Jets Have Strong Interest In Mahomes
The Jets are showing strong interest in Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. Mahomes also met with the 49ers on Thursday night and spent a good amount of time with the Giants, Pauline adds. Giants coach Ben McAdoo, 49ers GM John Lynch, and Seahawks GM John Schneider were all at Texas Tech’s pro day to watch Mahomes throw (Twitter link via Andrew Groover of the NFL Network). It should be noted that McAdoo doesn’t usually attend pro days, so this could be a sign that the Giants’ interest in Mahomes is also at an advanced level.
The stock of Mahomes has been on the rise for the last couple of months. In February, the NFL’s College Advisory Committee gave the quarterback a second-round grade. Meanwhile, with an overall underwhelming crop of quarterback’s in this year’s class, it’s not hard to see Mahomes going somewhere in his first round. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com previously estimated that his floor could be No. 25 overall when the Texans are scheduled to be on the clock. His ceiling, according to JLC, could be as high as top three overall.
The Jets signed Josh McCown this offseason and while he could be the team’s starter in 2017, they haven’t committed to anything of that nature just yet. Gang Green also has Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg on the roster, but it’s not likely that any of those QBs would preclude the Jets from drafting a high-end guy if they felt strongly about him.
The Jets own the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft and it seems possible that Mahomes might be a consideration there. It’s also possible that the Niners could beat them to the punch or another intensely-interested club could trade up to nab him. With roughly one month to go before the draft, it’s clear that Mahomes is a player to watch, but his possibly range is still murky.
Kyle Shanahan On Colin Kaepernick
After talking with general managers at the league meetings, Tom Pelissero of USA Today doesn’t sense that free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick‘s political beliefs have stopped him from landing a contract. The problem isn’t Kaepernick’s asking price, either; rather, it’s that he needs a specific type of offense to fit his style as a mobile signal-caller who has issues with accuracy and struggles when he has to stay in the pocket. Notably, the 49ers’ new head coach, Kyle Shanahan, indicated to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle that they’re not bringing Kaepernick back because he’s not right for their scheme. “I think Colin has a certain skill set that you can put a specific offense to it that he can be very successful in,” said Shanahan. “When we first looked at it … that wasn’t necessarily the direction I wanted to go.”
Myles Garrett To Visit 49ers
- Garrett has upcoming visits with the 49ers and Bears, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The Niners pick at No. 2 and the Bears are at No. 3, so it’s doubtful either will land Garrett. But it seems the 49ers would jump at the chance of selecting him, as 49ers general manager John Lynch said Thursday at Garrett’s pro day that he “checks all of the boxes” (via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area).
Colin Kaepernick Pushing For Starting Job
It has been widely speculated that Colin Kaepernick is being blackballed from the NFL. However, it doesn’t sound like that’s quite the case. The controversial former Niners quarterback doesn’t want just any job, he wants a chance to compete for a starting job with a salary “befitting a high-end backup quarterback or a low-end starter,” ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano hears. 
That would put Kaepernick in range for a salary of $9MM-$10MM, Graziano writes, an asking price seems outrageous given his lack of performance and polarizing politics. As noted in the article, there are only five teams who could realistically offer Kaepernick a chance to start – the Browns, Jets, Texans, Broncos, and 49ers. However, there’s no way the Niners are going back down that road and the Jets don’t seem likely given owner Woody Johnson’s relationship with the president. If Tony Romo wants to continue playing and secures his release, he could wind up with either Houston or Denver, taking another team off the already narrow list.
Ultimately, Kaepernick will have to dial down his expectations if he hopes to land a deal for the coming year. He might not get to compete for a starting job and he certainly won’t be paid like a starter. The reality is that multiple teams have probably crossed him off the list over fear of him becoming a locker room distraction. With less suitors in the mix, the price naturally drops for any remaining clubs with interest. Until he’s willing to settle for less, Kaepernick will remain unemployed.
49ers To Re-Sign DuJuan Harris
The 49ers are re-signing reserve running back DuJuan Harris to a one-year deal, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).
The 28-year-old Harris first joined the 49ers in 2015, when they signed him off the Ravens’ practice squad. Harris is now coming off a 10-game 2016 campaign in which he averaged 3.6 yards per carry on 38 attempts. He also caught eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. A veteran of eight NFL organizations since going undrafted from Troy in 2011, Harris has totaled 590 yards and two scores on 145 carries, good for 4.1 per rush, and 21 receptions for another 244 yards.
Although Harris hasn’t seen much action in his career, he’s easily the 49ers’ most established running back behind starter Carlos Hyde. After losing Shaun Draughn in free agency, their other options are Mike Davis and Raheem Mostert. The 49ers also have well-paid fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who they hope will serve as a weapon next season.
NFL Open To Team Sharing 49ers' Stadium
- Oakland will be discussed as a new “open” market for a possible relocation, Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News hears (on Twitter), but so will the idea of another team sharing Levi’s Stadium with the 49ers in Santa Clara, California.
49ers Haven't Offered Jacquies Smith Contract
General manager John Lynch confirmed Sunday that the 49ers have met with Buccaneers restricted free agent defensive end Jacquies Smith, though they haven’t offered him a contract (via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area). The Niners did have Smith take a physical during his visit, as the 27-year-old missed nearly all of last season with a torn ACL. “We wanted to get him checked out medically, and we’ll see,” said Lynch. If the 49ers do sign Smith to an offer sheet and the Bucs don’t match it, Tampa Bay won’t receive compensation because it only gave the former undrafted free agent an original-round tender.
49ers Host Bucs DE Jacquies Smith On Visit
Buccaneers defensive end Jacquies Smith is on a visit to the 49ers, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Smith is a restricted free agent, so the Bucs reserve the right to match any offer sheet. 
Smith was given the original round/right of first refusal tender by Tampa Bay this offseason. Because he entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2012, the Buccaneers would not receive any draft compensation if they allowed an offer sheet to go unmatched.
Smith, 27, compiled 13.5 sacks between the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He suffered a torn ACL last season, but he is almost fully recovered, according to Rapoport. He was the only Tampa Bay defensive end with more than five sacks in 2015 and the team’s decision to give him the lowest level tender came as a bit of a surprise.
The Bucs currently project to start Robert Ayers and William Gholston at the defensive end spots. Beyond those two, they have Noah Spence, Davonte Lambert, and three other defensive ends under contract, not including Smith.
The Niners, meanwhile, have Arik Armstead and Aaron Lynch at defensive end with Ronald Blair and Zach Moore in support. If healthy, Smith could give them a big boost on the defensive line.
Jets Sign WR Quinton Patton
The Jets have signed wide receiver Quinton Patton, according to a team announcement. Up until this point, Patton spent his entire NFL career with the 49ers. 
The Jets now have seven wide receivers under contract. In addition to Patton, the Jets have Eric Decker, Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson, Charone Peake, Jalin Marshall, and Devin Smith under contract. It should be noted that Decker has been mentioned as a potential cap casualty this offseason and Marshall will be suspended for the first four games of the 2017 season.
In 2016, Patton caught 37 passes for 408 yards. That was no small feat given the Niners’ struggles on offense last season. He had similar numbers (30 grabs, 394 yards, one touchdown) in 2015.
We had Patton ranked as one of the 15 best free agent wide receivers remaining on the open market.
Front Office Rumors: Bills, 49ers, Colts
Earlier today, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com brought us news on the Redskins’ GM search. Further down in his column, he presented more front office news from around the NFL. Here’s a look at the highlights:
- New Bills coach Sean McDermott could convince ownership to import front office guys with whom he has a relationship. JLC floats the name of Panthers director of player personnel Don Gregory and notes that there are “already rumblings that the marriage of McDermott and Bills GM Doug Whaley” will not last.
- The 49ers are also looking to add to the front office. This makes sense given that new GM John Lynch is a front office neophyte.
- New Colts GM Chris Ballard may want to shake up the scouting core, but league sources tell JLC that he may have to wait a year since the evaluators that are already there have more time to go on their contracts. Still, Ballard badly wants to poach Seahawks executive Ed Dodds. If Indy can land him, he’ll probably get a promotion over his current title. Jets director of college scouting Rex Hogan is also a Ballard target, but JLC hears that he still has a good amount of time left on his contract and might be harder to pry away.
- Bears exec Morocco Brown, who has history with Ballard, could be a possible candidate for the Colts and 49ers. JLC notes that Brown had a solid relationship with new SF coach Kyle Shanahan in D.C.