49ers Notes: A. Davis, Kaepernick, Miller
If Anthony Davis returns to football, 49ers line coach Pat Flaherty says that nothing will be given to him, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. 
“And he knows this, coming from me, if he wants to play, then he’s got to come back and prove he can play,” Flaherty said. “It’s got to come from within. You can tell him exactly what I just said, ‘Listen, you’ll have an opportunity to play. But that’s all it is. You decided for whatever reason to retire. If you come back in the game, nothing is going to be handed to you. You’re going to have to work your tail off.’ And the conversation that I’ve had back when I first got here, was he was acceptable to that. Now, I don’t see him. I don’t know why. So I can’t answer that one.”
As of late May, Davis still hasn’t filed for reinstatement from the NFL’s reserve/retired list. Davis also slammed the Niners via social media this offseason when he tweeted, “I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do.” If he does come back, Davis will be under 49ers control through the 2019 season.
Davis, 26, was San Francisco’s first-round pick in 2010, coming off the board 11th overall. Prior to his retirement, he started 71 games at right tackle for SF, playing all 16 regular season contests in his first four years before being limited to seven games in 2014. Davis dealt with hamstring and knee issues, and also battled concussion problems, which may have contributed to his decision to step away from the game temporarily in 2015. It remains to be seen whether he’ll try and return for 2016.
Here’s more out of San Francisco:
- Quarterback Colin Kaepernick will not be cleared in time to participate in the 49ers’ minicamp this week, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The hope is that Kaep will get the green light closer to training camp.
- At Central Florida, Bruce Miller made his name as a defensive end. Then, when he was drafted by the 49ers, he was asked to move to fullback. However, coach Chip Kelly isn’t interested in using a fullback, so he now has Miller working out at both tight end and wide receiver, as Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee writes. If the former seventh-round pick can’t adjust to the new role, however, he may not have a spot on San Francisco’s roster.
- Recently, free agent wide receiver James Jones indicated that he would like to join the 49ers. Of course, at this stage of the offseason, Jones isn’t in a position to be picky. Jones is intrigued by staying close to home in SF and would like to join a contender, but he confesses that he’ll “play wherever.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chip Kelly: Gabbert, Kaepernick Have Similar Traits
- 49ers head coach Chip Kelly made a radio appearance on 95.7 The Game (audio link), touching on everything to the club’s selection of DeForest Buckner, the role of Bruce Miller, and the stress his offensive scheme will put on San Francisco’s defense. Perhaps of the most note, though, were Kelly’s comments on his quarterback room, which contains both Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert (thanks to Niners Nation for the transcript). “They have a similar skill set,” said Kelly. “They’re both 6’4″+. They both can really run, which will help keep plays alive. Obviously we’re not a quarterback-run offense, but if the quarterback can run, you can use a little of that to your advantage. And they both have extremely strong arms.”
James Jones Would “Love” To Join 49ers
Wide receiver James Jones is still without employment here in the month of June, but he has an idea of where he would like to wind up. In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Jones suggested that he wants to get a phone call from the 49ers. 
[RELATED: Best Available NFL Free Agents: Offense]
“I’m right here in San Francisco, in the Niners’ backyard,” Jones said (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com). “You know what I mean? I’d love to stay here at home and play for the Niners – don’t have to move my family or any of that stuff. My kids get to stay in school. But, at the same time, I’m just ready to play. I’ll play wherever. I’m just ready to get it on.”
Jones, now 32, has indicated that he’d like to play for awhile longer, though the Packers have reportedly moved on. The wide receiver says he has heard from some teams that have told him they like him, but he has yet to receive a contract offer. That comes as a surprise to Jones after he ranked fourth in the league with 17.8 yards per reception in 2015.
The veteran says that he wants to play somewhere where he can win, but he also understands that beggars can’t be choosers. Ultimately, Jones’ goal is to “play 12 years” in the league. Last year marked Jones’ ninth season in the NFL.
Jones led the Packers in 2015 with 890 receiving yards off of 50 receptions. He also led Green Bay’s wide receivers with eight touchdowns. That was a different stat line than 2014, a year in which he corralled a career-high 73 receptions for just 666 yards and six touchdowns for the Raiders.
Recently, we ranked Jones as one of the top ten best available offensive free agents.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Notes: Kaepernick, Davis
- 49ers offensive tackle Anthony Davis still hasn’t filed for reinstatement from the NFL’s reserve/retired list, according to Maiocco. Davis sat out last season and then tweeted in January that his return to San Francisco was “guaranteed.” The 26-year-old backed that up in April, but he took a shot at 49ers general manager Trent Baalke in the process. That continued a few weeks later when Davis wrote, “I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do.” If he does come back, Davis will be under 49ers control through the 2019 season. After the Niners used a first-round pick on him in 2010, Davis started in all 71 of his pre-retirement appearances.
After enduring months of trade rumors that ultimately didn’t lead anywhere, quarterback Colin Kaepernick has attended every 49ers workout since their program began April 4 and is poised to collect a $400K bonus, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Kaepernick must partake in 90 percent of the team’s workouts to earn that money, which he’s on his way to accomplishing despite not yet having been cleared for football activity since undergoing surgery on a torn left labrum in November. In lieu of actually participating on the field, Kaepernick has lined up 10 yards behind the quarterback during drills and gone through the footwork and “mental reps,” writes Maiocco, who adds that the 28-year-old should be ready to go by training camp. Kaepernick is expected to compete with Blaine Gabbert this summer for the 49ers’ starting job.
49ers Notes: Kelly, Reid
It doesn’t appear that new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly is ready to change his uptempo offensive ways. During the team period at OTAs on Wednesday, the 49ers ran 24 plays in an eight-minute span, good for one snap every 20 seconds, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). As noted by Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk, Kelly’s taxing, fast-paced attack eventually wore out its welcome with some of his Eagles players during his three-season tenure in Philadelphia.
- One of Kelly’s players, safety Eric Reid, said Wednesday he’d like to sign a contract extension to remain with the 49ers for the long haul (link via Maiocco). San Francisco already has control over Reid through 2017, having picked up his fifth-year option earlier this month. General manager Trent Baalke stated in April that he’d be open to inking the 2013 first-rounder to an extension, though that was before the fifth-year option decision. The 24-year-old Reid has been a full-time starter for the 49ers since entering the league and has a Pro Bowl nod under his belt. He failed to record an interception last season, however, after piling up a combined seven during his initial two campaigns.
Lynch: Competition Could Be Good For Kaepernick
- In something of an upset, Colin Kaepernick is still on the 49ers‘ roster, and if he wants to earn the starting quarterback job, he’ll have to defeat favorite Blaine Gabbert to do so. As Kevin Lynch of SFGate.com writes, that level of competition could end up being a positive for Kaepernick.
Why Darren Sproles To 49ers Wouldn't Make Sense
Darren Sproles makes his offseason home in California and, on paper, his experience be a welcome addition to the 49ers‘ roster. However, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee can think of a few reasons why he wouldn’t be a great match for the Niners. 
Darren Sproles makes his offseason home in California and, on paper, his experience be a welcome addition to the 49ers‘ roster. However, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee can think of a few reasons why he wouldn’t be a great match for the Niners.
For one, the 49ers likely would be wary of striking a new deal with a runner who turns 33 next month. San Francisco has already bid farewell to several notable names that were north of 30, including Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, and Anquan Boldin. And, even if SF really wanted him, the Eagles would probably be hesitant to help out their former head coach in any way. For what it’s worth, the Eagles say Sproles is not available, even though the team reportedly received trade inquiries on him during the draft.
- 49ers coach Chip Kelly was asked if the door was left open for recently retired running back Jarryd Hayne to return to the 49ers. He answered, “We didn’t even talk about that,” (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).
Latest On Jarryd Hayne
Jets receiver Eric Decker told SiriusXM NFL on Tuesday afternoon that, right now, the Jets “have to move on without” free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. However, as a guest on NFL Total Access on Tuesday evening, he expressed confidence that the Jets and Fitzpatrick will ultimately get a deal done, writes Dan Hanzus of NFL.com.
“Something is going to happen. It might be before training camp, the day or two before, but I believe that he’ll be back on the team come this fall,” Decker said, though he did acknowledge that the two sides “are so far off” from each other when it comes to the quarterback’s dollar value.
In other NFL news…
- It looks as if Colts quarterback Andrew Luck‘s injury-plagued 2015 campaign is behind him. The four-year veteran is participating in Colts workouts with “no limitations,” he said Tuesday (via Mike Wells of ESPN.com). After appearing in all of the Colts’ games during his first three seasons, Luck missed nine contests last year with injuries to his kidney, ribs and shoulder, and experienced a precipitous statistical decline while on the field. Now, Luck “looks really good,” according to head coach Chuck Pagano. As of late April, the Colts were focusing on an extension for Luck, whose deal expires at the end of the upcoming season. It’s likely a new contract for the 26-year-old would make him one of the league’s highest-paid players.
- Chargers defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who signed with the Bolts in free agency, spoke effusively about the team’s defensive personnel Monday (per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune). “I was telling guys, there’s more talent on this defense than in Seattle. If you look at the draft, you’ve got four first-round draft picks. You’ve got five second-round draft picks, all total on defense. In Seattle, we only had two first rounders and one second rounder. Everybody else was pretty much down in the draft or undrafted.” Mebane is quite familiar with the Seahawks’ defense, of course, having spent the first nine years of his career in Seattle. Regardless of draft pedigree, however, the Seahawks has been among the NFL’s defensive elite over the past several years, whereas the Chargers’ stop unit was toward the bottom of the league in all notable categories last season. With Mebane and third overall pick Joey Bosa now aboard, at least some improvement should be in order this year.
- Chip Kelly understood Jarryd Hayne‘s decision to retire in light of a potential Olympic rugby opportunity, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. On the subject of Hayne, the NFL’s drug-testing protocol may keep him out of the Olympics despite American football having no presence in the Games. Prospective Olympic athletes must be in a World Anti-Doping Agency-compliant pool for at least six months, Jamie Marcuson of the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The NFL does not fall under the WADA umbrella, and former Australian Anti-Doping Agency chief Richard Ings told Marcuson that Hayne has “no chance” of playing for his native Fiji this August as a result. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if Hayne’s exit strategy stemmed instead from the fact he didn’t have much of a chance to make the 49ers‘ 53-man roster.
- Titans safety Rashad Johnson told SiriusXM (Twitter link) that the Cardinals expressed some interest in having him back, but did not make an offer.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
49ers Notes: Sproles, QB Battle
Given the addition of No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz, Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is unsurprisingly aware that he’s likely on borrowed time as the team’s starter.
“I’m not completely naive. At some point it’s not going to be my team,” Bradford told reporters Tuesday (via Rob Maadi of The Associated Press).
Bradford looked like a good bet to retain the starting job in Philadelphia for a little while longer after the club kept him from free agency with a two-year, $36MM deal in March, but the Eagles subsequently surrendered a massive haul to move up in the draft for Wentz. Bradford then briefly held out for a trade, which didn’t materialize. The decision to stay away from the Eagles was his agent’s, according to Bradford, who eventually concluded that Philadelphia “is the best place for me.”
“Tom Condon’s been my agent for my entire career,” Bradford said, per Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com. “He’s a guy that I really trust. At the time where we were going through this process, he felt like that was the best option for me. And given that I trust him and know that he has my best interest at heart, I’m always going to follow his advice.”
Bradford added that he’ll help Wentz break into the NFL, saying, “I’m not going to hide anything and if I can do something to help him become a better player, I’m going to do it. It’s only right I fill that role right now. If I wasn’t willing to do that it’s not having respect for the game.”
Wentz, meanwhile, stated that there isn’t any tension between him and Bradford.
More on Philly and a couple other NFC franchises:
- Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett tore into Bradford on Tuesday as a result of his holdout. “I can’t believe Sam Bradford is complaining about making $40 million in the next two years, and because he actually has to compete for a position. This guy… this guy right here definitely sets a bad tone of what a player should be,” Bennett told 710 ESPN Seattle (per Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com).
- Bennett hasn’t been happy with his own contract, a four-year, $28MM pact he signed in 2014. Nevertheless, he told reporters – including The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta – that holding out of training camp isn’t an option. General manager John Schneider realizes Bennett isn’t thrilled with his deal, but he said that players with more than a year left on their contracts aren’t the priority when it comes to extensions. Bennett still has two years remaining on his accord, so a possible extension might not come until next offseason.
- When asked about the possibility of acquiring Eagles running back and potential trade candidate Darren Sproles, 49ers head coach Chip Kelly said, “I’ve had nobody call me from Philadelphia since December” (Twitter link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle), referring to his late-2015 firing. Sproles, of course, played the previous two seasons under Kelly after the Eagles acquired him via trade in 2014.
- Colin Kaepernick still hasn’t been cleared to practice after undergoing shoulder surgery last fall, but it’s not going to cost the 28-year-old in the 49ers’ quarterback battle between him and Blaine Gabbert, Kelly said (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com). “There’s not a race. The first day we’re able to against defenses is today. We’re not naming the starting lineup for the Rams game today.” Kelly added that Kaepernick has “a great grasp of what we’re doing. I’m really impressed by both Blaine (Gabbert) and him and their intelligence and being able to pick up what we’re trying to do.
Jarryd Hayne Retires
MONDAY, 5:30pm: The 49ers have officially put Hayne on reserve/retired list, tweets Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
SUNDAY, 12:32pm: 49ers running back Jarryd Hayne has announced his retirement from the NFL, according to the team’s official website. Hayne, of course, was born in Australia and put together a very impressive rugby career before announcing in October 2014 that he intended to pursue his dream of playing in the the NFL.
In March of last year, the 49ers signed Hayne to a three-year deal, and he ultimately made the team’s 53-man roster on the heels of a successful preseason that only added to the considerable hype surrounding Hayne. He racked up only eight carries over San Francisco’s first six regular season games, though he did return at least one punt in each of those contests, including a memorable muffed punt in the team’s Week 1 matchup against the Vikings.
The 49ers waived Hayne on October 31, 2015, but he was ultimately re-signed to the club’s practice squad after clearing waivers. He was promoted from the practice squad back to the 53-man roster for the final two weeks of the season, picking up nine carries for 27 yards and five receptions for 20 yards in the team’s penultimate game against the Lions.
He finishes his NFL career with 17 carries for 52 yards and six receptions for 27 yards, to go along with eight punt returns for a total of 76 yards. He will return to the sport he starred in for so long, joining the Fiji Rugby Sevens for the upcoming Olympic Games.
Hayne and the 49ers have both issued formal statements, which can be found at the above link.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images