49ers Decline Elvis Dumervil’s Option
The 49ers announced that they will not pick up defensive end/linebacker Elvis Dumervil’s contract option for 2018. Meanwhile, they are exercising the option of linebacker Dekoda Watson and have tendered a one-year contract to exclusive rights free agent running back Raheem Mostert.
The Niners have a good amount of cap space, but Dumervil’s $4.25MM cap hit (and $500K option bonus) was still too high for the Niners’ liking. Dumervil led the Niners’ D with 6.5 sacks in 2017, but the team is intent on moving forward with younger options including Eli Harold, Cassius Marsh, and Pita Taumoepenu. No other SF player had more than three sacks last year.
Dumervil is on the backend of his career at the age of 34, but he still has plenty to offer teams. He offers a wealth of experience as an edge rusher, not to mention 105.5 career sacks across eleven seasons with the Broncos, Ravens, and Niners.
Watson appeared in 14 games for the 49ers last season, primarily as a special teamer. He’s now slated to count against the cap for $1.633MM in 2018.
49ers, Marquise Goodwin Agree To Extension
The 49ers have re-signed wide receiver Marquise Goodwin to a three-year extension, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal is worth $20.3MM with $10MM guaranteed. The Niners have also confirmed the deal.
“Marquise earned this extension by coming in every day focused on doing his job and, as a result, he made himself and his teammates better,” GM John Lynch said in a press release.
Goodwin was already under contract for 2018 thanks to the two-year, $6MM free agent deal he inked with SF in 2016. The new pact will keep him in place for longer and reward him for a solid campaign in ’17.
Goodwin was the Niners’ most productive receiver last year, catching 56 passes for 962 yards and two touchdowns. He also jelled well with new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, which bodes well for his future in San Francisco.
The deal also bodes well for wide receivers as a whole. Although Goodwin is coming off of the best season of his career, his $6.67MM average annual value on the deal is an indicator that the wide receiver market is on the verge of exploding. Take Terrelle Pryor for example – last year, Pryor settled for a one-year, $6MM with the Redskins after topping 1,000 yards on 77 catches in the previous season. Even without testing the open market, Goodwin has bested that in AAV on a multi-year deal.
49ers, Broncos Discuss Aqib Talib Trade
The Broncos and 49ers have discussed a trade that would have sent cornerback Aqib Talib to San Francisco, according to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, that doesn’t look likely to go down at this time. Meanwhile, Talib’s preference is to be released so that he can sign with a team of his choosing and his top choice is the Patriots, Russini hears. 
Talib has been identified as a trade/release candidate for the Broncos due to his $11MM cap number in 2018. The veteran does not have a no trade clause, but any team acquiring him would want to know that he on board with joining them, so he effectively has the ability to scuttle a deal. That may be the case with the 49ers, who may also want Talib to adjust his contract.
Talib has two years remaining on the six-year, $57MM pact he signed with Denver in 2014. With Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby already in-house, the Broncos can afford to move on from him. What they really can’t afford to do, however, is keep hm at his current rate. The Broncos have several needs to address this offseason, chiefly at the quarterback position.
Signing with the Patriots would represent something of a homecoming for Talib, who spent parts of two seasons with New England earlier this decade. The Patriots already have one high-priced cornerback in Stephon Gilmore, but they’re expected to lose Malcolm Butler to free agency. If Talib is willing to accept less than the $11MM base salary he’s scheduled to collect, New England would seem like an ideal destination.
The 49ers, meanwhile, also make sense as a landing spot for Talib given the state of their secondary and their ample amount of cap space. San Francisco could certainly take on Talib at his current salary, but it’s possible the club has asked Talib to accept a pay reduction under the terms of a trade. After ranking 28th in pass defensive DVOA a season ago, the 49ers can use all the help they can get in their defensive backfield.
Talib, 32, appeared in 15 games with the Broncos in 2017, a campaign which marked his fourth in Denver. Despite his advanced age, Talib is still playing like one of the NFL’s premier cornerbacks. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 15th-best CB in the league, while Talib finished third in Football Outsiders’ success rate.
49ers Interested In TE Trey Burton
The 49ers are “believed” to be one of the NFL teams with interest in pending free agent tight end Trey Burton, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
[RELATED: Top 2018 NFL Free Agents — Offense]
Half the league reportedly has interest in Burton, so the 49ers will certainly have competition if they seek to sign the 26-year-old former undrafted free agent. But San Francisco will enter the free agent period with roughly $66MM in cap space (good for fifth in the league), so the club will have the funds needed to make a real pursuit of Burton, who remains unlikely to re-sign with the Eagles after rejecting an offer from Philadelphia that he did not consider “serious.”
As Barrows notes, the 49ers currently employ two in-line tight ends in George Kittle and Garrett Celek. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan is likely looking for a “move” tight end, a player — such as Burton — who has the ability to play in the slot or split out wide. Other tight ends on San Franscisco’s roster includes Cole Hikutini and Cole Wick, while Barrows reports the Niners aren’t expected to re-sign veteran Logan Paulsen.
Burton, for his part, has spent four seasons with the Eagles but only became a factor on offense beginning in 2016. Even since then, he’s played second fiddle to starting tight end Zach Ertz. Over the past two years, Burton has averaged 30 receptions, 288 yards, and three touchdowns per season, but he’s been extremely efficient. Football Outsiders ranked Burton third in DVOA among tight ends a season ago, meaning he provided value on a per-play basis.
49ers Have Interest In Trumaine Johnson
- While the Raiders have interest in Johnson, another Bay Area team — the 49ers — is also expected to pursue the free agent corner, as Pauline reports in a separate piece. San Francisco ranked just 28th in pass defense DVOA a season ago, and are not expected to re-sign its top cornerback in Dontae Johnson. Thus, the 49ers not only have a clear need atop their secondary depth chart, but have gobs of cap space: at nearly $70MM, San Francisco currently ranks fifth in available cap room.
Details On Garry Gilliam's Contract
- ESPN’s Nick Wagoner has some additional details (via Twitter) on Garry Gilliam‘s new contract with the 49ers. In 2018, the offensive lineman will earn a $1.75MM base salary, along with a $400K roster bonus. Gilliam can also earn up to $500K in per-game bonuses and another $50K via a workout bonus, all leading to a $2.45MM cap hit. In 2019, the cap number jumps to $5.05MM, but only $1.5MM of his $4.5MM base salary is guaranteed for injury only.
[SOURCE LINK]
49ers To Pick 9th, Raiders To Pick 10th
The order for the 2018 draft is officially in the books. The 49ers won the coin toss for the rights to the No. 9 pick on Friday afternoon. The Raiders will now pick 10th. Beyond the first round, the Niners, Raiders, and Dolphins will alternate draft order due to their identical records.
The 49ers and Raiders both finished the year with matching 6-10 record and an identical strength of schedule. Typically, conference record is the next tiebreaker, but because the two teams are in different divisions and conferences, the logjam was settled with a coin flip.
The Raiders aren’t the only losers in today’s toss. The Patriots hold the rights to the Niners’ second-round pick thanks to the Jimmy Garoppolo trade and they’ll now pick at No. 43 overall instead of No. 41.
Here is the complete rundown of this year’s draft order:
1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)
2. New York Giants (3-13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos (5-11)
6. New York Jets (5-11)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
8. Chicago Bears (5-11)
9.San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
10. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
13. Washington Redskins (7-9)
14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
20. Detroit Lions (9-7)
21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
31. New England Patriots (13-3)
32. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
49ers Notes: Ryans, Turner, Waugh
- After blocking him from an interview with the Titans earlier this year, the 49ers have promoted DeMeco Ryans from defensive quality coach to inside linebackers coach, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Ryans, who enjoyed a decade-long playing career, is well-respected in NFL circles, and 49ers DC Robert Saleh recently claimed Ryans will someday become a head coach. Additionally, San Francisco announced that it has promoted Keena Turner to vice President and senior advisor to the general manager and promoted Ethan Waugh to college scouting director.
Dion Lewis Expected To Draw Interest From 6-7 Teams
Patriots free agent running back Dion Lewis is expected to draw significant interest on the free agent market, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Lewis, who is reportedly seeking a $6MM annual salary, is likely to draw the eye of the Jets, Texans, 49ers, Raiders, and Colts, per Florio. New York, San Francisco, and Indianapolis are each facing vacancies in their backfields, but a Lewis addition in Houston or Oakland would presumably lead to the release of Lamar Miller or Marshawn Lynch, respectively.
The Patriots had a cavalcade of running backs on their roster in 2017, but Lewis was the best of the bunch. The 27-year-old Lewis posted the most outstanding season of his career in 2017, toting the ball 180 times for 896 yards (both team highs), managing 214 yards on 32 receptions, and scoring 10 total touchdowns (including one in the return game). Lewis ranked first in Football Outsiders‘ DYAR metric, sixth in broken tackles, and sixth in Pro Football Focus‘ pass-blocking grades.
Lewis isn’t the only free agent running back about whom New England needs to worry. Rex Burkhead is also scheduled to hit the open market later this month, so while the Patriots still employ James White, Brandon Bolden, and Mike Gillislee they could see a great deal of turnover in their backfield over the coming weeks.
49ers, OL Garry Gilliam Agree To Extension
The 49ers have signed offensive lineman Garry Gilliam to a two-year extension worth $8MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal includes nearly $4M guaranteed. 
Gilliam went from the Seahawks to the Niners last April when Seattle declined to match his offer sheet. After earning $2.2MM last season, the 27-year-old is receiving yet another pay bump.
Gilliam’s payday is the latest indicator that there is a serious dearth of offensive tackle talent in the NFL. He had just 38 total snaps for the Niners last season and landed on season-ending IR in late October. Before that, he earned poor grades in all three of his seasons with the Seahawks. Gilliam is not what you would call a quality starting option, but the Niners are flush with cash and apparently do not see lots of talent on the horizon in March or in April’s draft.