray noise ends up being a large-scale smokescreen. The Packers hold two first-round picks — Nos. 12 and 30 — while the Bills have the No. 9 selection.
49ers Did Not Pursue Antonio Brown
The 49ers had interest in trading for Odell Beckham Jr. before the Giants shipped him to the Browns, but they did not go after this year’s other available star wide receiver. In an interview with KNBR, 49ers GM John Lynch said that he did not engage in talks with the Steelers for Antonio Brown. 
“We took a quick look and then we just said, ‘Hey, we’re not interested in that for our team,’” Lynch said (Twitter link via Matt Barrows of The Athletic). “That’s where we are. I think we feel pretty good about our receiving corps. I know a lot of people don’t share our sentiments.”
Brown, of course, went to the Bay Area’s other NFL team in exchange for third- and fifth-round picks. If Brown reverts to his old form in Oakland, there may be questions about the Niners’ lack of interest in the future Hall of Famer.
Meanwhile, Lynch indicated that the Niners’ possession of the No. 2 overall pick in the draft actually complicated trade talks with the Giants. The Giants were looking to come away with an additional first-round pick for 2019, but the Niners were unwilling to give up their valuable position.
“I think, ironically, the fact that we had the No. 2 pick made it more difficult because they wanted that badly,” Lynch said (Twitter link). “They wanted two No. 1s. And we weren’t willing to part with that. It was too valuable of a pick.”
The Niners, who did not land Brown or OBJ, are set to feature a receiving corps headlined by Marquise Goodwin and Jordan Matthews. There will be opportunities to bolster the WR group in the draft, but there are no prospects that warrant consideration at No. 2 overall.
Given Lynch’s reluctance to part with the No. 2 pick, one can’t help but wonder if the Niners should have given more thought to a Brown pursuit.
Contract Details: Dennard, 49ers, Fins, Jets
Here are the latest contract details from around the league:
- Darqueze Dennard, CB (Bengals): One year, $5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
- Chris Reed, OL (Dolphins): Two years, $2.975MM. $500K guaranteed. $1MM base salary in 2019. 2020 salary ($1.38MM) is a team option, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com tweets.
- David Mayo, LB (49ers): Two years, $2.5MM. $1.1MM fully guaranteed. Cap charges of $1.25MM in each season, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com notes (Twitter links).
- Brandon Copeland, DL (Jets): One year, $1.25MM. Deal carries a max value of $3MM, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets.
49ers To Keep Jerick McKinnon
Jerick McKinnon‘s first season with the 49ers did not go according to plan, but he’ll have an opportunity to show what he can do for the team in 2019. Niners GM John Lynch says the running back will be on the team past April 1 when his salary becomes fully guaranteed (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). Furthermore, Lynch confirmed that McKinnon fits into the team’s plans for the upcoming season. 
The 49ers signed McKinnon to a four-year $30MM contract last March, but a torn ACL wiped out his first would-be season in SF. It was a huge disappointment for the team and player alike – McKinnon flashed serious potential in Minnesota and many expected him to bust out big plays in the 49ers’ offense.
In 2017, his final year with the Vikes, McKinnon enjoyed career highs in receptions (51) and receiving yards (421). With capable hands and the athleticism to break out of early tackles, McKinnon has the ability to go for long-distance runs and serve as a security blanket for Jimmy Garoppolo. Both players are expected to be healthy for the start of the 2019 season, which should result in a much better year for the franchise.
49ers Notes: Draft, Bosa, Safeties
The 49ers are in the midst of a pivotal offseason. They dealt with a mountain of injuries last year which excused their poor record, but with Jimmy Garoppolo back healthy next season expectations will be very high. Fortunately for San Francisco, they have the second overall pick at their disposal. For a long time, Ohio State pass-rusher Nick Bosa was the favorite to go first overall to the Cardinals. But with many now expecting Arizona to take Kyler Murray, Bosa could fall into San Francisco’s lap.
To that end, the “consensus opinion at this stage appears to be that Bosa will end up with the 49ers,” writes Matt Maioccio of NBC Sports. One NFL front office member told Maioccio at a recent pro day that the 49ers were going to take Bosa. The 49ers are in desperate need of outside pass-rush, so Bosa makes a lot of sense if he’s available. He would provide a massive boost to Kyle Shanahan’s defense.
- The 49ers were expected to be players for Earl Thomas, but ultimately didn’t end up signing any of the big name safeties available. Safety was seemingly a position of need, but the 49ers opted not to make any splashes there. In a recent interview, 49ers GM John Lynch elaborated on the decision to more or less stay pat. “We feel good about our free safety depth. We feel we’re pretty well stocked there,” Lynch said, per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports. Lynch did leave the door open for a future acquisition, saying “it’s not to say, if an opportunity presents itself, that we won’t go there, but we feel pretty good at our free safety spot.”
49ers Host TE Chris Bragg For Workout
- The 49ers brought in tight end Chris Gragg for a workout, a source told Matt Maioccio of NBC Sports (Twitter link). An Arkansas product, Gragg was taken by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2013 draft. He spent the next four years in Buffalo, then was with the Jets during the 2017 offseason. Gragg has struggled with injuries, missing the entire 2016 and 2017 seasons while hurt. He spent all of last year out of the league, and this is the first we’ve heard of him in a while. Gragg had his most productive season in 2015, when he caught 12 passes for 150 yards. He’s unlikely to make much of an impact even if San Francisco does opt to sign him.
Kaepernick, Reid Settled For ~$10MM
In February, the NFL reached a settlement with Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid to put their collusion grievances to bed. All sides were sworn to a non-disclosure agreement with regards to the particulars, but Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal hears that the two former 49ers settled for less than $10MM. 
[RELATED: Kaepernick Interested In Playing For Dolphins]
In the immediate aftermath of the settlement, many speculated that Kaepernick and Reid could have collected tens of millions of dollars. Ultimately, they received a much more modest sum, one that does not amount to much when factoring for taxes and legal expenses.
Kaepernick and Reid accused NFL teams of colluding in order to keep them out of work. Reid eventually found a home with the Panthers in 2018, but Kaepernick has been out of football since the 2016 season.
The deal may not be a precursor to Kaepernick’s NFL return. Recently, the QB’s lawyer predicted that Kaepernick could be nearing a contract, but nothing has come to fruition over the last month. Meanwhile, Kaep reportedly wants $20MM to play in the AAF and we’ve heard nothing about his talks with the XFL since word of those negotiations broke three weeks ago.
Contract Details: Nsekhe, Anderson, Dorsett
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed NFL contracts:
- Ty Nsekhe, T (Bills): Two years, $9MM. $6.7MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus. $1.5MM available annually in playtime incentives. $1.5MM playtime escalator in 2020 (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Henry Anderson, DL (Jets): Three years, $25.2MM. $17MM guaranteed. $1.75MM available via annual incentives. $850K sacks-based escalator in 2020 and 2021 (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Phillip Dorsett, WR (Patriots): One year, $2.6MM. $500K signing bonus. $600K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com).
- Ereck Flowers, T (Redskins): One year, $3.25MM. $1.5MM guaranteed. $750K in playtime incentive (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com).
- Mike Iupati, G (Seahawks): One year, $2.75MM. $2.25MM guaranteed. $1.25MM signing bonus. $500K in per-game roster bonuses. $500K available via playtime incentives (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com).
- Terrence Brooks, S (Patriots): Two years, $3.25MM. $1.305MM guaranteed. $500K signing bonus. Playtime bonuses available in 2019 and 2020 (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Jordan Matthews, WR (49ers): One year, $1.8MM. $300K signing bonus (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com).
- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB (Redskins): One year, minimum salary benefit. No guaranteed money (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- Jamize Olawale, FB (Cowboys): Three years, $5.4MM. $2.8MM guaranteed. $1.8MM signing bonus. 2021-2022 are option years that must be exercised prior to end of 2020 league year (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Brent Qvale, OL (Jets): One year, $1.4MM. $550K guaranteed. $1MM in incentives (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
49ers To Meet With Nick Bosa
The 49ers are set to have a dinner date with defensive end Nick Bosa on Wednesday night, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter link). With the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, the Niners may be in position to snag Bosa, who is regarded by many as the best overall talent in this year’s class. 
Of course, the Niners’ chances of having Bosa on the board hinges on the Cardinals’ plans at No. 1 . It has been widely reported that the Cardinals have set their sights on Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, though their plans could still be in flux with five weeks to go before taking the podium.
The Niners already made major upgrades to their defense by acquiring edge rusher Dee Ford and Kwon Alexander earlier this month. Putting Bosa at one of the bookends would give the 49ers a massively improved front seven and a D to be reckoned with.
Despite playing in only three games last year, Bosa looks the part of a game-changer in the NFL, similar to older brother Joey Bosa. As a sophomore, Bosa registered 8.5 sacks and 16 total tackles for a loss and was named a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection. Even in his injury-shortened junior season, Bosa managed four sacks and six tackles for a loss.