Baalke: 49ers Will “Absolutely” Keep Kaepernick
After telling reporters earlier this morning that he expects Colin Kaepernick to be on the 49ers’ roster through April 1st, general manager Trent Baalke doubled down during his press conference, asserting that Kaepernick will “absolutely” remain with the team (Twitter links via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report).
[RELATED: 49ers to meet with Kaepernick’s reps at combine]
According to Baalke, the current expectation for the Niners is that Kaepernick will enter training camp this summer prepared to compete with Blaine Gabbert for the team’s starting quarterback job. Gabbert finished the 2015 campaign as San Francisco’s starter, but there’s some optimism that Kaepernick can rebound under new head coach Chip Kelly.
April 1st is a key date for the Niners and Kaepernick, since if the quarterback remains on the team’s roster beyond that day, his $11.9MM salary for 2016 will become fully guaranteed. Currently, as he recovers from various injuries that plagued him in 2015, Kaepernick’s ’16 salary is guaranteed for injury only. Based on his comments today, Baalke fully intends to have Kaepernick on the roster beyond April 1st, locking in the QB’s salary for next season.
While Baalke’s comments today sounded fairly definitive, there’s still time for the team to change its mind in the coming weeks. Tim Kawakami of San Jose Mercury News wrote last night that Kaepernick “understandably remains generally distrustful of team management’s motivations,” and Baalke did leave the door open today for possible changes at the position.
“We feel pretty good with the guys we have, but we’re always looking,” Baalke said, per Around the NFL (via Twitter). “We’re going to look at every avenue.”
According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), Baalke was also asked about offensive tackle Anthony Davis today. The GM said he has had contact with Davis, who took the 2015 season off, but isn’t sure where things stand, adding that there’s not much to talk about until the veteran tackle is reinstated.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Sign Garrett Celek To Extension
FEBRUARY 23: The 49ers have finalized a four-year extension for Celek, locking him up through the 2019 season, the team confirmed today in a press release. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the four-year pact is worth $14MM, with nearly $5MM in guaranteed money.
“Since Garrett entered the league as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2012, he has displayed the skill, work ethic and desire to compete at a high level in the National Football League,” 49ers GM Trent Baalke said in a statement. “His commitment and determination to succeed are reflected in the way he conducts himself as a professional on and off the field. As an organization, we would like to congratulate Garrett and look forward to his continued development as a member of this organization.”
FEBRUARY 17: The 49ers and tight end Garrett Celek are close to finalizing a long-term deal, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Celek was slated to hit free agency in early March.
[RELATED: Anquan Boldin’s Contract Has Voided]
Celek, 27, played in 11 games last year (eight starts) and hauled in 19 catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns. Celek played 39% of the 49ers’ offensive snaps and 19% of their special teams plays before suffering a high-ankle sprain late in the season. That injury caused him to miss the final five games of the year but he’ll be 100% when training camp gets underway.
Celek is the younger brother of Eagles tight end Brent Celek. Interestingly, Chip Kelly is now going from coaching one member of the Celek family to another.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/22/16
Here are today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The 49ers cut tight end Brian Leonhardt, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The 49ers were expected to cut a tight end following the addition of Garrett Celek.
- The Broncos re-signed blocking tight end Richard Gordon, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS (on Twitter). Gordon was on the team’s 53-man roster for five weeks last year and dressed only once.
- The Steelers signed Roy Philon, per Wilson (on Twitter). Philon, a defensive tackle, has a rep for being able to move well for a player of his size.
- The Dolphins cut defensive back Dax Swanson, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Swanson’s stay in Miami was brief as he was signed to a futures deal roughly six weeks ago. Swanson had several taxi squad stints around the league in 2015, including multiple turns with the Dolphins.
- The Browns cut running back Luke Lundy, Wilson tweets.
NFC Notes: C. Long, Randle, Lions, 49ers
Of the three veteran players the Rams parted ways with last week, Peter King of TheMMQB.com thinks defensive end Chris Long could be the one the team regrets releasing. According to King, Long – who turns 31 next month – is already being pursued by contending teams. However, it’s not clear yet whether the veteran pass rusher will sign quickly, since he and his wife are expecting their first child in the near future, says King.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, two Giants sources recently questioned wide receiver Rueben Randle‘s “work ethic and desire to be great.” Raanan estimates there’s only about a 15% chance of Randle re-signing with New York this winter.
- “The salary cap is not our enemy. It can be our friend,” Lions president Rod Wood said last week in an appearance on WMGC-FM in Detroit. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press passes along some other Wood quotes from that interview, and examines the state of the Lions’ salary cap as the new league year approaches.
- Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones expressed disappointment in defensive end Randy Gregory over his four-game suspension for a substance-abuse violation, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. However, the Cowboys should also shoulder some of the blame, since they knew what they were getting into when they drafted him and were responsible for helping to avoid repeating his failed combine drug test, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
- Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at three key positions of need for the 49ers heading into this week’s draft combine, and considers potential targets for the club’s No. 7 overall pick.
49ers To Meet With Colin Kaepernick’s Reps At Combine
One of the offseason’s most compelling storylines will be where Colin Kaepernick suits up this fall.
The 49ers will meet with Kaepernick’s representatives at the NFL Scouting Combine, which will help determine if the polarizing quarterback will stay in San Francisco, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports.
Although Barrows points out it’s unknown what will be discussed at this upcoming summit in Indianapolis, it could be a key junction point in determining whether Kaepernick and the 49ers can mend fences. Or it could further lead to the sides dissolving their relationship, one that looked irreparable when the 49ers placed Kaepernick on IR in November.
We’ve heard the 28-year-old Kaepernick could look to join the Jets, although that feeling may not be mutual, and that executives around the league are fearing what Chip Kelly’s offense would look like with Kaepernick at the controls. But the sides haven’t talked publicly about going forward together yet.
Kelly and Kaepernick met and spoke briefly at the 49ers’ Santa Clara facility once Kelly agreed to become the team’s next coach and have talked on the phone since, Barrows reports.
Entering the third year of his team-friendly contract, Kaepernick’s status in San Francisco remains tied to being on the roster on April 1, when the 49ers would owe the sixth-year quarterback his full $11.9MM base salary.
The team’s stated consistently it’s unconcerned with this deadline, Barrows notes, and merely wants Kaepernick to recover from the three surgeries (to his left shoulder, left knee and right thumb) he’s undergone since November. That’s likely not the case considering Kaepernick’s recent struggles and the sides’ turbulent relationship.
The 49ers could attempt to trade Kaepernick before that date, and as Barrows points out, the deal that ultimately sent Alex Smith to the Chiefs spawned at the combine and commenced a couple of weeks later. A lack of buzz about a Kaepernick trade could mean the 49ers haven’t sought trade partners for their signal-caller’s services just yet and that Kelly would want him in San Francisco in 2016, Barrows suggests.
Barrows notes the 49ers’ likely No. 1 item in these talks is whether Kaepernick wants to remain with the franchise that drafted him in the second round in 2011. The 49ers benched their struggling and injury-plagued starter for Blaine Gabbert last season, and Kaepernick elected to have his surgeries in Vail, Colo., and go through rehab in Colorado as well as opposed to doing so under the guidance of the 49ers’ doctors.
Kaepernick would occupy a team-high $15.89MM cap hold if on the 49ers’ roster this year. Gabbert, as of now, will take up only $2.25MM of San Francisco’s cap.
Sunday Roundup: T. Johnson, Long, 49ers
We recently heard the the Rams are considering using the transition tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency in just over two weeks. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com discusses why a team would consider the transition tag–which does not net a team any compensation when the tagged player signs elsewhere–when a slightly more expensive franchise tag would virtually assure the team of retaining the tagged player. As Florio writes, “Some may be doing it just to see what the player’s value is, knowing that if it’s too high they’ll let him walk. Others possibly don’t want the franchise tender to lay the foundation for a long-term deal.”
Florio, citing a league source, says that if Johnson does get the transition tag, he will not sign the transition tender. Instead, he will actively seek an offer sheet from another team, just as Alex Mack did in 2014 and Charles Clay did last season.
Now let’s take a look at some more notes from around the league:
- Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com takes a look at whether the Seahawks will pursue recently-released DE Chris Long, who has 8.5 sacks in 15 career games against Seattle as a member of the division-rival Rams. Long’s age and injury history suggest that he’s probably in line for a relatively modest deal, and given that the Seahawks are always on the lookout for pass rushing help, Kapadia suggests that Long could be a fit.
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers‘ No. 1 priority this offseason is resolving the Colin Kaepernick dilemma, and he sets forth four ways in which the team could find that resolution. Right now, indications are that Kaepernick would like to resume his career elsewhere, and if San Francisco wants to move on as well, the 49ers can give Kaepernick permission to seek a trade and work out a restructured contract with another team before a trade is finalized. Alternatively, the two sides could work out a settlement in which the team releases him and is not on the hook for the $11.9MM he is owed in 2016.
- The Jaguars do not plan on filling the vacancy that was left when they promoted Todd Wash from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union. Instead, Wash will continue to coach the team’s defensive lineman, and head coach Gus Bradley downplayed any notion that his first-time coordinator would be stretched too thin.
- D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides his ranking of the Falcons‘ top 12 unrestricted free agents. Given that O’Brien Schofield tops the list, it is clear that the Falcons’ pending free agents are comprised primarily of role players and reserves.
- Jesse James, selected in the fifth round of last year’s draft, will get the first chance to replace the recently-retired Heath Miller as the Steelers‘ No. 1 tight end, as Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. After being inactive for the first eight games of the regular season, James saw limited action in the next ten, including the playoffs. The Steelers will likely add a tight end in free agency to complement James and high-upside practice squad player Xavier Grimble, even though the free agent class of tight ends is fairly weak. Ben Watson, who met with Pittsburgh during training camp a few years ago, is perhaps the best fit for the Steelers.
West Notes: Chargers, Barksdale, 49ers, Kelly
Let’s take a look at the latest news and notes from the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Right tackle Joe Barksdale hopes his upcoming foray into free agency goes smoother than it did last season, writes Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Barksdale notably remained unsigned until mid-May of last year before finally latching on with the Chargers, with whom he went on to start all 16 games. After settling for a base salary/signing bonus of just over $1MM in 2015, Barskdale should be able to get a pay bump this season, be it with San Diego or another club looking for offensive line help.
- Defensive line is a key area of need for the 49ers this offseason, says Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Defensive tackle Ian Williams is a free agent and could command a hefty contract on the open market, and the remaining options on the roster lack depth, as Arik Armstead, Glenn Dorsey, and Quinton Dial headline an uninspiring unit. But even if San Francisco fails to re-sign Williams, the club could use an early draft pick on a defensive lineman, and this year’s collegiate class is especially strong at that position.
- Speaking of Armstead, the former Oregon Duck and current 49er is confident that new head coach Chip Kelly will help turn things around in the Bay Area. “I think [Kelly] is going to get us on the right path,” Armstead told Bleacher Report’s Uninterrupted (link via CSNBayArea.com). “It’s going to be a lot of hard work this year. But I think it’s going to be beneficial to our team. The sky is the limit for us, really, it can’t really get any worse than last season.”
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Boone, Okung, Vikes
The Cowboys were in need of pass-rushing help even before the NFL handed a four-game suspension to edge rusher Randy Gregory on Friday. Now, with Gregory out for the first quarter of next season and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence having undergone back surgery earlier this year, the Cowboys might be more inclined to re-sign Greg Hardy, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Hardy had a respectable six sacks in 12 games last season, but he was a headache off the field, and sources close to the 27-year-old told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report in January that Dallas was unlikely to bring him back. The Cowboys’ present circumstances could change that, however.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The 49ers will discuss a new contract with Alex Boone‘s agents at next week’s scouting combine in Indianapolis, but chances are they won’t get a deal done before free agency opens March 9, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Boone has played his entire career with the 49ers since they signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2009, netting 59 starts – all of which came during the previous four years.
- There was a late-January report stating Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung, a pending free agent, would undergo surgery on his dislocated left shoulder. Okung confirmed to 710 ESPN Seattle on Thursday that the surgery is complete and he’ll face a four-month recovery period, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. “It was something that I didn’t have to do, but decided to do just to mitigate any risks going forward,” the 28-year-old said.
- Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said earlier this week that next season would be pivotal in showing whether Cordarrelle Patterson is capable of being a viable NFL receiver going forward. Patterson agrees, telling Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, “If it don’t show this year it ain’t going to show at all. That’s all I can say about that.” The 2013 first-round pick pulled in a combined 78 receptions in his first two years, but he was barely involved in the Vikings’ offense last season and added just two catches.
49ers Name Al Guido Team President
FEBRUARY 18: About two and a half months after the 49ers’ front office reassignment was initially reported, the team has confirmed new titles for Al Guido and Paraag Marathe. According to a press release, Guido will be the club’s new president, while Marathe is now the Niners’ chief strategy officer and executive VP of football operations, as well as a managing partner in the investment entity created by the Yorks.
DECEMBER 5: York addressed the moves in an email to his staff (published on 49ers.com), discussing Marathe’s new role in the organization:
“Paraag has chosen to take a leadership role in the organization’s new ventures efforts. As you know, Paraag has been the lead in our partnership with the Sacramento Republic FC soccer team and was instrumental in developing and launching VenueNext. We anticipate great things to come from our new ventures wing as it continues to grow.
Despite how some have chosen to portray this transition in the media, I want you to know that Paraag has been and will continue to be an instrumental member of this organization. Without his contributions over the last 15 years, the successes achieved by this organization would not have been possible.”
York also discussed how Guido would take over some of Marathe’s previous responsibilities:
“With Paraag focusing so much time and energy on new business opportunities, Al has taken the lead on the day-to-day business operations of the team and Levi’s® Stadium.”
DECEMBER 4: 49ers president Paraag Marathe has been reassigned from his current role with the team, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. According to Maiocco, Marathe will remain with his current title and job description for another couple months, but after the Super Bowl, he’ll take on a lesser role with the Niners and will become more involved in outside business ventures, including the Sacramento Republic soccer team.
Following his reassignment, Marathe will remain involved with the Niners to some extent. Per Maiocco, he’ll continue to manage San Francisco’s salary cap and will still be the club’s top contract negotiator. However, most of his new job description will focus on the 49ers’ outside business interests.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the decision to change up the roles in the 49ers’ front office happened months ago, but the team wanted to make it through the 2015 season before instituting those changes. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, meanwhile, reports (via Twitter) that the reassignment was Marathe’s decision, since it gives him a chance to do more things and to be an equity partner in the York family’s ventures.
Of course, Schefter’s report would be a little easier to believe if the Niners hadn’t painted Jim Harbaugh‘s departure from the franchise last winter as a “mutual parting.” An NFL source tells Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News that one of the reasons Marathe is being deposed from his team president role is that he’s “believed to be the source of many recent leaks to national reporters, most notably the reports discrediting Colin Kaepernick.” Keeping that in mind, it’s easy to be skeptical about the report from Schefter, a national reporter.
In any case, according to Kawakami, no 49ers executive has been more polarizing than Marathe during his long tenure with the club, and he’s also one of owner Jed York‘s closest confidantes. As such, his reassignment represents something of a “sea change” for San Francisco’s front office structure.
Per Kawakami, Niners executive Al Guido is expected to assume many of Marathe’s administrative responsibilities. The team president title figures to come along with Guido’s new responsibilities, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Lynch, 49ers, Packers
There will be no intrigue or drama when it comes to the Cowboys‘ potential use of the franchise tag. Executive VP Stephen Jones announced Tuesday that the team won’t be using its franchise or transition tag, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. While Jones’ announcement is somewhat unusual, it’s not surprising — when Luke Adams examined potential 2016 franchise tag candidates on Monday, he didn’t mention a single Cowboy, even as a long shot.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- If Marshawn Lynch goes through with his retirement, he’ll owe the the Seahawks the $5MM signing bonus from the contract he signed last offseason. However, the team won’t ask for that money back, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Within a look at the 49ers‘ offensive line situation, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that there’s no timetable for offensive tackle Anthony Davis to file for reinstatement from the NFL’s reserve/retired list. There’s a belief that Davis will return to the Niners after taking a year away from the game. But even if he does, it shouldn’t affect the team’s offseason plan at the position much, as Maiocco notes there’s no guarantee Davis will return at the same level.
- The Packers have officially announced some changes to their coaching staff, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, who writes that they’ve hired Ben Sirmans as running backs coach, Brian Angelichio as tight ends coach, and Ejiro Evero as defensive quality control assistant. Sirmans, previously with the Rams, will replace Sam Gash. Angelichio, who was last with the Browns, will take over for Jerry Fontenot.
- Demovsky has a year-by-year breakdown of Letroy Guion‘s new contract with the Packers. The deal is heavy on bonus money with $50K in per-game roster bonuses plus another $1.7MM in roster and workout bonuses. Last season, Guion played under a one-year, $2.75MM pact.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.