49ers Looking To Bolster WR Corps
- Former Eagles and 49ers head coach Chip Kelly hasn’t been able to find an NFL job this offseason, even as an assistant, and is now trying to break into the media ranks. Kelly auditioned for FOX last week, tweets Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson.
- Kelly’s successor in San Francisco, Kyle Shanahan, isn’t impressed with the 49ers’ pass catchers, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. When asked which of the 49ers’ receivers and tight ends have stood out on film, Shanahan said, “No one in particular,” and added that the club will look for help this offseason. Jeremy Kerley and Quinton Patton, the 49ers’ top receivers from 2016, are set to become free agents, making the need to add options all the more obvious. San Francisco might pursue Alshon Jeffery in free agency, and signing him would give the team a much-needed No. 1 target.
49ers, Redskins, Cowboys To Discuss Cousins, Romo?
In what would be a stunning turn of events, a scenario in which the 49ers acquire quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Redskins could lead to Washington landing fellow signal-caller Tony Romo from the Cowboys, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It would be a three-team trade that would see the Redskins send draft pick compensation to the NFC East rival Cowboys for Romo (Twitter links).
While Romo’s a longtime star and a four-time Pro Bowler, the more significant passer changing hands in this deal would be Cousins. The Redskins placed the $23.94MM exclusive franchise tag on Cousins to prevent him from negotiating with other teams, but the two sides haven’t yet come close to a long-term agreement. That might lead Washington to shop Cousins, whom it could lose in free agency next year, though the 49ers reportedly aren’t willing to both surrender a haul of draft picks and sign him to a mega-deal. The Niners own the second pick in this year’s draft and are are set to select two more times in the top 70 (Nos. 34 and 66).
For his part, the 28-year-old Cousins would welcome a trade to the 49ers, which would allow him to reunite with Kyle Shanahan. The rookie head coach has long been a Cousins fan and coached him as Washington’s offensive coordinator from 2012-13. While Cousins was a backup during that two-year span, he emerged as a high-end starter last season and is coming off a campaign in which he completed 67 percent of passes, nearly reached the 5,000-yard mark (4,917), and tossed 25 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
Unlike Cousins, Romo has barely seen the field the past two seasons. Shoulder injuries limited the soon-to-be 37-year-old to four games in 2015, when he struggled with five TDs against seven picks, and he suffered a broken bone in his back last August and ended up attempting just four passes on the season. Romo returned in November, but wunderkind rookie Dak Prescott had usurped the starting role for good by then.
With Prescott entrenched under center, Romo will likely be on his way out of Dallas soon. If it’s via trade, he’ll still be due base salaries of $14MM, $19.5MM, $20.5MM in each of the next three seasons, but none of that money is guaranteed. As CBS Sports’ Joel Corry reported last month, any team acquiring Romo would have to take on his salary for 2017 before reworking his contract. The Cowboys, though, would likely allow that club to have contract-related discussions with Romo’s camp before the trade.
Colin Kaepernick Opts Out Of 49ers Deal
Colin Kaepernick has officially opted out of his contract with the 49ers, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Kaepernick hired new representation – agents Jeff Nalley and Sean Kiernan of the Select Sports Group – and they informed all 32 teams in the league of his decision earlier this week.
[RELATED: Kirk Cousins Would Only Accept 49ers Trade?]
Kaepernick reached out to new general manager John Lynch right after he was hired and met with him and new head coach Kyle Shanahan in late February. The talk, apparently, did not give Kaepernick the sense that he would be the team’s starting quarterback in 2017. While Kaepernick had the option of staying or leaving, the 49ers have been widely connected to other QBs and it’s quite possible they would have released him anyway to avoid a $14.9MM cap charge.
No. 7 will now join a free agent class that includes quarterbacks like Mike Glennon, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Nick Foles, and Brian Hoyer. We could see more additions in the coming days, of course, like Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, and Tyrod Taylor.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported that Kaepernick would opt out. Photo courtesy of USA Toaday Sports Images.
Patriots Exploring Backup QB Options
Maybe Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t off the market after all. The Patriots are exploring backup quarterback possibilities in free agency, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Connecting the dots, it seems that New England is doing its homework in the event it trades the highly-coveted young QB. 
If the Patriots move Garoppolo, it seems that they would sign a veteran quarterback to slot behind Tom Brady. Depending on who it is, that out-of-house addition could be put into a competition with Jacoby Brissett to determine who gets No. 2 QB status. This year’s free agent market is flush with experienced backup types, including Nick Foles, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Colin Kaepernick, Brian Hoyer, Case Keenum, Matt McGloin, Mark Sanchez, and more.
The 49ers and Browns have been heavily connected to Garoppolo. While they will continue to explore all of their options at quarterback, it sounds like they shouldn’t give up on prying the 25-year-old away from the defending champs.
49ers Notes: Ward, Kizer
- The 49ers plan to transition cornerback Jimmie Ward to free safety in 2017, GM John Lynch told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re excited to give (Ward) an offseason to say, ‘Let’s give this a go,’” said Lynch. “That doesn’t preclude him from playing nickel in some situations, or moving around. I think he brings some great versatility.” Safety isn’t foreign to Ward, who played the position at Northern Illinois and then started a game there with the Niners as a first-round rookie in 2014. As a cornerback, the 25-year-old has logged 34 appearances (18 starts) and two interceptions. PFF rated Ward as the league’s 46th-best corner last season. The Niners will have to decide by May whether to pick up his fifth-year option for 2019.
- The 49ers plan to transition cornerback Jimmie Ward to free safety in 2017, GM John Lynch told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re excited to give (Ward) an offseason to say, ‘Let’s give this a go,’” said Lynch. “That doesn’t preclude him from playing nickel in some situations, or moving around. I think he brings some great versatility.” Safety isn’t foreign to Ward, who played the position at Northern Illinois and then started a game there with the Niners as a first-round rookie in 2014. As a cornerback, the 25-year-old has logged 34 appearances (18 starts) and two interceptions. PFF rated Ward as the league’s 46th-best corner last season. The Niners will have to decide by May whether to pick up his fifth-year option for 2019.
- Unless the Lynch-led 49ers acquire a bona fide starting quarterback in free agency or via trade, there will be pre-draft speculation that the team could use a high-round pick – perhaps the No. 2 overall selection – on a signal-caller. Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer stands as one of the top QBs in this year’s class, and Lynch lavished praise on him Thursday (via Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today). “Last night we had an interview with DeShone Kizer,” he said. “This whole thing is not about an interview, but if we’re grading him on that alone, he blew the doors off of it. He’s an impressive young man. His film is impressive, too.” Lynch also called the QB class of 2017 “very talented,” which runs counter to the notion that it’s among the worst ever.
49ers Rumors: QB Pursuit, Kaepernick
Of course, the 49ers have been heavily connected to Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, they’d have to give up a ton to pry him away in addition to giving him a lucrative new extension. The latest word is that the Niners are unwilling to go that far to get a QB.
49ers GM John Lynch won’t rule out approaching another team about a quarterback trade.
Of course, the 49ers have been heavily connected to Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, they’d have to give up a ton to pry him away in addition to giving him a lucrative new extension. The latest word is that the Niners are unwilling to go that far to get a QB.
- 49ers GM John Lynch says that he would have released Colin Kaepernick had he not opted out (Twitter link via SiriusXM).
Jets, 49ers Interested In QB Tyrod Taylor
At least three teams are known to have an interest in signing Tyrod Taylor if the Bills release him: the Browns, 49ers, and Jets, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. Of course, there could be more teams in on him if he is cut loose. 
The Browns’ interest in Taylor came to light earlier this week, but this is the first we’re hearing of interest from the 49ers and Jets. Gang Green has watched Taylor blossom into a solid starter and they would like to be on the better end of the stick when Taylor breaks off his electrifying runs. The Jets tried their hand at having a mobile QB in the past with an over-the-hill Michael Vick and Tim Tebow, but this would be their first time with a legitimate athletic signal caller.
The 49ers were said to have interest in acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo via trade from the Patriots or signing Kirk Cousins as a free agent. Now that Garoppolo has been pulled from the trade block and Cousins has been hit with the exclusive franchise tag, the Niners are being forced to look at other options further down their list. Taylor would be a solid consolation prize, even if he wasn’t their Plan A or B. There has also been talk of SF going for a purely transitional option such as Matt Schaub. As of this writing, they do not have any quarterbacks under contract for 2017.
Colin Kaepernick To Stand For Anthem
Colin Kaepernick will stand during the National Anthem next season, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. After making headlines last season for his protest, Kaepernick does not want his display “to detract from the positive change that he believes has been created,” Schefter writes. 
[RELATED: Follow PFR On Instagram To See What Colin Kaepernick Would Look Like In A Jets Jersey]
Normally, we wouldn’t cover this sort of thing at Pro Football Rumors, but Kaepernick is on the verge of free agency and this declaration could make a very real impact on his market. Teams are understandably wary of the media attention that Kaepernick would bring and his willingness to put his anthem kneeling on hold could make him more appealing to clubs.
Meanwhile, a return hasn’t been officially ruled out in San Francisco. General manager John Lynch said he and Kaepernick agreed to leave the door open for a possible reunion, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Still, he will become a free agent on March 9.
Kaepernick doesn’t appear to be the player he once was, but he could still be a quality backup with some upside. He bounced back somewhat in 2016, tossing 16 touchdown passes against four interceptions. He also averaged 7.2 yards per passing attempt (up from 6.2 in 2015) and finished second among QBs in rushing yards (468, on a lofty 6.8 per carry).
49ers, Titans In Mix For Alshon Jeffery
As the top wide receiver available, Alshon Jeffery can expect to be a popular guy once the legal tampering period starts next week. Potential suitors for his services right now include the 49ers, Titans, Eagles, and the incumbent Bears, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. Meanwhile, the Rams will not be among the clubs going after him, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter). 
This week, the Bears declined to use the franchise tag on Jeffery and that was expected since a second tag would have cost the team roughly $17MM on a one-year deal. After an injury-riddled 2015, Jeffery had a disappointing year, including a four-game suspension. Jeffery is still a bonafide WR1, but he’s certainly not worth the same average salary that Antonio Brown has on his new deal.
The Eagles have been connected to Jeffery for weeks now, along with the Redskins’ Pierre Garcon and the Dolphins’ Kenny Stills. After the team’s receiving corps fell flat last year, Philly is looking to give Carson Wentz some better options downfield. Jeffery, for all his red flags, would undoubtedly make the Eagles’ offense more potent.
The Titans are also a logical landing spot for the Bears star. As PFR’s Dallas Robinson recently detailed, finding better receivers for Marcus Mariota ranks as one of the Titans’ biggest needs this offseason.
Salary Cap Numbers For All 32 Teams
On Wednesday, we learned that the 2017 salary cap will be set at roughly $167MM. However, every team’s number will be different depending on how much money each team elects to rollover from the previous season.
Courtesy of the NFLPA, we now have the total cap numbers for all 32 clubs. Here they are, listed by division and in descending order:
AFC East
- Dolphins – $175.36MM
- Patriots – $171.29
- Bills – $169.84MM
- Jets – $167.37MM
AFC North
- Browns – $217.12MM
- Bengals – $173.58MM
- Steelers – $170.27MM
- Ravens – $169.55MM
AFC South
- Jaguars – $206.31
- Titans – $191.05MM
- Colts – $173.61MM
- Texans – $171.94MM
AFC West
- Raiders – $175MM
- Broncos – $174.24MM
- Chiefs – $172MM
- Chargers – $167.11MM
NFC East
- Redskins – $182.06MM
- Eagles – $174.93MM
- Cowboys – $169.4MM
- Giants – $168.8MM
NFC North
- Bears – $175.1MM
- Packers – $174.98MM
- Lions – $171.73MM
- Vikings – $167.4MM
NFC South
- Panthers – $180.21MM
- Saints – $172.75MM
- Buccaneers – $172.33MM
- Falcons – $167.93MM
NFC West
- 49ers – $205.71MM
- Cardinals – $171.4MM
- Seahawks – $169.07MM
- Rams – $167.3MM