Colin Kaepernick Unlikely To Start For 49ers
- Colin Kaepernick is vying for the 49ers’ starting job, but shoulder tightness is currently preventing the sixth-year man from competing with Blaine Gabbert, as Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group writes. It’s important to note that Kaepernick’s right shoulder – not the left shoulder that required November surgery – is the one bothering him. The 28-year-old is “not too concerned about” the issue, he said Friday, and classified it as “just tightness.” Nevertheless, Kaepernick’s inability to garner first-team reps isn’t helping his cause in a battle that Gabbert looks primed to win, according to Inman.
Anthony Davis Content In SF?
- 49ers offensive lineman Anthony Davis still isn’t practicing with the starting unit, but he’s not complaining, despite his predilection for blasting the team in the past. “I’ve never played third team. It’s an experience,” Davis said (via Cam Inman of the Mercury News). “I don’t mind it. Coach (Tom) Higgins used to say at Piscataway (New Jersey) High School: ‘The cream always rises to the top.’ That’s how it always works out.” Speaking of New Jersey, some within the Giants have reportedly pushed for the team to deal for Davis, though we haven’t heard much on that front in the last week.
Reactions To NaVorro Bowman Extension
NaVorro Bowman is staying in San Francisco for the foreseeable future. The talented linebacker signed an extension earlier this week that will last through the 2022 season. The four-year extension is worth a reported $44MM (with $20MM guaranteed).
Bowman still had three years left on his contract, but the 28-year-old told Cam Inman of The Mercury News that he was intent on inking a long-term extension as soon as possible. Furthermore, the linebacker understood his standing in the organization, and he didn’t want his contract to trump that of former 49ers greats (including Patrick Willis).
“Out of respect for Pat, I took a little less and understood this was his team at the time,” Bowman said. “I’ve accomplished a lot since that time and made huge accolades.
- The Bowman extension sent the right message to the linebacker’s teammates, writes Cam Inman. The players have learned that hard work can translate into a lucrative extension, and general manager Trent Baalke has already said that he plans on using the team’s remaining cap space to ink additional players to new contracts. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, wide receiver Quinton Patton and linebacker Michael Wilhoite are among the 49ers who are in the final year of their contracts, Inman notes
- “I’ve had several guys walk up to me and say this is motivation for them,” Bowman told Inman. “It’s win-win situations for all us, to show guys it’s possible, but you have to put your work in and do your job.”
- “It just shows they truly believe in the guys they drafted to get the job done,” said defensive tackle Quinton Dial, who also received an extension. “It’s something we take a lot of pride in.”
- “I want to thank Jed, the York family and Trent for giving me the opportunity to continue my career where my heart is,” Bowman said after inking the extension (via CSNBayArea.com). “I appreciate the hard work that Drew and Paraag put in to getting this deal done. My teammates and coaches have meant so much to me throughout my career and I thank them for helping me become the player I am today. The support I’ve received from my family and friends throughout my life, especially through the adversity of the past few years, has meant so much to me. I can’t wait for the season to start and play in front of the best fans in the NFL.”
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com was surprised at the timing of the Bowman extension, although he notes that it isn’t the first time the team has extended a player with multiple years left on a contract. Furthermore, Fitzgerald believes the organization was simply taking advantage of their abundance of cap room.
49ers WR Eric Rogers Done For Season
CFL import Eric Rogers has suffered an ACL tear and will not be able to play this season, coach Chip Kelly told reporters (Twitter link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). Rogers signed with San Francisco in January and was given the most lucrative deal for a CFL player since the Dolphins signed Cameron Wake back in 2009. 
Rogers, 25, visited 16 NFL teams over the winter and had 13 contract offers to sort through. Ultimately, Rogers chose to sign with the Niners because of Kelly. When Rogers visited the Eagles in December, Kelly took time out of his busy schedule to attend the workout in person. Weeks later, Kelly was hired by SF, and the wide receiver knew that was where he wanted to be.
“When he got hired by the Niners, he called me two or three hours after it got announced that they were going to hire him,” Rogers said. “He basically told me, ‘I guess I had to come to Cali to sign you since you’re a Cali boy.’ So he still had that kind of recruitment in him like he was at Oregon. He was like, ‘You’re the first player I called and I want you to be the first player I sign at my new job.’”
Rogers, who played his college ball at Cal Lutheran, signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2013, but didn’t earn a regular season roster spot. After joining the Portland Thunder of the Arena Football League, Rogers headed to the CFL in 2014 and had his breakout season with Calgary in 2015. In 17 games for the Stampeders last season, Rogers racked up 87 receptions for 1,448 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Colts, Chargers, Giants, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Steelers, Texans, Eagles, Vikings, Bears, Browns, and Redskins were among the teams to give Rogers a look during his NFL tour.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Make Two Roster Moves
49ers Sign NaVorro Bowman To Extension
The 49ers and NaVorro Bowman have reached agreement on a contract extension, the team announced on Thursday night. The new pact will keep him in place through the 2022 season. The new four-year extension is worth $44MM with $20MM guaranteed, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
“Over the last six years, NaVorro has become a cornerstone of our organization and securing his future in the Bay Area was a priority for us,” said general manager Trent Baalke. “The perseverance he displayed while overcoming adversity and returning to his All-Pro form provides a great example of what can be accomplished through hard work and self-belief. This contract extension reaffirms our core philosophy of rewarding our own players and we are thrilled to know NaVorro will play his entire career with the 49ers.”
The news comes as a surprise since the Niners had three years until Bowman could reach the open market again. We should know more about the impetus for this move come Friday, but for now it appears that the 49ers simply wanted to do right by one of their star players. When putting the two deals together, Bowman now has himself a seven-year, ~$67.55MM pact.
That yearly average of $9.65MM puts him ahead of Lawrence Timmons, making him the league’s third-highest paid inside linebacker in terms of AAV behind Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner. In terms of overall value, Bowman has the highest-paying contract of any inside linebacker as his $67.55MM deal bests Kuechly’s $61.8MM pact with the Panthers which takes him through the 2021 season.
In the playoffs following the 2013 season, Bowman suffered a serious knee injury which kept him out of action for the entire 2014 campaign. The linebacker came back in a big way in 2015, however, leading the NFL with 154 total tackles plus 2.5 sacks and two passes defensed. Bowman’s remarkable comeback earned him First-Team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod.
Since entering the league in 2010 as a third-round pick, Bowman has earned First-Team All-Pro selections and three trips to the Pro Bowl. In total, the SF standout has 733 tackles, 11.5 sacks, three interceptions, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and 25 passes defensed to his credit.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Giants Could Push To Acquire Anthony Davis
The Giants still need help along their offensive line, and some within the organization are pushing to acquire recently-reinstated 49ers tackle Anthony Davis, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Davis, of course, is back with San Francisco after taking the 2015 season off, and while the 49ers are reportedly cognizant that Davis could retire again, the “sense” is the club wants to keep the former first-round pick on its roster rather than trade him. New York, though, would be a logical destination for Davis is the Niners change their tune, as Big Blue is current counting on journeyman Marshall Newhouse to man the right side.
Chip Kelly: 49ers Won’t Sign Nick Foles
It wasn’t long ago that Chip Kelly and quarterback Nick Foles enjoyed success together, but the duo won’t be reuniting. In a radio interview on Monday morning, Kelly said that the 49ers will not pursue the free agent quarterback. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Not Interested In Nick Foles Either]
“I’m a big fan of Nick, but right now, our eggs are in Kap and Blaine’s basket,” Kelly said on KNBR 680-AM, via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News, referring to Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert. “We’re going to see what those guys can do and we’re very confident in both those guys. That’s really got nothing to do with Nick, but it’s got a lot to do with Blaine and Kap in giving them an ample shot at being the quarterback. If you have three guys in the mix, it gets really diluted and now you’re not going to get enough reps for anybody to make a determination on who the quarterback should be.”
Foles, a former third-round pick, had his breakout season under Kelly in 2013, when he threw for 2,891 yards, 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions for the Eagles. A broken collar bone ended his 2014 season, and the 27-year-old finished with 2,163 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight games.
Still, Kelly says that SF will focus on the quarterbacks they already have in-house. In addition to Kaepernick and Gabbert, the Niners also have Thaddeus Lewis and rookie Jeff Driskel on the 90-man roster, as shown on Roster Resource.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Notes: Lynch, Baalke, Gamble
49ers linebacker Aaron Lynch unsuccessfully attempted to appeal his four-game substance abuse policy, as he explained to reporters, including Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Lynch entered stage one of the NFL’s drug program via positive tests in college, and he maintains he failed his most recent test due to a “unreliable specimen” caused from drinking too much water, tweets Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. While he’ll be allowed to attend training camp, play in the preseason, and attend regular season team meetings, Lynch won’t be able to practice once the regular season begins, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
- Trent Baalke knew Tom Gamble‘s promotion to assistant general manager would invite more scrutiny as to who holds the power in the 49ers‘ front office, as Branch writes in a full piece. Gamble spent two seasons with Chip Kelly in Philadelphia in between two stints in San Francisco, so Gamble acquiring a stronger voice could make it appear as though Kelly is usurping control. “I don’t live in a cave,” Baalke said. “I think I understood exactly what was going to happen. And that should show you even more that I don’t care. In all honesty, (Gamble is) deserving of the position.”
- Meanwhile, Baalke says the 49ers will carry over the nearly $50MM in cap space that they currently possess, and could use it on extensions for players like Eric Reid, Carlos Hyde, Jimmie Ward, and others. Maiocco has the details and Baalke’s full statements in a separate piece.
49ers’ Ian Williams Out For Season
To clear space for the recently reinstated Anthony Davis on the 49ers’ roster, the team moved starting nose tackle Ian Williams to the NFI/reserve list, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). Williams is out for the season.
Williams re-signed with the 49ers in March on a one-year, $4MM deal. The sides previously reached a five-year agreement worth more than $25MM, but the ankle injury that will shelve the sixth-year defensive lineman for the season helped induce the amended commitment. San Francisco planned on retaining Williams long-term, but his 2016 season being erased obviously clouds that future.
It remains unknown how Williams injured his ankle this offseason, but that setback cost him millions and now could well send him back into the free agent market on the heels of a lost season.
The former 49ers UDFA has been with the team throughout his career, serving as a reserve from 2011-13 and becoming a starter during Jim Harbaugh‘s final season. Under Jim Tomsula last year, the former Notre Dame lineman started 16 games for the first time. He was going to be a key part of the 49ers’ defense this season. However, the offseason ankle surgery the 26-year-old underwent changed those plans.
A quality run defender, Williams made 65 tackles last season and ranked as one of Pro Football Focus’ top interior defensive linemen, with the analytics website tabbing him as its No. 18 overall interior defender and a top-two 3-4 nose tackle. The rebuilding 49ers are thin behind Williams, with Roster Resource showing the 49ers could be down to UDFAs and part-time contributors Mike Purcell and Tony Jerod-Eddie at nose now.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.