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.
49ers OL Anthony Davis Coming Out Of Retirement
SATURDAY, 2:06pm: The NFL reinstated Davis from the reserve/retired list, opening the door for the right tackle to practice with the 49ers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
MONDAY, 7:50pm: The “sense” is that the 49ers want to keep Davis on the roster rather than trade him, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
MONDAY, 12:09pm: Anthony Davis took to Twitter to announce that he has submitted a letter seeking reinstatement to the NFL and the 49ers. Because Davis officially retired in 2015, some paperwork is required before he can take the field again. 
At different points over the last year, Davis has hinted that he wants to return to football. However, he has also bashed the 49ers, making it seem like he does not want to suit up again for San Francisco. If he does return to the NFL, the 49ers will still hold his rights.
Prior to the draft in April, Davis tweeted [sic], “The 49ers should Draft an Offensive Tackle in the top 10. #NFLDraft2016.” After that, he took an even more direct shot at the 49ers by writing, “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.”
Davis, 26, was the 49ers’ first-round pick in 2010, coming off the board No. 11 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.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers, Joshua Garnett Agree To Deal
The 49ers and first-round guard Joshua Garnett have reached an agreement on a contract, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier Friday that the two sides were nearing a deal (Twitter link). With Garnett under contract, the Chargers’ Joey Bosa is now the last remaining holdout from the first round of this year’s draft.
As the 28th overall pick, Garnett should make upward of $9.3MM on his four-year pact, which includes a signing bonus in the $4.97MM neighborhood and a fifth-year option. Garnett was the second top-round selection the 49ers had this year. They grabbed ex-Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner with the seventh choice before trading back into the first round for Garnett. In order to do that, the 49ers shipped three picks – a second-rounder (No. 37), a fourth-rounder (No. 105) and a sixth-rounder (No. 178) – to the Chiefs for No. 28 and a seventh-rounder (No. 249).
A former Stanford Cardinal, Garnett’s play last year earned him the Outland Trophy, which is given annually to the best interior offensive lineman in the nation, and consensus All-America honors.
“In our minds, he was the best run-blocking lineman in this draft,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said of the 6-foot-5, 325-pounder.
Garnett, whose father is former NFL nose tackle Scott Garnett (a 49er in 1985), could end up as San Francisco’s Week 1 starter at right guard, as Roster Resource shows. The 49ers’ starter for most of 2015, Jordan Devey, was among Pro Football Focus’ lowest-ranked guards and is now a member of the Chiefs. Of greater concern, the interior of the 49ers’ O-line took a notable pre-draft hit when longtime stalwart Alex Boone signed with the Vikings as a free agent.
Here’s a look at the 49ers’ 11-player draft class:
- 1-7: DeForest Buckner, DL (Oregon)
- 1-28: Joshua Garnett, G (Stanford)
- 3-68: Will Redmond, DB (Mississippi State)
- 4-133: Rashard Robinson, CB (LSU)
- 5-142: Ronald Blair, DE (Appalachian State)
- 5-145: John Theus, T (Georgia)
- 5-174: Fahn Cooper, OL (Ole Miss)
- 6-207: Jeff Driskel, QB (Louisiana Tech)
- 6-211: Kelvin Taylor, RB (Florida)
- 6-213: Aaron Burbridge, WR (Michigan State)
- 7-249: Prince Charles Iworah, DB (Western Kentucky)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Sign B.J. McBryde
- The 49ers have announced the signing of defensive lineman B.J. McBryde to a two-year contract. McBryde, undrafted out of UConn last year, previously spent time on the practice squads of Philadelphia and Green Bay.
Joey Bosa Will Not Report To Chargers Today
Chargers first round pick Joey Bosa will not report with his teammates today as he remains unsigned, according to Steve Wyche of NFL.com (on Twitter). The timing of bonus payouts and offset language are believed to be the sticking points in negotiations.
[RELATED: Jets, Rookie Darron Lee Agree To Deal]
While Bosa’s battle with the Bolts over his rookie contract has been known for some time, few expected this dispute to drag into training camp. The No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft seems serious about getting what he wants in his rookie deal and he is out to prove his point as he stays home today.
Bosa is obviously a big part of the Chargers’ plans for this season and his absence is undoubtedly frustrating for the team. Recently, in a PFR exclusive, scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas gave an in-depth look at Bosa and the rest of San Diego’s rookie class:
“Bosa is scheduled to start at left defensive end, where the Chargers let former second round pick, Kendall Reyes, also leave the complex to join Weddle in Baltimore. After a promising rookie year that saw Reyes tally 5.5 sacks, nine stops for loss and nineteen QB pressures, Reyes failed to impress during his three years as a starter, making two sacks and 32 hits through fifteen assignments with the first unit last year.
While Bosa only sealed the deal with five sacks in 2015, he did record fourteen QB chase-downs, including eight on third-down snaps and two on fourth-down plays. While he was effective as a pass rusher in 2014, he really has yet to develop an array of pass rush moves, relying more on his length and raw power to beat blocks on his path to the quarterback. He is known more for that power, but as he matures, he needs to be more efficient with his swim- and rip-move techniques. In any event, he can be an impact player for the Chargers in 2016 – once he gets his contract sorted out.”
Meanwhile, in San Francisco, guard Joshua Garnett stands as the only other remaining first-round holdout. Rapoport (on Twitter) hears that there probably won’t be a holdout from the No. 28 overall pick and a deal should get done shortly.
Photo courtesy of PFR on Instagram.
49ers Notes: Ramsey, Davis
As shown on Roster Resource, Ramsey would have faced an uphill battle to make the Niners’ roster given the number of defensive linemen they have under contract.
- Anthony Davis has been taking jabs at the 49ers for the better part of a year now, but agent Drew Rosenhaus says all of the animosity is in the rear view mirror. “I do believe that he has patched things up with the organization,” Rosenhaus told PFT’s Mike Florio. “He has been in contact with the organization and I also believe with the coaching staff and they’ve rebuilt that relationship. So whatever damage took place in my estimation has been repaired.” Davis submitted the necessary paperwork to come out of retirement earlier this week. One report indicated that the Niners are “wary” of getting involved with the mercurial offensive lineman again.
49ers defensive lineman Kaleb Ramsey retired from football today, as Cam Inman of The Mercury News writes. Ramsey, a draft pick of the 49ers in 2014, was sidelined for all of his rookie year with an Achilles injury. In 2015, he was on San Francisco’s practice squad and was also hit with a four-game suspension for a PED violation.
“The 49ers took a chance on drafting me and made my NFL dreams come true,” Ramsey said in a statement. “Unfortunately, my career has been cut short, as I have made the decision to step away from the game to concentrate on other priorities in my life.”
As shown on Roster Resource, Ramsey would have faced an uphill battle to make the Niners’ roster given the number of defensive linemen they have under contract.
49ers Notes: Gamble, Davis
- Although the 49ers are reportedly more interested in keeping offensive tackle Anthony Davis than trading him, the club is “wary” of Davis’ reinstatement and could be questioning his commitment to football, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). San Francisco is somewhat worried that Davis will be challenged in his return to the everyday grind of the NFL, and the team’s staff will watch him closely as camp and the preseason progresses. Davis, a former first-round pick, is far more talented than the Niners’ incumbent right tackle, Erik Pears, so the club doesn’t have much to lose by letting Davis attend training camp and compete for a starting position.
The 49ers have hired Tom Gamble as assistant general manager, the club announced today. Gamble is in his second stint with San Francisco, as he worked alongside GM Trent Baalke in the club’s front office from 2005-2012 before re-joining the team in January 2015 as a senior personnel executive. Notably, current 49ers head coach Chip Kelly brought Gamble with him to Philadelphia as his top personnel man, but Gamble was ousted following the 2014 campaign.
Darnell Dockett To Retire As A Cardinal
1:55pm: Dockett will sign a one-day contract to retire as a Cardinal, according to Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link).
1:30pm: Former Cardinals and 49ers defensive lineman Darnell Dockett plans to announce his retirement on Monday, sources tell Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Dockett, 35, has not played in the NFL since the 2013 campaign.
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Dockett spent ten seasons in the desert, starting 156 games for Arizona as an undersized defensive tackle while posting 40.5 sacks, good for seventh on the Cardinals’ all-time list. The former third-round pick registered a career-high nine takedowns during the 2007 season, one of three years he was selected to the Pro Bowl — Dockett was also named a second-team All Pro in 2009.
Among defensive lineman who played from 2004-2013, Docket ranks ninth in Pro Football Reference’s approximate value metric. He helped lead Arizona to two playoff berths, including the 2009 postseason when the club made a postseason run to the Super Bowl only to lose to the Steelers.
In the summer of 2014, Dockett tore his ACL during training camp and was forced to miss the entire regular season. The Cardinals released him in the spring of 2015, and Dockett signed with the division rival 49ers. He didn’t make the 53-man roster, however, and was cut that September.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.