49ers Notes: Garoppolo, CBs, Marsh, Brown
Jimmy Garoppolo‘s five-year, $137MM 49ers deal will pay out $86.4MM in its first three seasons, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Facebook link). This landmark agreement contains $74.1MM in injury guarantees and comes with a $28MM guaranteed roster bonus and $7MM signing bonus. Garoppolo’s 2018 base salary of $6.2MM is fully guaranteed as well. He will collect $42.6MM in the first year of the deal, Schefter reports. Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets Garoppolo will account for a $37MM cap figure this season. The 49ers entered the negotiations with more than $100MM in projected cap space.
Of Garoppolo’s $17.2MM 2019 base, $7.5MM of that is guaranteed at signing. Overall, $48.7MM of this deal is fully guaranteed at signing, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Despite the full contract being for a record amount, the agreement falls short of the $60MM in full guarantees Matthew Stafford received last year. Garoppolo’s two-year earnings will come in at $61.2MM, which Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com categorizes (Twitter link) as the true guarantee. This is $10MM more than the 26-year-old quarterback would have received had he been franchise-tagged two straight times as Kirk Cousins was, with these negotiations surely taking this into consideration.
Garoppolo’s 2020 base comes in at $23.8MM — $15.7MM of which is guaranteed for injury. The former second-round pick’s $24.1MM and $24.2MM base salaries for 2021 and 2022 are not guaranteed, Schefter reports. The escape hatch in this deal appears to exist after its third season. A Year 4 stipulation of an NFC championship game appearance, or if Garoppolo is named first- or second-team All-Pro, produces a $7.5MM injury guarantee, however. This deal’s fourth season also contains a no-trade clause, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets.
Now that the 49ers have their top offseason priority out of the way, here is the latest out of the Bay Area:
- As for the contract defensive end Cassius Marsh signed, his extension is a two-year deal worth $7.7MM, Yates reports (on Twitter). The deal includes $3.1MM fully guaranteed, per Yates. Including incentives and escalators, the pact has a maximum value of $12.7MM. That’s a surprisingly large deal for Marsh, who was released midway through the 2017 season by New England.
- The 49ers are expected to target cornerback help in free agency, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. Considering San Francisco is still expected to have more than $60MM in cap space after the Garoppolo deal, the team could afford to pursue top-market solutions here. Trumaine Johnson, Kyle Fuller, Malcolm Butler look to as of now represent the top tier of targets. And with the 49ers still expected to possess more cap space than most teams even after authorizing the richest extension in NFL history, they should be in a commanding position to outflank opposition on the market.
- Right tackle Trent Brown‘s now extension-eligible, being a fourth-year player, but Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com doesn’t see the 49ers pursuing a re-up this offseason. Maiocco notes the 49ers now have enough questions about Brown’s future they may hold off on extension talks that were once expected to commence. Brown, whom Maiocco reports underwent shoulder surgery this offseason and still faces a lengthy rehab process, hitting the 2019 market would likely induce a bidding war. John Lynch previously said he expects Brown to be a cornerstone player, which would indicate he’ll be on the team beyond his contract year. But it appears the 49ers are in a wait-and-see pattern regarding their right-edge protector at present.
Zach Links contributed to this report.
Coaching Rumors: Ravens, Lions, Steelers
Dean Pees‘ retirement from the Ravens didn’t last long as he became the Titans’ defensive coordinator less than a month later. The about-face took Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti by surprise.
“I’m a little shocked,” Bisciotti said (via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). “He’s 68 years old. It’s hard to give it up, I guess.”
Bisciotti didn’t come right out and say it, but it sounds like Pees went to the Titans in part because they were willing to employ his son, Matt Pees, as a quality control coach.
“I wish Dean all the luck,” Bisciotti said. “I understand he got his son in; I think that was a big point of his. We have a nepotism rule that may have prohibited that from happening in the last few years.”
Here’s more from the coaching world:
- Following Carnell Lake‘s resignation from the position of Steelers secondary coach, Pittsburgh’s brass reached into the college ranks to fill the post. UCLA defensive coordinator Tom Bradley will leave Los Angeles to become the Steelers’ new DBs boss, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Bradley is a Pennsylvania native who spent 33 seasons on Joe Paterno’s staff — from 1979-2011. He coached the Bruins’ defense for the past three years. The 61-year-old Bradley will be on an NFL sideline for the first time come 2018.
- In addition to formally announcing former Boston College defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni as their new defensive coordinator and keeping Jim Bob Cooter on as offensive coordinator, the Lions have also named several other members of new head coach Matt Patricia‘s staff. Chris White has been hired as Detroit’s tight ends coach, while former Miami head coach Al Golden will remain on staff as the club’s linebackers coach (he’d previously coached tight ends). Most of White’s experience has come at the collegiate level, but he did serve as the Vikings’ assistant special teams coach from 2009-12. The Lions also officially announced several other coaching hires that had been previously reported, including George Godsey (quarterbacks), Jeff Davidson (offensive line), and Brian Stewart (defensive backs), plus one that hadn’t in David Corrao (director of football research).
- A 49ers defensive assistant for the past three years, former NFL DC Jason Tarver will become a coach outside of California for the first time in his 20-plus-year career. Tarver agreed to take the defensive coordinator job at Vanderbilt, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. The Raiders’ DC from 2012-14, Tarver enjoyed two stints with the 49ers — the first from 2001-10. He coached alongside current Vanderbilt HC Derek Mason in 2011 at Stanford.
- Speaking of the Commodores, the SEC program also announced former Browns assistant Shawn Mennenga will oversee Vandy’s special teams units in 2018 (Twitter link). The Browns let Menneaga walk after he served seven seasons under previous ST coordinator Chris Tabor.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report.
49ers Sign Jimmy Garoppolo To Extension
The 49ers and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo have agreed to a five-year, $137.5MM contract, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Full financial details of the deal have yet to leak out, but this stands as the largest deal in league history on an average annual value basis. Matthew Stafford set the bar with his five-year, $135MM ($27MM/season) deal last August. Garoppolo now has the new watermark with an average of $27.5MM per year.
Garoppolo signed the deal Thursday night, the team confirmed.
The Niners acquired Garoppolo during the season from the Patriots in exchange for a second-round choice. Based on the early results, the deal may go down as one of the greatest all-time heists in NFL history. Once the young QB was inserted into the Niners’ starting lineup, SF rallied from an ugly 1-10 start to finish out the year on a five-game winning streak. The sample size is small, but Jimmy G owns a career 7-0 record as a starting QB.
At the Senior Bowl, 49ers GM John Lynch sounded optimistic about a deal coming together soon:
“When you find the right guy at that position, it’s really good for your franchise. We believe we’ve found the right guy. Now the challenge is getting Jimmy signed. We’re working hard towards that. We’ll see. I think he wants to be with us and we want him there. I think it makes too much sense not to happen. So it’s just a matter of getting it done.”
Technically speaking, Garoppolo was due for unrestricted free agency in March. However, there was zero chance of Garoppolo reaching the open market as the Niners were fully prepared to use the franchise tag on the 26-year-old (27 in November).
The Patriots, in theory, could have kept Garoppolo and groomed him to be the successor to Tom Brady, who turns 41 in August. Depending on who you ask, his status in New England may or may not have caused a triangular rift between Brady, coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft. It’s not hard to imagine the Patriots kicking themselves behind closed doors for the trade, particularly after the way Garoppolo performed in the second half of the 2017 season.
Then again, the Patriots did offer up four-year contract extensions for Garoppolo in the $17MM-$18MM per year range plus increases for if/when he succeeded Brady. Garoppolo, who was no doubt advised that he could crack $25MM per season on his next deal, declined the deal, opting to wait for an opportunity to run a team of his own.
Garoppolo’s position as the league’s highest-paid player might not last all that long. If Kirk Cousins reaches unrestricted free agency, he could very well top Garoppolo’s AAV, despite being three years older. Cousins himself might not stay atop the mountain for long with Matt Ryan entering his walk year and Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, and Ben Roethlisberger being two years away from the open market.
49ers, Cassius Marsh Agree To Extension
The 49ers announced that defensive end Cassius Marsh has signed a two-year extension with the team. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Marsh, 26 in July, was initially set for free agent in March. Instead, he’s under contract with San Francisco through the 2019 campaign.
Marsh was traded from the Seahawks to the Patriots last September in exchange for a fifth- and seventh-round pick. He went on to play in nine games for the Pats (one start), compiling 19 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. As time wore on, however, he fell out of the rotation and was released in November. The Niners claimed him off waivers and gave him an opportunity to play. Marsh tallied ten tackles and two sacks in six games with SF.
Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order
With the Super Bowl in the books, we now know the draft order for the entire first round of the 2018 draft. Here’s the rundown:
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)
T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)
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, Jimmy Garoppolo Moving Closer To Long-Term Deal
Jimmy Garoppolo may not be on the sidelines for today’s Super Bowl, but he is about to become a very rich man. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the 49ers and their new quarterback have made significant progress in their negotiations towards a long-term contract, which would allow the two sides to avoid the oft-contentious franchise tag process.
Even if Garoppolo had not played a single snap for San Francisco following his surprising trade from New England during the 2017 season, he was still going to get paid. But once he was inserted into the 49ers’ starting lineup, all he did was lead the 1-10 Niners on a five-game winning streak to end the season, compiling a 96.2 quarterback rating in the process.
Garoppolo will, in all likelihood, lose a game in his professional career, but it hasn’t happened yet. He is 7-0 as a starter, and per Rapoport, his new contract will put him among the “upper echelon” of the league’s quarterbacks.
At last week’s Senior Bowl, San Francisco GM John Lynch certainly sounded optimistic that the two sides would get a deal wrapped up soon. He said, “When you find the right guy at that position, it’s really good for your franchise. We believe we’ve found the right guy. Now the challenge is getting Jimmy signed. We’re working hard towards that. We’ll see. I think he wants to be with us and we want him there. I think it makes too much sense not to happen. So it’s just a matter of getting it done.”
2018 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure should be around $1.908MM in 2018. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2018 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
49ers: Trent Brown, T; Eli Harold, LB
Bears: Adrian Amos, S
Bengals: Tyler Kroft, TE; Josh Shaw, DB
Bills: John Miller, G
Broncos: Max Garcia, G; Trevor Siemian, QB
Browns: Duke Johnson, RB
Buccaneers: Kwon Alexander, LB
Cardinals: David Johnson, RB; J.J. Nelson, WR
Chargers: Kyle Emanuel, LB
Chiefs: Chris Conley, WR; Steven Nelson, CB
Colts: Henry Anderson, DE; Mark Glowinski, G; Denzelle Good, OL
Dolphins: Bobby McCain, CB
Eagles: Jay Ajayi, RB; Jordan Hicks, LB
Falcons: Grady Jarrett, DT
Jaguars: A.J. Cann, OL
Lions: Quandre Diggs, CB
Packers: Jake Ryan, LB
Panthers: Daryl Williams, T
Patriots: Trey Flowers, DE; Shaq Mason, G
Raiders: Clive Walford, TE
Rams: Jamon Brown, G
Ravens: Za’Darius Smith, LB
Redskins: T.J. Clemmings, OL; Jamison Crowder, WR
Saints: Tyeler Davison, DT
Seahawks: Tyler Lockett, WR
Steelers: Jesse James, TE
Vikings: Stefon Diggs, WR; Danielle Hunter, DE
OverTheCap.com was essential in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Block Titans From DeMeco Ryans Interview
Early in his coaching career, DeMeco Ryans resides as a 49ers defensive quality control coach. But the team thinks highly of the former linebacker and did not want another franchise poaching him from the staff just yet.
The 49ers blocked the Titans from speaking with Ryans in an interview setting, Jason Wolf of The Tennesseean reports (on Twitter). Ryans and Mike Vrabel‘s time with the Texans did not overlap, with the linebacker having moved on to the Eagles by the time Vrabel got to Houston, but the new Titans coach wanted to meet with him nonetheless.
The 33-year-old assistant played in the NFL from 2006-15 and caught on with Robert Saleh‘s defensive staff. Despite Ryans being set for a low-level assistant job, Saleh gave a glowing assessment of the newcomer last year, helping to explain why San Francisco blocked his possible defection to Tennessee.
“DeMeco is probably going to be a head coach one day,” Saleh said in April 2017, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “So, I’ll be asking him for a job I’m sure not long from now. He’s got that type of football I.Q. — that type of presence — and is as knowledgeable as it gets.”
Branch notes one of Ryans’ main responsibilities this season was working with first-rounder Reuben Foster, who made a strong impression as a rookie when healthy. It’s clear he’ll have a chance to learn more from Ryans in 2018.
49ers, Jimmy G Working Toward Contract
- 49ers general manager John Lynch has stated often that he envisions Jimmy Garoppolo as the quarterback in San Francisco for the foreseeable future. Lynch confirmed this week that steps have been taken to ensure that happens, reports the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch writes. The chances of Garoppolo playing somewhere other than the Bay Area in 2018 are slim to none. If a multi-year deal cannot be quickly reached, the team is sure to use the franchise tag on the signal-caller who has yet to lose as a starter in the NFL (7-0).
49ers' Tag Options For Jimmy Garopppolo
Safety Earl Thomas had made waves with his perceived discontent with the Seahawks over the past month or so, and he now sounds serious about initiating a contract holdout, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. “I want to finish my career there,” Thomas said. “I definitely don’t see myself going out there not signed. But I’m going to continue to work my butt off and enjoy this process at the Pro Bowl. As far as my future in Seattle, I think if they want me, you know, money talks. We’ll get something accomplished. Other than that, I’m just taking it one day at a time.” Thomas, 28, is entering the final year of his current contract, and says Seattle has yet to initiate negotiation discussions. He’s currently earning $10MM annually, which ranks sixth among NFL safeties.
- New Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks has opted to retain incumbent quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Former Arizona head coach Bruce Arians has been especially vocal about Leftwich’s future prospects, noting last June that the former first-round pick would become “a head coach early and fast.” Elsewhere on staff, wide receivers coach Kevin Garver and tight ends coach Steve Heiden could stay on with the Cardinals, per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link), while inside linebackers coach Larry Foote will return, tweets Alex Marvez of the Sporting News. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have also announced Jeff Rodgers — who’s coached with the Bears, Broncos, and Panthers — as their new special teams coordinator.
- While the 49ers are confident that they’ll be able to extend quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, there is a chance San Francisco will be forced to use a franchise or transition tag, leading Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk to examine the benefits and drawbacks of each tender. The transition tag is roughly $2MM cheaper than the non-exclusive franchise tag, but it also comes with the threat of another team snagging Garoppolo without the 49ers collecting draft pick compensation. However, general manager John Lynch & Co. lead the league in cap space, meaning they’d be able to match nearly any offer sheet Garoppolo receives from another club.
- The 49ers are searching for an assistant defensive line coach to work under Jeff Zgonina, reports Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). USC defensive line coach Kenechi Udeze was in the 49ers’ facility on Thursday, so there’s a possibility he was interviewing for the position, per Maiocco. Vince Oghobaase held the title of assistant OL coach in 2017, but he’s since joined the UCLA staff.