West Notes: V. Miller, Broncos, 49ers, Weddle
Broncos linebacker Von Miller‘s agent has thus far met with 19 NFL teams, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link). Technically Miller is still under contract with Denver, and no other clubs should be talking to his representatives until March 7, the beginning of the two-day legal tampering period prior to the start of free agency. But the league rarely enforces such rules, and additionally, Miller isn’t expected to reach free agency anyway, as the Broncos will likely use the franchise tag on their star pass rusher.
Here are a few more notes out of the NFL’s two West divisions:
- From the Broncos‘ perspective, it would be ideal if Peyton Manning makes his retirement decision by the middle of next week, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. If Manning informs Denver of his plans prior to March 7, the club would be able to formulate a more coherent negotiation strategy with fellow quarterback Brock Osweiler, per Renck. Manning’s 2016 base salary of $19MM fully guarantees on March 9, so the Broncos will certainly need a decision before that date.
- The 49ers have hired former Browns quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell to their offensive staff, according to FootballScoop.com (Twitter link). O’Connell, who was an NFL quarterback himself from 2008-12, spent just one season with Cleveland.
- Safety Eric Weddle is not expected to return to the Chargers, and a report earlier this month indicated that he’d like to join a contending team. Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link) doubles down on that notion, adding that Weddle will also be looking for a solid team culture and a good fit (whether that be in the locker room or schematically). Weddle has not discussed financial terms with any interested clubs, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
- Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung plans to act as his own agent during his upcoming free agent negotiations, and as he writes in a Facebook post, a number of other NFL players have approached Okung and expressed an interest following his lead.
Anthony Davis To Apply For Reinstatement
As expected, veteran offensive tackle Anthony Davis will apply for reinstatement to the NFL after taking the 2015 season off, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Davis, whose rights are still held by the Niners, wants to play in 2016, per Schefter.
Davis, 26, was San Francisco’s first-round pick in 2010, coming off the board 11th overall. Since then, he has started 71 games at right tackle for the team, playing all 16 regular season contests in his first four years before being limited to seven games in 2014. Davis dealt with hamstring and knee issues, and also battled concussion problems, which may have contributed to his decision to step away from the game temporarily in 2015.
Although his decision was initially classified as another retirement announcement in a series of them for the 49ers last summer, Davis was always viewed as likely to return to the game. In early January, he tweeted that his return to San Francisco was “guaranteed.”
At the time of his temporary retirement, Davis remained under contract with the 49ers for several more seasons, with a deal that ran through the 2019 season. It remains to be seen how he’ll fit into the team’s plans moving forward — to date, GM Trent Baalke hasn’t directly addressed the issue, choosing not to discuss it until Davis is formally reinstated.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
QB Rumors: Manning, Flacco, Kaepernick
After repeatedly expressing since the Super Bowl that there’s no timeline for Peyton Manning to make his decision on whether or not to retire, Broncos general manager John Elway admitted during an appearance on NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk that he’ll need – and get – an answer before Manning’s 2016 salary becomes guaranteed on March 9th. Elway said on Thursday that the veteran quarterback still needs a little more time.
Here are a few more quarterback-related notes and rumors from around the NFL:
- The Ravens are growing more confident that they’ll be able to get a reworked deal done with quarterback Joe Flacco, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Zrebiec cautions that nothing is done yet, but says the outlook is improving. Any agreement between the two sides would, of course, reduce Flacco’s $28.55MM cap hit for 2016.
- Per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), the 49ers view Colin Kaepernick‘s 2016 base salary ($11.9MM) as reasonable, and continue to believe that he has plenty of upside, so the team is still debating how to handle his trade request.
- With Carson Palmer set to turn 37 later this year, the Cardinals will need to identify a potential replacement for him at some point in the not-too-distant future. But as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes, that doesn’t mean the club will draft a QB this spring, since GM Steve Keim insists he doesn’t want to force a pick.
- Texans head coach Bill O’Brien and GM Rick Smith have no problem with owner Bob McNair publicly expressing that the team needs a solution at quarterback, says Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Both men acknowledge that McNair is right, and as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle outlines, O’Brien has a lengthy checklist for what traits he looks for in QBs.
- Generally speaking, teams lock up their starting quarterbacks before they reach unrestricted free agency, but there are several intriguing options set to become available this year, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who thinks 2016’s class could be the deepest and most interesting group of free agent QBs in years.
Extra Points: Saints, Carroll, Kaep, Texans
Saints head coach Sean Payton told NFL Network on Thursday that a contract extension for quarterback Drew Brees “will get done very easily,” per Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com. General manager Mickey Loomis said earlier this month that he wants to lock up Brees, whose deal expires after next season. Loomis also stated at the time that he and Tom Condon, Brees’ agent, hadn’t yet spoken about an extension. That changed at the combine, where Loomis and Condon met, according to Payton.
In a different interview, Payton told Pro Football Talk that offensive guard and the defensive front seven will be the Saints’ main concerns in free agency and the draft (Twitter link via Dabe). Earlier this month, the Saints cut guard Jahri Evans and two front seven defenders, linebackers David Hawthorne and Ramon Humber.
Other news from around the NFL:
- Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told the Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein that he has no interest in returning to USC to become its athletic director (Twitter link). Carroll, of course, led USC to an 83-19 mark as its football coach from 2001-09.
- Colin Kaepernick‘s contract – a middle-of-the-road deal for a quarterback – shouldn’t scare off possible suitors, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. If the 49ers do trade Kaepernick, which looks like a distinct possibility, Fitzgerald lists six teams as potential fits. He expects the Niners to seek a second-round pick in return.
- The Texans have met with guard Brandon Brooks‘ representatives at the combine, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Brooks, a pending free agent, has started in each of his last 44 appearances.
- The Falcons have not yet made any decisions regarding Devin Hester‘s status with the team, according to GM Thomas Dimitroff, who says that won’t happen until after Hester is fully recovered from his toe surgery (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com).
- The Saints ($42K), Broncos ($267K) and Rams ($1.245MM) opted against carrying over their full allotment of space from 2015, tweets Pro Football Talk. The Broncos’ motivation was to prevent other playoff teams from signing their practice squad players during the postseason, according to PFT’s Mike Florio. Each team has to make its call on carryover space at the end of the regular season. The Saints and Rams didn’t make the playoffs, so it’s currently unclear why they left their respective amounts behind. The list of all 32 clubs’ carryover totals can be found here.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
West Notes: Bennett, Kaepernick, Chargers
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett and Chiefs running back Spencer Ware have both hired Relativity Sports for representation, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter links). Ware isn’t even eligible for restricted free agency until 2017, so Bennett is the more notable name here, since the standout pass rusher wants Seattle to rework his deal.
As Gregg Bell of The News Tribune details (via Twitter), head coach Pete Carroll said today that he has spoken to Bennett about his situation, though it’s probably on the back-burner for now. Unless the Seahawks feel they could rework Bennett’s contract in a way that would create some cap space for free agency, the team likely won’t address it until the spring.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s West divisions:
- A day after GM Trent Baalke insisted that Colin Kaepernick will “absolutely” remain on the 49ers’ roster beyond his April 1st salary guarantee deadline, head coach Chip Kelly told reporters, including Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, that he has spoken to the QB several times, and believes Kaepernick want to be in San Francisco. “I don’t know what the narrative is that, ‘Is he on the team? Is he not on the team?'” Kelly said. “It’s never been a question. I’m excited to work with Colin. I’ve never thought that, ‘Hey, I’m going to go to San Francisco and he’s not going to be there.'”
- In addition to discussing Kaepernick, Kelly also said he’d like the 49ers to re-sign running back Shaun Draughn (Twitter link), and refuted the assumption that fullback Bruce Miller will be let go because he won’t have a role in Kelly’s offense.
- According to GM Tom Telesco, the Chargers‘ tight end position is “in flux” (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego). Both Antonio Gates and Ladarius Green are among San Diego’s free agents and Telesco said he’ll meet with their agents at the combine this week.
- Telesco also said today that the Chargers‘ wide receiver depth is “not as strong with Malcom [Floyd] not being there” (Twitter link via Gehlken). Needless to say, San Diego is firmly in the market for more help at the position, and is hunting specifically for a deep threat.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFLPA Announces Cap Carryover Amounts
The NFL Players Association issued a press release today announcing the salary cap carryover amounts for all 32 NFL teams for the 2016 season. The official salary cap amount for 2016 has yet to be announced by the league, but it’s expected to be in the neighborhood of $155MM+. When that figures becomes official, it can be added to each team’s carryover amount to determine that club’s official cap for 2016.
According to the press release, the Broncos, Rams, and the Saints are the only teams that opted not to carry over the full amount available to them, though none of those clubs are believed to have left significant amounts on the table.
Here are the salary cap carryover amounts for 2016, per the NFLPA, from highest to lowest:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $32,774,928
- Tennessee Titans: $20,783,801
- Cleveland Browns: $20,734,144
- Oakland Raiders: $13,373,617
- San Francisco 49ers: $12,206,686
- New York Giants: $11,193,231
- Miami Dolphins: $9,137,544
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $7,987,748
- Cincinnati Bengals: $7,587,902
- Philadelphia Eagles: $7,255,362
- Green Bay Packers: $6,953,847
- Washington: $5,837,734
- Indianapolis Colts: $4,950,629
- Buffalo Bills: $4,467,331
- Atlanta Falcons: $3,905,771
- Carolina Panthers: $3,731,200
- Dallas Cowboys: $3,571,239
- Denver Broncos: $3,300,000
- Arizona Cardinals: $3,031,663
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $3,000,327
- Kansas City Chiefs: $2,622,838
- New York Jets: $2,484,216
- San Diego Chargers: $2,287,176
- Minnesota Vikings: $2,090,409
- Houston Texans: $1,637,055
- Baltimore Ravens: $1,633,944
- New Orleans Saints: $1,400,000
- New England Patriots: $1,347,882
- Los Angeles Rams: $933,521
- Chicago Bears: $867,589
- Detroit Lions: $862,191
- Seattle Seahawks: $11,587
49ers Sign DT Quinton Dial To Extension
4:03pm: Dial’s new three-year extension with the 49ers is worth $12MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who reports that the deal features $5.3MM in guaranteed money. If Dial maxes out the value of his new contract, it can be worth up to $16.5MM, says Rapoport.
2:04pm: The 49ers have signed defensive tackle Quinton Dial to a three-year contract extension, the team announced today in a press release. Dial had been set to enter the final year of his deal in 2016, so his new contract keeps him under team control through the 2019 season.
“Throughout his first three seasons in the NFL, Quinton has shown consistent development and has become a key contributor in our defense,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. “We have certainly seen his positive impact on the field and in our locker room, but we also recognize the impressive work he does in the community year round. We are pleased to extend the contract of young players like Quinton and are excited to see him continue his career with the 49ers.”
Dial, 25, started six games in 2014 before becoming a full-time starter in 2015. He established new career-best marks last season, recording 59 tackles and 2.5 sacks and appearing in 662 defensive snaps, far more than any other Niners interior defensive lineman except Ian Williams.
As a 2013 draftee, Dial became extension-eligible this offseason for the first time. He had been set to earn a modest $675K base salary for 2016, but he figures to get a pay bump going forward as a reward for his solid play in 2015.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Cruz, RGIII, Cards
With Tony Romo turning 36 this April, the Cowboys may not get a better chance to draft his eventual successor, but their No. 4 overall pick could also be used to address a more immediate need elsewhere on the roster. Speaking to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones acknowledges that the idea of selecting a quarterback is one the team must seriously consider.
“I mean you have to look at it,” Jones said. “You’re not naive to it but if you have the opportunity in this league, in our situation, to get a potential franchise quarterback, then you have to make the investment. You have to have the patience. You sacrifice maybe that opportunity that maybe is impactful right now.”
Let’s round up several more items from across the NFC….
- Speaking to Nina Mandell of of USA Today’s For The Win, wide receiver Victor Cruz speculated that there’s an 80 percent chance he’ll return to the Giants for the 2016 season. While that’s an optimistic estimate, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets that it doesn’t sound like Cruz has been told anything definitive yet by the team.
- In the wake of Washington president Bruce Allen suggesting Robert Griffin III won’t be back with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) identifies the Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, Broncos, and Cowboys as possible suitors for RGIII.
- Speaking today to reporters at the combine in Indianapolis, Cardinals GM Steve Keim said that he loves Andre Ellington‘s skills, but the running back must show he can consistently stay healthy before Arizona seriously considers locking him up long-term (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic). As a 2013 draftee, Ellington is extension-eligible for the first time this offseason.
- Former CFL pass rusher Tristan Okpalaugo, who signed with the Cardinals this week, got a $30K signing bonus on his one-year, minimum-salary deal, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
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.