Amid Kaepernick Rumors, Kelly Praises Gabbert
- With rumors surrounding 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, head coach Chip Kelly was quick to hand out praise to the team’s other signal-caller: Blaine Gabbert. “[I’m] impressed with Blaine,” Kelly said (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com). “You watch him the last couple of games he started. He’s another guy, you look at his skill set…He’s big. I’d never really dealt with Blaine because he came into the league before I came into the league, but just how big and physical and impressive he is. He’s a 6-4, 245-pound guy that can really run. I thought the last part of the season he played really well. It’ll be intriguing to work with him, too.”
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Niners Worked Out Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd
- We heard on Thursday that the 49ers recently put Shaq Lawson through a workout, but he wasn’t the only Clemson defensive end to get a look from the team. According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, GM Trent Baalke also worked out Kevin Dodd. Both players are expected to visit the Niners in the coming weeks.
49ers Work Out Buffalo OT John Kling
- The 49ers worked out Buffalo offensive tackle John Kling, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). As previously reporters, the 6-foot-7, 315-pound lineman has also auditioned for the Chargers.
49ers Looking At Shaq Lawson, Corey Coleman
Mississippi receiver Laquon Treadwell says the Bengals, Browns, Bears, and Cowboys have shown interest in him, Mike Florio of PFT writes. The first-round prospect also identified “New York” as a team with interest, but it’s not clear if that’s in reference to the Jets or Giants. San Francisco, which owns the No. 7 pick in the draft, has been said to have interest in Treadwell.
- Clemson DE Shaq Lawson has (or has had) visits/workouts with the Cowboys and 49ers, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter links). The Jets, Titans, Saints, Panthers, and Browns have also linked up with Lawson, per previous reports. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) opines that Lawson is a top 10 talent.
- Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman has workouts and/or visits set with the 49ers, Bengals, Lions, Bears, Panthers, and Browns, Getlin tweets.
Chip Kelly Sheds Light On Final Eagles Year
Chip Kelly told Philadelphia-area media, including Jeff McLane of Philly.com, he didn’t communicate directly with Howie Roseman last season before being fired by the Eagles. The current 49ers coach said owner Jeffrey Lurie constructed an arrangement where the then-demoted Roseman sent messages to the then-empowered Kelly through player personnel VP Ed Marynowitz.
CBs Apple, Alexander On 49ers' Radar
- The 49ers have used some of their 30 permitted visits on several top prospects, including cornerbacks Eli Apple and Mackensie Alexander, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. Ole Miss first-round prospects Laquon Treadwell and Robert Nkemdiche are also among players the 49ers, who hold the No. 7 pick, has met with or plans to.
49ers Interview Kenya Dennis
- Missouri defensive back Kenya Dennis met with the 49ers yesterday and met with the Jets this afternoon, according to Tony Pauline for WalterFootball.com. Dennis struggled somewhat in 2015 after a terrific junior campaign, but Pauline writes that teams see him either as a safety or cornerback in dime packages.
49ers Re-Sign Ian Williams
MARCH 23, 3:09pm: Williams’ one-year deal is now official, having been announced by the 49ers in a press release.
Per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link), GM Trent Baalke has said the Niners still plan to sign Williams to a long-term deal. However, that will obviously be dependent on his health.
MARCH 21, 1:21pm: Nearly two weeks after the 49ers and Williams agreed to what was expected to be a five-year contract worth more than $25MM, the two sides have now struck a deal on a reworked agreement for just one year, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
According to Maiocco, Williams’ recovery from an ankle injury will take longer than initially planned, prompting the team to revisit the terms of the agreement before the deal became official. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that the defensive lineman underwent ankle surgery after the 2015 season, creating some uncertainty about his availability for the 2016 season opener.
Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), Williams’ new one-year deal has a base value of $3MM, including a $1MM base salary and $2MM in per-game roster bonuses. Wilson says the deal features $2MM in playing-time incentives, while Schefter tweets than it can be worth up to $6MM in total.
MARCH 9, 9:48am: Williams’ new five-year deal with the 49ers will be worth between $5MM and $6MM per year, tweets Rapoport.
7:16am: The 49ers have reached an agreement with one of their own free agents, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is re-signing defensive tackle Ian Williams to a five-year contract.
Coming off a leg injury that ended his 2014 season, Williams was a 16-game starter for the first time in 2015, and looked very good at nose tackle for the Niners, racking up 65 tackles and a sack. Pro Football Focus ranked Williams 18th out of 123 qualified interior defenders for the season, assigning him a particularly strong grade as a run defender.
Re-signing Williams to a new deal represents a nice start for this Niners’ offseason, after the team saw a handful of core defenders – Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, and Chris Borland, among others – depart via retirement or free agency during last year’s offseason. While the team figures to pursue other additions on defense, the fact that Williams will return in the middle of the defensive line should provide some nice continuity as the defense transitions from Eric Mangini‘s system to Jim O’Neil‘s.
Williams ranked as the 28th overall free agent on PFR’s top 50 list.
49ers Have Not Made A Contract Offer To Anquan Boldin
- The 49ers have not made a contract offer to free agent wideout Anquan Boldin, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, and while GM Trent Baalke said he has by no means closed the door on a possible reunion, he did not sound especially optimistic that Boldin would return to San Francisco next season. As Baalke said, “A lot of it is going to depend whether he feels and we feel it’s a fit moving forward with what we’re trying to do offensively and what he’s looking for at this stage of his career.” Boldin has already stated his desire to play for a title contender in 2016, and it is currently difficult to imagine the 49ers fitting that description.
49ers Sign Zane Beadles To Three-Year Deal
MARCH 22: The 49ers have officially confirmed the signing of Beadles.
MARCH 17: The 49ers have made an addition to their offensive line, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has agreed to terms on a deal with free agent guard Zane Beadles. Per Caplan, Beadles will get a three-year, $11.75MM contract from San Francisco.
Beadles, 29, inked a lucrative five-year contract with the Jaguars two offseasons ago, and started all 32 of the team’s games at left guard in 2014 and 2015. However, the former Pro Bowler wasn’t overly effective after heading to Jacksonville from the Broncos. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him 64th out of 81 qualified guards, and the Jags ultimately moved on from him, releasing him earlier this month.
In San Francisco, Beadles seems like a logical fit to step in on the offensive line for Alex Boone, who played primarily at left guard in 2015 before departing for the Vikings in free agency last week. Because he was cut by his previous team, Beadles won’t count against the compensatory draft pick formula for 2016.
The 49ers have been relatively quiet in free agency so far, and actually entered the day with the most cap room in the NFL, according to OverTheCap.com. Teams that entered the offseason with more space than the Niners, such as the Raiders, Jaguars, and Giants, have been among the most active spenders in free agency, leaving San Francisco at the top of that list.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.