Alex Boone: Gabbert Will Win Starting Job
- Current Vikings guard Alex Boone spent the first seven seasons of his professional career with the 49ers before signing with Minnesota this offseason, and he tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Blaine Gabbert will beat out Colin Kaepernick for San Francisco’s starting quarterback job. Boone said, “To be honest I think that Blaine did a great job last year, and from what I know of Blaine, I think he’s probably gonna take the reins. I mean I think he’s a good guy, he knows what he’s doing out there, and he just has the support of the group so I think that’s one of the things to look forward to.” Boone’s comments, of course, are in keeping with recent reports from the Bay Area.
West Notes: Broncos, Lynch, Sanchez, 49ers
The Broncos appear to want rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch to play at some point during the upcoming season, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. While it would still be an “upset” if veteran Mark Sanchez doesn’t win the starting job, Denver management would like to see Lynch see live action when the regular season begins. As Klis suggests, Lynch is thought to be relatively raw developmentally and his learning curve might be steep, so it would behoove the club to let Lynch take some snaps during the year. However, the Broncos aren’t likely to turn to Sanchez if the team is playing well, so the only chance for Lynch to see the field might be if Denver starts the season slow.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:
- The best contract on the Broncos‘ roster belongs to cornerback Chris Harris, opines Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, who adds the Harris will earn $6.5MM over a five-year period than will teammate Aqib Talib (and Harris is probably the better defensive back). Denver pulled a “con job” on Harris and his camp, writes Fitzgerald, tagging on option years at the end of the deal, while employing a bonus structure that would allow the club to earn a salary cap credit if the options aren’t exercised. On the flip side, the worst contract in the Mile High City is that of offensive tackle Donald Stephenson, who agreed to a three-year, $14MM deal over the offseason. Clearly (given those terms), this pact isn’t very onerous, and Fitzgerald notes that general manager John Elway has become so adept at financial negotiations that the Broncos simply aren’t carrying many poor contracts.
- After struggling against opposing quarterbacks in 2015 (and ranking 30th in defensive passing DVOA), the 49ers didn’t use any of their ample cap space to pursue outside additions to their secondary. But as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes, San Francisco has used seven draft picks on defensive backs over the past three years, so the club has made a significant investment in improving its back end. Tramaine Brock looks like he’ll grab hold of one starting corner job in 2016, while former first-round safety Jimmie Ward is nearly a lock to serve as the Niners’ nickel corner, and could compete for time on the outside as well. Meanwhile, third-rounder Will Redmond, who tore his ACL last October, is a candidate to open training camp on the non-football injury list, and is unlikely to see much playing time during his rookie season.
- Earlier today, Troy Renck of Denver7 suggested that safety Omar Bolden — recently released by the Bears — could wind up back with the Broncos, noting that his release was not injury related. At the very least, Bolden could help out on special teams in Denver, as he was one of the club’s primary kick returners over the past four years.
Blaine Gabbert Seen As "Better Fit" Than Colin Kaepernick
- Many in the 49ers organization see Blaine Gabbert as a better fit for Chip Kelly‘s offense than Colin Kaepernick, writes ESPN.com’s Michael Wagaman. As a result of this report, Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com says it’s “fair to wonder” whether Kaepernick is only on the roster because the team ultimately “misjudged the trade market.”
- Meanwhile, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com believes the 49ers should start “kicking the tires” on a Kaepernick trade (Twitter link).
[SOURCE LINK]
NFC West Notes: Bennett, Seahawks, 49ers
Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett is still upset with his contract and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) offered up a potential solution to the issue. He writes that Seattle could convert his $1MM 46-man active roster bonus ($62,500 per game) into base salary, which would give him some extra financial security. That gesture might not satisfy Bennett, who finds himself ranked 10th in average annual salary amongst 4-3 defensive ends and 27th in the NFL amongst all defensive linemen. Bennett is entering the year three of a four-year, $28.5MM deal.
- When asked if Anthony Davis plans on filing for reinstatement, allowing him to report to 49ers camp on time, the offensive lineman’s camp declined comment, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets. Meanwhile, based on what Davis has been posting on social media, it seems like he is training for a comeback, Maiocco writes.
- In this week’s mailbag, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com compared the expectations of the team under new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly versus where the bar was set in Jim Harbaugh‘s first season.
- Sad news this morning as we learned that former Cardinals head coach Dennis Green has passed away at the age of 67.
- An early June report indicated that the Rams were working on extensions for both general manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher, but it sounds like little progress has been made on either front. Fisher is reportedly among the highest-paid coaches in the league, as he’s reportedly earning around $7MM annually.
Dennis Green Dead At Age 67
Former Vikings and Cardinals head coach Dennis Green has passed away, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Green was 67 years old. 
Green, who played running back at the University of Iowa, began his coaching career as a college assistant after a short playing stint in the CFL. Green climbed the college ranks in the 70s and got his first NFL break in 1979 when he became the 49ers’ special teams coach. After that, he returned to the NCAA to serve as Stanford’s offensive coordinator and as head coach at Northwestern. After returning to the 49ers as wide receivers coach and a two-year run as the head coach at Stanford, Green was hired as the Vikings head coach prior to the 1992 season.
Green, who was only the third black head coach in NFL history, guided the Vikings to the playoffs eight times in his ten seasons at the helm and only saw a losing record in 2001, his final season in Minnesota. After ten years of dealing with the NFL grind, Green spent two years as a broadcaster with ESPN. He returned to football in 2004 when the Cardinals hired him as head coach. Unfortunately, Green did not enjoy the same on field success in Arizona as he did in Minnesota and he was dismissed after the 2006 season.
In total, Green went 113-94 as an NFL head coach and his teams posted a combined 97-62 record with the Vikings. Putting his accomplishments aside, Green will be remembered as a fantastic motivator and all around great person. We here at PFR extend our condolences to Green’s friends and family.
Opinion: 49ers Now Unlikely To Extend Aaron Lynch
Linebacker Aaron Lynch‘s four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy will not only put a cap on his 2016 production, but make an long-term extension with the 49ers increasingly unlikely, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. The 23-year-old Lynch, considered perhaps the best edge rusher on San Francisco’s roster, is a building block on a club that isn’t expected to win many games during the upcoming season. He’ll be eligible for a new deal after the 2016 campaign, but general manager Trent Baalke & Co. will likely want to ensure that Lynch can be trusted before locking him up for the long haul, per Maiocco.
Aaron Rodgers On Why 49ers Passed On Him
- In an interview with HBO’s Bill Simmons, the Packers‘ Aaron Rodgers relayed the possible reason why the 49ers passed on him with the first pick in the 2005 draft (via CSNBayArea.com). “The story that I heard—and I don’t know if it’s true or not—that Mike Nolan said that when he saw Alex (Smith) open the car door for his mom that he knew that was the quarterback he wanted,” Rodgers said of Nolan, who was then the 49ers’ head coach. “And I said, ‘Well, I was at lunch with him. My mom wasn’t there and my dad wasn’t there.” Smith, now with the Chiefs, has experienced a fine career after some initial growing pains, but Rodgers – who fell to the 24th selection that year – is a Super Bowl champion and a Pro Football Hall of Fame shoo-in. Nolan, who may have taken the wrong QB based on preposterous rationale, is out of work after spending last season as the linebackers coach in San Diego. The 49ers went 18-37 during his three-plus-year tenure.
49ers LB Aaron Lynch Suspended Four Games
The 49ers announced that linebacker Aaron Lynch has been suspended for four games by the NFL. Lynch will not be paid for the first month of the season after running afoul of the league’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. 
Lynch will be eligible to return to the 49ers active roster on Monday, October 3rd following the team’s Sunday contest against Cowboys. In the interim, Lynch is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games.
“While disappointed to hear the news regarding Aaron today, we support and respect the league’s decision. We are confident that he will learn from this matter and that he understands what is expected of him moving forward,” 49ers GM Trent Baalke said in a statement.
Lynch, 23, has appeared in 30 games for SF over the last two years with 16 total starts. In his rookie year, Lynch made a mark when he tallied 23 tackles and 6 sacks. This past year, he improved on those numbers in a 14-game season, racking up 38 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
With Lynch sidelined, the Niners may rely more on outside linebackers Eli Harold and Corey Lemonier to pick up the slack. For a full view of San Francisco’s depth chart, check out their page on Roster Resource.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chiefs, Eric Berry Will Not Agree To Deal
3:17pm: Chiefs GM John Dorsey issued the following statement:
“Unfortunately, we were unable to reach a long-term agreement with Eric’s representatives before today’s deadline. Although both sides would have preferred a different outcome, Eric is a true professional and a tremendous football player, and we know that he will continue to be a leader in our locker room. We look forward to resuming our discussions on a long-term agreement when the negotiating window reopens after the season.”
2:48pm: The two sides never agreed on a single component of a potential deal, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets.
2:43pm: During talks with Berry, the Chiefs proposed that he pay for a disability policy that named the club as beneficiary, sources tell Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The club later backed off of that request, however. Garafolo (Twitter link) adds that there is some precedent for such a move, including the deals of Niners players Colin Kaepernick and Joe Staley.
12:57pm: The Chiefs and Eric Berry will not agree to a long-term deal today, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). Berry has yet to ink his $10.81MM franchise tender, but he is expected to do that soon. After playing out the season on that one-year contract, the Chiefs will have the option of hitting Berry with the tag once again, but at an increased rate. 
Berry has been the face of the Chiefs’ organization for some time and heading into this offseason, many expected the two sides to come to a long-term agreement. However, Berry’s camp and KC have been “miles apart” on terms and the gap apparently never closed.
Berry, who earned Pro Bowl nods in three of his first four NFL seasons, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014, raising some doubts about his future in the league. However, the veteran safety was declared cancer-free in 2015 and enjoyed one of his best seasons this past year for the Chiefs. Appearing in all 16 games for Kansas City in 2015, Berry logged 61 tackles to go along with a pair of interceptions and 10 passes defended. Pro Football Focus ranked the Tennessee product sixth among 88 qualified safeties, and the standout season earned Berry his fourth Pro Bowl berth, along with a spot on the NFL’s All-Pro first team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Plan To Carry Over Cap Space
- General manager Trent Baalke considers the 49ers to be a “draft-and-develop” team, but because the club hasn’t fulfilled the latter part of that equation in recent years, San Francisco will continue roll cap space into future years, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. Joe Staley, Colin Kaepernick, NaVorro Bowman, and Quinton Dial are the only 49ers who have been extended lately, and because the team’s front office doesn’t anticipate spending money on big-ticket free agent additions, they’ll likely continue to have gobs of cap space. San Francisco currently leads the league with more than $49MM in financial wiggle room.