Latest On Joe Staley
- The 49ers are reportedly shopping Joe Staley, but head coach Chip Kelly unsurprisingly wants the team to keep the standout left tackle. “That’s news to me,” Kelly said of Staley’s apparent placement on the trade block. “Nobody’s had any discussions with me about Joe being traded. We need Joe here” (Twitter link via Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group). It’ll ultimately be general manager Trent Baalke who decides whether to deal Staley, for whom the 49ers have a lofty asking price. While Baalke wants a first-round pick for Staley, multiple GMs have told CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora that he’d be lucky to receive a second-rounder (Twitter link).
49ers, Eagles Discussing Torrey Smith
The 49ers are open to trading receiver Torrey Smith, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds that the sixth-year man is garnering interest from multiple teams (Twitter link). The Eagles are among those clubs, but no deal is imminent, reports Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. Smith joins left tackle Joe Staley as big-name 49ers who are reportedly on the block as next Tuesday’s trade deadline approaches.
After spending the first four years of his career in Baltimore, Smith became a free agent in March 2015 and agreed to head to San Francisco on a five-year, $40MM deal with $22MM guaranteed. The 49ers’ struggles under center since last season have negatively affected Smith, who has caught just 43 passes and six touchdowns in 23 games.
Smith’s production has declined in the Bay Area, but he has still averaged an outstanding 18.7 yards per reception and continued his career-long iron man streak. The 27-year-old has appeared in 87 straight regular-season games since going in the second round of the 2011 draft.
As a member of the Ravens, the ex-Maryland Terrapin averaged 53 catches, 898 yards and nearly eight touchdowns per season. That type of production would benefit Philadelphia, which could use another threat at wideout to accompany Jordan Matthews. The Eagles’ second- and third-best receivers, Nelson Agholor and Dorial Green-Beckham, haven’t been particularly productive this season.
Smith is making $4.5MM and carries a $7.6MM cap number this year. The remaining three seasons of his contract include a $6.5MM annual salary and $9.6MM yearly cap hit.
Eagles Claim Taylor Hart From 49ers
The Eagles have claimed defensive tackle Taylor Hart off waivers from the 49ers and signed cornerback Aaron Grymes to their practice squad, Adam Caplan of ESPN was among those to report (Twitter link). The club has also placed cornerback Ron Brooks on injured reserve and released offensive lineman Matt Rotheram.
Hart will now return to Philadelphia, which selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. After a rookie year in which he totaled 14 appearances, including one start, and 12 tackles, Hart was unable to survive the Eagles’ final cuts in September. The 49ers, led by former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, then claimed Hart, but he only made one appearance with San Francisco before it cut him. Hart also played under Kelly at Oregon.
Brooks ruptured his quadriceps tendon in the Eagles’ 21-10 win over the Vikings on Sunday, so his placement on IR comes as no surprise. Grymes, who was previously with the Eagles over the summer, worked out for the club Monday before signing and will provide extra organizational depth in Brooks’ absence.
49ers Won’t Shake Up Defensive Staff
The 49ers’ defense is struggling and the upcoming bye week would be the optimal time to make a mid-season change. However, coach Chip Kelly told reporters that he is sticking with Jim O’Neil and the rest of the team’s defensive staff (via USA Today). 
On Sunday, the Niners fell 34-17 to the Buccaneers. Jacquizz Rodgers, who started the year as the Buccaneers’ No. 3 running back, ran for 154 yards, becoming the second straight back to gain at least 100 yards against the Niners in the first half. The Niners’ struggles aren’t limited to the defensive side of the ball, of course, but there has been speculation about O’Neil as the team sits at 1-6.
Last year, the 49ers ranked 29th in the NFL in yards allowed and placed 18th in the league in points allowed at 24.2 points per game under the watch of Eric Mangini. So far this year, they aren’t showing any improvement under their new DC.
49ers Make Joe Staley Available For Trade
The 49ers have made left tackle Joe Staley available via trade, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. San Francisco wants a first-round pick in order to part with the five-time Pro Bowler. 
[RELATED: Chip Kelly Denies Interest In NCAA Jobs]
While there are a number of teams that could have interest in a left tackle like Staley, it remains to be seen whether any of those clubs are willing to meet SF’s asking price. Florio writes that Staley has been “tied” to the Vikings, Giants, Cardinals, Seahawks, and Patriots. A Pats deal would only be feasible if the Niners are willing to lower the price tag, however.
Word of Staley being on the trade block comes after news that several teams are showing interest in Browns left tackle Joe Thomas. In terms of interested clubs, there’s predictably a big overlap on that Venn diagram. However, the Browns are reportedly seeking a second-round pick for Thomas and that could hurt the Staley market.
Staley, 32, is signed through the 2019 season. This season, he has a $5.4MM base salary but that climbs to $8.25MM in 2017. In the final two years of the deal, Staley’s base drops back down to $4.8MM in each season.
So far this season, Pro Football Focus has Staley rated as the 14th best tackle in the league with an overall grade of 81.8. Staley’s pass blocking grade is rather pedestrian, but his run blocking score of 84.6 is the third-best in the NFL, putting him ahead of notables like the Broncos’ Russell Okung and suspended Eagles tackle Lane Johnson.
49ers Promote DuJuan Harris -- Again
- The 49ers performed some more DuJuan Harris-related paperwork by again adding the running back to their active roster from their practice squad, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News reports. San Francisco cut defensive tackle Taylor Hart, whom the team claimed from the Eagles off waivers earlier this season, to make room. This marks Harris’ third promotion to the 53-man unit after being called up in September twice and subsequently waived soon after. The 49ers are going to be without Carlos Hyde in Week 7 and are in need of a third running back behind Mike Davis and Shaun Draughn. Harris hasn’t played in a game yet this season.
Chip Kelly Denies Interest In NCAA Jobs
49ers head coach Chip Kelly denied that he would entertain any notion of returning to the collegiate ranks after a report earlier this week indicated that Kelly might be interested in returning to the NCAA, as Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle details. “I’m not going anywhere,” said Kelly in response to the report.
[RELATED: 49ers Won’t Fire GM Trent Baalke]
On Wednesday, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that several college head coaches believed that Kelly would leave the Bay Area after a single season in order to jump back to the NCAA. LSU, Penn State, Texas, and Oregon — where Kelly was previously the head coach — could all be looking for new coaches in the coming months.
In four seasons with the Ducks, Kelly posted a 46-7 record and appeared in a one National Championship game, a loss to Auburn. Since joining the NFL as the Eagles’ coach in 2013, Kelly has registered a 27-26 overall record, earning one playoff appearance during that stretch.
49ers Won’t Fire GM Trent Baalke?
The 49ers are 1-5 and it doesn’t sound like Chip Kelly‘s first season in SF will result in a playoff berth. Still, GM Trent Baalke‘s job is not in jeopardy at this time, according to a source who spoke with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). 
[RELATED: 49ers Bring CB Will Redmond Back From IR]
The Niners have struggled on both sides of the ball so far this season. After getting off to a rough start with quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the team decided to give the starting job back to Colin Kaepernick. In his debut last weekend, No. 7 completed just 13 of his 29 passing attempts as San Francisco got blown out at Buffalo. Meanwhile, the 49ers’ defense has allowed more than 30 points in four of its past five games.
Despite the team’s problems, the 49ers still believe that Baalke is the right guy to select the right players for Kelly, according to Cole’s source. Personally, I’m still skeptical as to whether Baalke will be retained for a seventh season in San Francisco if things do not improve.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/16
Tuesday’s practice squad transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB/KR Asa Jackson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Darius Hillary, WR Jordan Leslie
- Cut: E.J. Bibbs
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Quentin Gause, TE Steven Scheu (Twitter link via Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post)
- Cut: WR Mose Frazier, LB Richard Cliett
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Brandon Chubb
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Marcus Leak, CB Frankie Williams
New England Patriots
- Signed: G Jamil Douglas (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
- Cut: OL Ian Silberman
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DL Royce LaFrance (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of The Advocate)
New York Giants
- Signed: LS Tyler Ott
- Cut: DB Doran Grant
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Don Cherry
- Cut: G Darrell Greene
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR DeAndre Smelter
- Cut: WR Dres Anderson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Justin Hamilton (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
- Cut: DE Sterling Bailey
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Russell Hansbrough (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
49ers Bring CB Will Redmond Back From IR
The 49ers announced that they are bringing cornerback Will Redmond back from injured reserve. Redmond becomes the team’s one short-term IR player for the season, meaning that they cannot bring anyone else back from IR. The team now has a 21-day window to monitor him in practice. If all goes well, he could debut as early as Dec. 6 against the Saints. 
Redmond, a third-round pick out of Mississippi State, tore his ACL last October. The defensive back showed plenty of talent while in college, but the 49ers still weren’t convinced that he was fully healthy.
The cornerback was late to sign his contract and did not put pen to paper with SF until June. The 22-year-old (23 in December) saw action in three seasons for the Bulldogs, playing in 27 games and making seven starts — all of which coming during the 2015 season. He made 25 tackles and two interceptions for Mississippi State last season, and despite the lack of experience as a starter decided to leave school early.