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
Baalke On Importance Of Stockpiling CBs
- 49ers general manager Trent Baalke has selected three corners in each of the past two drafts, and as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com explains, the San Francisco executive clearly understands the need to accumulate secondary depth. “I think you’re seeing that trend league-wide,” Baalke said. “There’s a premium put on those players. It’s going to be extremely important moving forward to create as much depth and competition at that position as you can.” Maiocco touches on several other topics within the piece, including what the 49ers will do with their nearly $50MM in cap space, and why the club is unlikely to reunite with veteran receiver Anquan Boldin.
49ers Not Ruling Out Anquan Boldin Reunion
- A report earlier this week indicated that the 49ers have not made an effort to re-sign wide receiver Anquan Boldin. However, general manager Trent Baalke said today that the door isn’t closed on a possible reunion between the two sides (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). While Baalke likes his team’s young receiving talent, the Niners are still exploring all their options.
49ers Sign Wynton McManis, Cut Kevin Anderson
- The 49ers waived undrafted Stanford linebacker Kevin Anderson while signing Memphis linebacker Wynton McManis, Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group tweets.
49ers Haven’t Asked Bush, Boldin To Return
No huge surprise here, but the 49ers have not asked running back Reggie Bush or wide receiver Anquan Boldin to re-sign, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets. 
[RELATED: 49ers Exercise Eric Reid’s 2017 Option]
Bush, 31, announced in February that he is intent on playing in 2016. What isn’t clear, however, is whether there is strong interest from NFL teams in making that a reality. Bush later signed with the 49ers last season, but he played just five games before tearing his left ACL on the concrete at the Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis. It was a terrible ending to a year that never really got started – Bush ran for just 28 yards before his unfortunate spill.
As for Boldin, today’s news means that things have not changed since about three weeks ago when things were said to be quiet between SF and the veteran. Boldin’s visited Washington in late March (his only free agent visit to date), but he says that he will not rush to put pen to paper. In other words, if Washington made an offer to the 35-year-old, then it was for less money than Boldin feels he is worth.
Boldin had a down year in 2015, missing a couple games due to injury and finishing with 69 receptions for 789 yards and four touchdowns. However, someone taking an optimistic view on Boldin might argue that the Niners’ quarterback situation hurt his performance. Prior to the start of free agency, Pro Football Rumors rated Boldin as the fifth-best free agent wide receiver available.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Hire Parys Haralson
- The 49ers announced today in a press release that former NFL linebacker Parys Haralson has joined the team as the director of player engagement. Haralson, who last played for the Saints in 2014, spent seven years in San Francisco as a player from 2006 to 2012, and worked out for the Niners last fall after being cut by New Orleans.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, draft guru Mel Kiper identifies 30 undrafted free agents to keep an eye on this summer. The Bills, Panthers, Bears, Broncos, Colts, Saints, Jets, 49ers each have two signees on the list, while the Buccaneers have an impressive four of the 30.
- The 49ers announced today in a press release that former NFL linebacker Parys Haralson has joined the team as the director of player engagement. Haralson, who last played for the Saints in 2014, spent seven years in San Francisco as a player from 2006 to 2012, and worked out for the Niners last fall after being cut by New Orleans.
Chiefs Claim Devey Off Waivers From 49ers
- The Chiefs claimed guard Jordan Devey off waivers from the 49ers, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Devey unexpectedly made his way into the Niners’ starting lineup to open the 2015 season. Although he was replaced down the stretch, the 28-year-old made nine starts and played nearly 400 offensive snaps for San Francisco in 2015.
49ers Sign DeForest Buckner, Draftees, UDFAs
The 49ers have confirmed the previously-reported signings of sixth-round draft picks Kelvin Taylor and Jeff Driskel, and announced nearly two dozen more roster moves to go along with those signings. In a press release, the Niners said they have waived four players from their 90-man roster, signed nine draft picks (including Taylor and Driskel), and added 12 undrafted free agents to the mix.
San Francisco’s most notable transaction is the signing of defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, who becomes the highest-drafted player to ink his rookie contract so far. Buckner, a standout at Oregon, was snagged by the 49ers with the seventh overall pick in last week’s draft, and is in line for a four-year contract worth more than $18.19MM, including a signing bonus of approximately $11.43MM. His deal also features a fifth-year option for 2020.
Listed below are the other draftees signed today by the 49ers, in addition to Buckner, Taylor, and Driskel. Only first-round guard Joshua Garnett and third-round defensive back Will Redmond are still unsigned:
- 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)
- 6-213: Aaron Burbridge, WR (Michigan State)
- 7-249: Prince Charles Iworah, DB (Western Kentucky)
While the 49ers had plenty of space on their roster for their draft picks, the team didn’t have much extra flexibility to add more than a handful of undrafted free agents. As such, San Francisco has cut four veterans: offensive lineman Jordan Devey, kicker Corey Acosta, running back Kendall Gaskins, and quarterback Dylan Thompson.
Devey is perhaps the most notable name in this group — the 49ers didn’t make many headlines when they acquired him from the Patriots in a trade for tight end Asante Cleveland last August, but Devey unexpectedly made his way into the club’s starting lineup to open the season. Although he was replaced down the stretch, the 28-year-old made nine starts and played nearly 400 offensive snaps for San Francisco in 2015.
With a few spots cleared on their 90-man roster, the Niners officially added 12 undrafted free agents. Here’s the full list of those UDFAs:
- LB Kevin Anderson (Stanford)
- OL Alex Balducci (Oregon)
- S Jered Bell (Colorado) ($2.5K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
- WR Devon Cajuste (Stanford)
- DL Demetrius Cherry (Arizona State)
- LB Jason Fanaika (Utah)
- LB Lenny Jones (Nevada)
- DL Darren Lake (Alabama) ($7K guarantee, per Wilson)
- K John Lunsford (Liberty)
- OL Blake Muir (Baylor)
- OL Norman Price (Southern Mississippi)
- WR Bryce Treggs (California)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.