Draft Rumors: Cowboys, Ramsey, Bosa
The Cowboys want Jalen Ramsey, but they fear that he’ll be gone by No. 4, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net writes (via PhiladelphiaEagles.com). With that in mind, Dallas is eyeing Ohio State standouts Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliott. Bosa would help bolster the team at defensive end while DeMarcus Lawrence recovers from surgery and Randy Gregory serves his first month suspension. Elliott, meanwhile, would give the team help at running back.
Here are the latest rumors on the 2016 NFL Draft (all of which come from Pauline, unless otherwise indicated):
- Insiders believe that we could se three offensive tackles – Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley, and Jack Conklin – go in the first top 12 picks of the draft. That could start a run and Pauline writes that we could see six tackles taken in the first round.
- The Cowboys would consider trading down, Pauline hears, but they want to stay ahead of the Giants at No. 10.
- Observers at the UCLA pro day described Myles Jack as a “remarkable athlete.” One source told Pauline (in his running log for Walter Football) that “he looked like a defensive back doing linebacker drills.”
- Aaron Wallace, the Bruins’ other notable linebacker, is gaining a lot of momentum in the scouting community, Pauline hears. Wallace currently has official visits set up with the Buccaneers, Browns, and Raiders with more likely on the way.
- UCLA offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch has been graded as a top-75 selection, according to Pauline. Many believe that Benenoch can play tackle and guard in addition to center.
- Georgia linebacker Jordan Jenkins says that he’ll have private workouts with the Raiders, Patriots, and Saints, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter) reports that Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook has private workouts scheduled with the Cowboys and Dolphins.
- All 32 NFL teams were in attendance at MSU’s pro day, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. At the event, Cook met with the 49ers and Rams before the workout and met with the Browns‘ staff after.
- Michigan State defensive tackle Joel Heath says that he will have a private workout with the Patriots this week, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets. In addition to that, he’ll meet with the Titans later this month. Heath previously met with the Colts and Buccaneers.
- Pittsburgh wide receiver Tyler Boyd looked great at his Pro Day and the slowest unofficial 40-year-dash time that has been reported was in the low 4.5s.
- Pittsburgh corner Lafayette Pitts recorded 40-yard-dash times under 4.4 seconds, with some watches marking him at 4.35.
- There’s no definitive word on whether Virginia Tech cornerback Kendall Fuller will work out before the draft.
- Youngstown State linebacker Terrell Williams is drawing interest from clubs. The Jets and Eagles, in particular, see him as a quality backup linebacker/core special teams guy.
- The Lions have a private workouts set up with Michigan State offensive linemen Jack Conklin, Jack Allen, and Donavon Clark later this month, Birkett tweets.
Extra Points: Cowboys, Brooks, J. Reed, Suggs
After parting ways with the Falcons in January, Lionel Vital – Atlanta’s former director of player personnel – is joining the Cowboys‘ front office. As first reported by Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Dallas is hiring Vital as a senior personnel executive. He’ll report to Cowboys assistant director of player personnel Will McClay, a source tells David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:
- All indications are that Ahmad Brooks‘ spot on the 49ers‘ roster remains safe for at least another season, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. The Niners don’t have an in-house replacement lined up at Brooks’ position, and his $8MM cap hit isn’t exorbitant now that San Francisco is carrying a league-high $58MM+ in cap room, per OverTheCap.com.
- Washington tight end Jordan Reed has completed his agent change, signing with Joel Segal for representation, per Mike Jones and Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Reed is extension-eligible, and based on the deals recently signed by Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz, he appears to be in good position to cash in.
- Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs was charged with two misdemeanors related to a car accident earlier this month, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). TMZ first reported the news. Depending on how the case plays out, Suggs could eventually face NFL discipline.
- The NFL formally announced the performance-based pay bonuses for 2015 this week, and Broncos center Matt Paradis received the most additional pay (nearly $392K). The PBP bonuses are primarily distributed to players whose playing time was significant and whose salaries were not. The figures don’t affect teams’ salary caps.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick is reportedly willing to restructure his contract and take a pay cut to get out of San Francisco, and there are multiple teams – namely the Broncos and Browns – said to be interested in him. Meanwhile, despite their denials at the combine, the 49ers seem increasingly open to the idea of trading their quarterback.
So, what’s the hold up? Let’s dig in and find out. Here’s the latest on No. 7:
- The Broncos have told the 49ers they believe that Kaepernick is worth a fourth-round pick, according to Michael Silver of NFL Network (via Twitter). Of course, the two sides would have to figure out a way to make that work as the 49ers are hoping for much more in a potential deal.
- The Broncos have not offered a specific fourth-round pick, only suggesting to the 49ers that a fourth-round pick is the proper value for the quarterback (link). Denver’s fourth-rounder for 2016 currently belongs to the Ravens due to a previous trade, but the Broncos do hold the final non-compensatory pick of the third round.
- As of this morning, things were “quiet” with regards to a deal. The Broncos were holding firm, there had been no movement with regard to the Browns, and the 49ers were “chilling,” as Silver puts it (link).
- ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports (via colleague Pat McManamon) there have been “no serious discussions on draft pick considerations or compensation” between the Browns and 49ers. The report adds that the Browns are “being patient” as they consider how best to upgrade the quarterback spot.
49ers Sign Phil Dawson To One-Year Deal
MARCH 14, 3:19pm: The 49ers have officially re-signed Dawson, the team announced today in a press release.
MARCH 11, 8:48pm: Dawson and the 49ers have agreed to a one-year deal, reports Janie McCauley of The Associated Press. He’ll get a fully guaranteed base salary of $3.134MM, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
7:18pm: The 49ers are making progress toward a new deal with free agent kicker Phil Dawson and look poised to bring him back for his age-41 season, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). Dawson would be the second over-40 kicker to ink 
a contract this offseason, joining the Colts’ Adam Vinatieri (43).
Despite his age, Dawson didn’t show any obvious signs of decline last season. The 17-year veteran hit an impressive 24 of 27 field goals, good for an 88.9% success rate (10th in the NFL). He also connected on all three of his attempts over 50 yards and nailed 20 of 21 extra points. Dawson hasn’t converted worse than 80% of his field goal tries since 2006, when he made only 72.4% of attempts as a member of the Browns.
As of now, Dawson, Josh Brown and Greg Zuerlein are among a thin class of established kickers who haven’t signed contracts. Dawson’s previous deal was a two-year pact worth $6.13M, including $3.5MM in guarantees. Earlier this month, Vinatieri landed two years, $6MM and $1MM in guarantees, which should be the neighborhood in which Dawson’s next accord resides.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: 49ers, Steelers, Vikings, Texans
Despite having the second-most spending room in the NFL ($58.84MM, per Over the Cap), the 49ers have been quiet in free agency, and Eric Branch and Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle wonder if new head coach Chip Kelly is scaring players away. Right or wrong, Kelly wasn’t exactly seen as a players’ coach in Philadelphia, and some of his methods there – e.g., daily urine tests and a fast-paced offense – could be serving as roadblocks in the 49ers’ quest to add talent, Branch and Tafur opine.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- If the league ultimately suspends Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant for next season, teammate Antonio Brown could use his absence as leverage to secure a better contract, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Brown – who has combined for 375 catches and 31 touchdowns the last three seasons – is woefully underpaid relative to his production (he’s due $14.96MM the next two years). While Florio notes that the Steelers don’t negotiate new deals with non-quarterbacks who have more than one year left on their contracts, he counters that Brown could serve as an exception to that rule.
- The Vikings are in talks with two of their own free agents, linebacker Chad Greenway and cornerback Terence Newman, according to general manager Rick Spielman (link via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com). Greenway, a Viking for all of his decade-long career, said earlier this winter that he’d like to play one more year. The 33-year-old logged 12 starts last season, giving him 135 overall, and totaled 68 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception. Newman, the league’s oldest defensive back (38 in September), also wants to play another year. The 13-year veteran made 16 starts for the Vikes last season, recording 62 tackles and three picks.
- While the Vikings are interested in Greenway and Newman, the same isn’t true of free agent offensive tackle Ryan Harris, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Having met with Andre Smith on Sunday, Minnesota is clearly in the hunt for tackle help. Nonetheless, it’s not in on Harris, who will visit with Pittsburgh in the coming days.
- The Texans are “monitoring” the offensive tackle market, per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, who adds that they might add one in the draft instead of free agency (Twitter link). With Duane Brown, Derek Newton and Chris Clark in the fold, the position doesn’t exactly look like a major need for the Texans.
FA Rumors: Okung, Soliai, Weddle, Hayward
Free agent left tackle Russell Okung has an offer in hand from the Steelers, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link), while Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter link) that Okung has no other visits planned at this time. Okung is just one of a few offensive tackles whom Pittsburgh has either met with or plans to meet with, including Ryan Harris and Chris Hairston. Kelvin Beachum, the Steelers’ left tackle for the past few seasons, remains unsigned, and is taking visits with other clubs.
Let’s dive into the latest free agent news…
- Former Falcons defensive tackle Paul Soliai will visit the division-rival Panthers, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Soliai, 32, was released by Atlanta on the first day of the free agent period after spending two years with the club. Carolina has already released defensive tackle Dwan Edwards, so Soliai could be a nice addition to the Panthers’ interior rotation.
- Another free agent defensive tackle — ex-Patriot Sealver Siliga — will take a meeting with the Seahawks, according to Garafolo (Twitter link). Siliga, 26 next month, was not offered a restricted free agent tender by New England despite appearing in 13 games for the club last season.
- The Seahawks will also meet with running back Lance Dunbar, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old Dunbar was off to a nice start with the Cowboys in 2015, catching 21 passes out of the backfield in just four games before a torn ACL knocked him out for the remainder of the season. Seattle will be the second NFC West visit for Dunbar, who’s also met with the 49ers.
- Free agent guard Amini Silatolu will visit the Cardinals today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The former-second pick hasn’t been a full-time starter since his rookie season in 2012, but he’s only 26 years old, and could help fill in at guard if Arizona follows through on its proposed move of Jonathan Cooper to center.
- Eric Weddle is expected to narrow his choice to two teams soon, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The veteran safety is reportedly choosing between the Ravens, Steelers, Cowboys, and Raiders.
- Before agreeing to a three-year deal with the Chargers earlier today, cornerback Casey Hayward also drew interest from the Chiefs and 49ers, tweets Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- Cardinals backup quarterback Drew Stanton said the Colts, Titans, Dolphins, and Cowboys all showed interest in signing him before he agreed to a new deal with Arizona, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
There are several things we know about the Colin Kaepernick situation at the moment: we know that Kaepernick is willing to restructure his contract and take a pay cut to get out of San Francisco, and we know that the Browns are willing to give up a third-round pick to the 49ers to land Kaepernick (and, because the Browns are picking so high in each round, their third-round selection, No. 65 overall, is very close to being a second-round pick, which is reportedly San Francisco’s asking price for No. 7). Those developments, combined with the recent report that the Browns are currently the team in the driver’s seat in the pursuit of Kaepernick–not to mention Kaepernick’s apparent desire to play for the Browns–suggest that the former Nevada product could be on his way to Cleveland in the near future.
However, as Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee writes, Kaepernick is wary of taking a pay cut to play for the Browns given how much talent the team has lost at the start of free agency. In the past week, Alex Mack has signed with the Falcons, Mitchell Schwartz has signed with the Chiefs, and Travis Benjamin has joined the Chargers (plus, the Browns could always trade Joe Thomas between now and the draft, as Mark Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer writes). Since Cleveland’s roster was already fairly weak prior to the exodus of some of its best talent, and since the team is prepared to draft a top quarterback prospect with the No. 2 overall pick even if it brings Kaepernick aboard, it is easy to see why Kaepernick, despite his respect for new Browns head coach Hue Jackson, would be hesitant to join Jackson in Cleveland. Barrows notes that, if the Browns had offered the No. 65 overall selection for Kaepernick a week ago, Cleveland may well have a new quarterback at this point, but the early days of free agency have suddenly made that possibility much more uncertain. While the Browns would like to pay Kaepernick like a bridge quarterback–roughly $7MM-$8MM per year, with incentives for games started–they may have to pony up more cash if they still want Kaepernick.
The Broncos, of course, are still a potential landing spot for Kaepernick, and Barrows reports that if Denver came to Kaepernick with the same deal the Browns offered for the quarterback, he’d likely sign it in a second. But the Broncos and the 49ers are still at an impasse in trade talks, as Denver is willing to give up its third-round selection, No. 94 overall, while San Francisco is probably holding out for the Broncos’ No. 63 overall selection. Still, if the Broncos are unable to sign Robert Griffin III or Ryan Fitzpatrick, they may be willing to meet the 49ers’ asking price.
Meanwhile, the Jets are still lurking in the background, and Kaepernick would suddenly become a stronger option for New York if it cannot come to terms with Fitzpatrick, who nearly guided Gang Green to the playoffs in 2015 but who is currently seeking a contract that will pay him $16-$18MM per year. And the 49ers, of course, still control Kaepernick’s contractual rights, and they have repeatedly insisted that they are willing to keep him beyond April 1, when his $11.9 million base salary for 2016 would become fully guaranteed. New head coach Chip Kelly, after all, will install an offense that appears perfect for Kaepernick’s skill-set, and the 49ers certainly have the cap space to retain their once-promising QB. But Kaepernick’s apparent distaste for San Francisco could manifest itself in very uncomfortable ways for the club, which suggests that he will, in fact, have a new home in 2016. Where that home will be, however, remains a mystery as the quarterback carousel rolls on.
West Notes: Kaepernick, Ware, Dunlap, Irvin
Colin Kaepernick should call the 49ers‘ bluff and rescind his trade request, opines Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Kaepernick’s $11.9MM base salary becomes fully guaranteed on April 1 — the Browns reportedly are willing to send a third-round pick to San Francisco in exchange for Kaepernick, but only if the quarterback agrees to lower his salary. The 49ers don’t want to pay that total, either, so Florio argues that if Kaepernick drops his request to be dealt, he forces the Niners to either guarantee him almost $12MM or release him, allowing Kaepernick to choose his next destination.
Here’s more the NFL’s two West divisions…
- We learned earlier today that as part of his restructure, Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware can earn back all the money he agreed to cut through sack-based incentives. Per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com, Ware can earn between $1.25MM and $3.5MM when he hits eight, nine, 11, and 13 sacks. It’s a smart structure by Denver — because Ware posted 7.5 sacks in 2015, every penny of those incentives will be labeled “not likely to be earned,” meaning the club won’t have to carry any portion of that total on its 2016 cap.
- Chargers left tackle King Dunlaps‘s 2016 base salary of $4.5MM became fully guaranteed today, as Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune notes (Twitter link). Dunlap, entering the second year of a four-year deal, will count for roughly $6.34MM on San Diego’s cap next year.
- Former Seahawks linebackers coach — and current Raiders defensive coordinator — Ken Norton Jr. played a large role in luring Bruce Irvin to Oakland, as Irvin explains to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “I wanted to get back with him,” Irvin said of Norton Jr. “Like I said before, that guy, he’s done a lot for me, not only on the field, but off the field. He saved my career by bringing me from defensive end to a linebacker, so I have the utmost respect for that guy.”
- In a separate column, Florio reports that agents are advising their clients not to sign contracts with the Rams that seem to be bound by Missouri laws. The issue, per Florio, is that California, where the Rams will play next season, has much more pro-labor workers’ rights laws, thus the club would rather the deals be controlled by Missouri language.
Russell Okung To Visit Steelers; Several Teams Still In Mix
5:57pm: Okung’s visit to Pittsburgh will take place Sunday, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
SATURDAY, 1:57pm: Okung will visit the Steelers, according to NFL.com’s Michael Silver (on Twitter). The seventh-year tackle remains high on the Lions, with the Giants, 49ers and Seahawks still in the mix, per Silver. The Steelers aren’t generally big on pursuing high-priced free agents but do have Kelvin Beachum unsigned as a UFA.
FRIDAY, 5:44pm: Finished with his Giants meeting, Okung will make the trip to Detroit and meet with the Lions’ contingent like he originally planned, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Okung’s Lions summit will take place Saturday. The Giants remain interested in signing the left tackle, per ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter).
8:15pm: The 49ers have also reached out to Okung, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). With the veteran tackle set to visit the Giants and Lions on Friday, it doesn’t appear anything has been set up yet with San Francisco.
7:44pm: An executive from a team that spoke with the agent-less Okung said the former first-round pick was very well-prepared and professional, but his shoulder injury that forced him out of the Seahawks’ divisional-round loss to the Panthers could prevent him from securing a big payday, per Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Okung had surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder and already sent an email out to the 32 NFL teams pronouncing he’d be fully recovered by summer.
THURSDAY, 7:37pm: Russell Okung had to wait six years to become a free agent, and his initial foray onto the market was delayed by an NFL memo preventing self-represented players from participating in the legal tampering period.
But the seventh-year left tackle’s market is beginning to take shape. Okung will visit the Giants on Friday and the Lions potentially after that, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport adds (Twitter link) that since the Giants summit is first on the 28-year-old Okung’s itinterary, they have a chance to keep him from trekking to Detroit.
After cutting Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz, the Giants have a need at tackle. Despite spending on mega-deals for Olivier Vernon and Janoris Jenkins, and hefty accords in terms of AAV for Damon Harrison and Jason Pierre-Paul, Big Blue still has $20.8MM in cap space, per OverTheCap.
The Giants have Ereck Flowers, who could be shuttled back to right tackle in the event an Okung accord occurs Friday.
Lions left tackle Riley Reiff will enter his fifth-year option season, but new GM Bob Quinn said recently he’d like to upgrade the position for the future.
As the No. 11 player on PFR’s list of 2016’s top 50 free agents, Okung is the top UFA remaining.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Latest On James Laurinaitis
2:28pm: The amount of interest in Laurinaitis appears to have been exaggerated. Per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the report below indicating five teams have already met with the free agent linebacker came from a Twitter account posing as Laurinaitis’ father (Twitter link). The Saints and Falcons appear to be in the mix, but it’s probably not safe to assume any of the new teams are pursuing Laurinaitis.
12:00pm: Add the 49ers to that list of questionable inclusions. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that the linebacker hasn’t met with the 49ers, and it’s uncertain whether the player will even meet with the organization.
10:18am: ESPN’s John Keim tweets that a person within the Washington organization wasn’t aware of a meeting with Laurinaitis. The writer notes that he’s “putting no stock” in the comments by the linebacker’s father.
9:18am: James Laurinaitis has been a busy man since being cut by the Rams last month. We knew that the linebacker had already traveled to New Orleans and Atlanta to meet with the Saints and Falcons, respectively. However, it doesn’t sound like his travels ended there.
According to the Laurinaitis’ father (via Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com), the 29-year-old has met with five other teams: the Patriots, Bears, 49ers, Giants, and Washington.
The Ohio State product was a consistent force in the Rams’ defense for the past seven years. The linebacker started every possible game during his tenure in St. Louis, and he never finished with less than 100 tackles in a single season. This past year, Laurinaitis compiled 109 tackles, one sack and one interception. The linebacker has averaged 122 tackles, two sacks and five passes defended per season.
Despite these consistent numbers, the advanced stats have not been particularly friendly. For his 2015 performance, Pro Football Focus ranked Laurinaitis 83rd among eligible linebackers, which placed him third on the Rams (behind Mark Barron and Akeem Ayers). He still earned a spot on our rankings of the best free agent inside linebackers, placing seventh.