Patrick Willis Says He Won’t Make Comeback
12:35pm: Willis took to social media to shoot down talk of a possible comeback (via Maiocco):
“I MADE MY DECISION BACK IN APRIL. AND I HAVEN’T THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT . . . PLAYING ANOTHER DOWN IN THE NFL…PERIOD‼‼‼
SO QUIT TRYING TO BRING LIFE; on a CHAPTER that I have already CLOSED IN MY HEART and MIND.”
12:03pm: 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, who retired prior to the 2015 season, is considering a comeback, a source close to the player tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole also hears that tackle Anthony Davis, who has hinted at a return on social media, is planning on coming back in 2016. However, a source close to Willis told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com on Thursday, “I have not heard anything to that effect from Patrick.” The 49ers appear to know nothing about Willis pondering a comeback either.
Prior to a 2014 season cut short by injury, Willis had earned a spot in the Pro Bowl in each of his even seasons, and only turned 30 years old in January. However, when he landed on the injured reserve list back in November, Willis revealed that the toe on which he was undergoing surgery had been a chronic issue, limiting his effectiveness for years.
“I don’t look to play this game for just another year,” Willis told Maiocco at the time. “I feel like I have five or six more great years of football left in my body. Unfortunately, this toe was telling me otherwise.”
We’ll have to wait and see whether Willis is actually thinking about a comeback, but the linebacker has been adamant in the past that he won’t be returning to the gridiron. In March, he told ex-teammate Takeo Spikes that he wasn’t having any second thoughts about his decision.
As for Davis, word of his potential return is less surprising given his comments on Twitter throughout the season. Team sources told Maiocco that Davis would have to “mend fences” within the organization in order to come back, but that won’t be much of a hurdle if he can help the team. The 49ers hold his rights for the next five seasons due to the contract extension the 26-year-old right tackle signed in 2013.
Extra Points: Stafford, Los Angeles, Packers
If Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is made available, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) would expect the Texans, 49ers, Browns, and Jets to all express interest given their quarterback needs. Stafford has reasonable base salaries of $17MM and $16.5MM (both non-guaranteed) in 2016 and 2017, so he could have appeal to clubs despite his struggles. Meanwhile, teams looking at QBs feel that Stafford has more to offer than any signal caller in the draft.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Jets owner Woody Johnson says a decision on Los Angeles could come after January and perhaps even as late as March, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. It sounds like we’ll have to wait a while before we learn the fate of the Raiders, Rams, and Chargers.
- The Packers worked out defensive tackle Toby Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Saints worked out wide receiver Damarr Aultman, cornerback Dwight Bentley, and fullback Trey Millard, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Patriots worked out offensive tackle Reid Fragel, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Former Texans wide receiver DeVier Posey worked out for the Bengals today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
49ers Sign Travaris Cadet, Cut Pierre Thomas
10:49am: The 49ers have officially signed Cadet, announcing in a press release that they’ve cut Thomas to make room on the roster. Although the move wasn’t previously reported, it makes some sense, since Cadet and Thomas are both strongest in third-down and receiving roles.
8:40am: After auditioning him on Monday, the 49ers will sign running back Travaris Cadet to their 53-man roster, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team has yet to officially announce the move, so the corresponding cut isn’t yet known.
Cadet, 26, saw his first significant action for the Saints in 2014, hauling in 38 passes on 51 targets, totaling 296 yards and a touchdown on those receptions. Although he was listed as a running back and generally lined up in the backfield, the Appalachian State product only had 10 carries for 32 yards. After signing with the Patriots in March, Cadet appeared in just one regular season game for the team this year before being cut.
According to Rapoport, Cadet drew interest from three teams, though it’s not clear if the Patriots – who have an opening in their backfield with Dion Lewis out for the season – were one of them. In recent weeks, Cadet has also auditioned for the Colts, Lions, and Jets, so it’s possible one of those clubs renewed its interest.
As for the Niners, they added Shaun Draughn and Pierre Thomas to their roster last week, and those backs saw plenty of action on Sunday, with Kendall Gaskins getting some touches as well. With Carlos Hyde expected to be healthy enough to return to the field soon, the Niners’ backfield is starting to get crowded. Gaskins could be a candidate to return to the practice squad with Cadet coming aboard, but we’ll have to wait and see how San Francisco manages its roster.
Cadet will become the third notable ex-Saints running back to sign with the 49ers this year, with the team also having added Thomas and Reggie Bush.
Extra Points: Gabbert, Pitta, Archer
No surprise here, but 49ers coach Jim Tomsula announced that Blaine Gabbert will start for SF once again when the Niners take on the Seahawks in Week 11, as Taylor Price of 49ers.com writes. Gabbert completed 15 of 25 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in Sunday’s Week 9 home win over the Falcons and, at least for now, it sounds like former starter Colin Kaepernick should make himself comfortable on the bench.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- A decision will be made by Wednesday on whether tight end Dennis Pitta makes a comeback this season from his second serious hip injury, as Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. According to Ravens coach John Harbaugh, the decision comes down to Pitta’s long-term health, not his ability to play again. “He did look good in practice,” Harbaugh said. “We had a tough time covering him. He was doing stuff for the look team and made a bunch of plays out there. He just kind of looked like his old self out there. But don’t construe that as saying that he’s ready to go, because it’s not about that. The doctors are going to take a hard look at that, and help him decide, is this safe? It’s going to be based on how the hip is responding to the practices.” Pitta, 30, enjoyed his best season in 2012 when he helped the Ravens win a Super Bowl, catching 61 passes for 669 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season, followed by 14 catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns during the playoffs.
- The Saints worked out former Giants wide receiver Preston Parker on Monday, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Parker, 28, has 85 career receptions for 1,057 yards and five touchdowns.
- Running back Dri Archer has passed on ten offers to join practice squads, including an offer from the Steelers, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT. Archer, a third-round pick in 2014, instead plans to wait and see whether any opportunities arise to join a 53-man roster. Florio speculates that his opening might be with the Patriots now that Dion Lewis is done for the year.
49ers Audition Travaris Cadet
With running back Dion Lewis done for the season, some have speculated that the Patriots could re-sign running back Travaris Cadet. As it turns out, he might wind up with a different team dealing with a banged up backfield. The 49ers worked out Cadet on Monday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Cadet, 26, was signed by the Pats as a free agent in March of this year. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder spent the last three seasons with the Saints and saw time in only one Pats game this year before his release in late September. Cadet saw his first significant action for the Saints in 2014, hauling in 38 passes on 51 targets, totaling 296 yards and a touchdown on those receptions. Although he was listed as a running back and generally lined up in the backfield, the Appalachian State product only had 10 carries for 32 yards.
In recent weeks, Cadet has also auditioned for the Colts, Lions, and Jets. The 49ers could look to add Cadet to their backfield to join new additions Pierre Thomas and Shaun Draughn plus the recently-promoted Kendall Gaskins.
49ers Notes: Kaepernick, Tomsula, Bush
Blaine Gabbert played well enough to win, but no matter how he fared the bigger story is the tension that has risen between Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers organization. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that based on the current climate, “it is virtually certain [Kaepernick] is not back in San Francisco in 2016, according to team and league sources.”
Kaepernick’s 2016 salary becomes fully guaranteed on April 1st, and it is unlikely the team would want that number on their books if they aren’t committed to him, and La Canfora describes the situation as beyond repair.
Here are a few more notes coming out of San Francisco:
- While La Canfora believes the situation cannot be turned around, Conor Orr of NFL.com writes that the 49ers coaching staff still believes in Kaepernick as the starting quarterback going forward.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at the idea behind Kaepernick’s contract, and what direction the 49ers will go in from here. One option Fitzgerald believes the team could explore would be asking Kaepernick to take a pay cut in the offseason by threatening to release him in late March, when he’d be unlikely to receive a contract comparable to what they can offer.
- Even though Gabbert played well and got the win, head coach Jim Tomsula would not name him the starter going forward, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayAreas.com. “Gabbert was our starter today,” said Tomsula. “And I don’t have a comment past that.”
- Kaepernick has been the focus of much of the 49ers’ woes this season, but Tim Kawakami of InsideBayArea.com writes that he is far from the only one on the hot seat during a bad start to the season. He points out that Tomsula, offensive coordinator Geep Chryst, general manager Trent Baalke, and owner Jed York as members of the organization in a no-win situation.
- 49ers’ running back Reggie Bush is planning to sue the city of St. Louis after suffering a possible career-ending injury after slipping on the concrete at the Edward Jones Dome, writes La Canfora. Bush will likely seek gross negligence, given the danger of having the slippery surface so close to the field.
Sunday Roundup: Hardy, L. McCown, Welker
As this week’s games get underway in full force, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:
- Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times, citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter, reports that the Buccaneers put together a contract structure for Greg Hardy that the Cowboys ultimately mirrored, but Tampa Bay’s contract was contingent on the club meeting with Hardy for evaluation. Once it became clear that such a meeting was not possible, the Bucs pulled the offer (Twitter links).
- Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune writes that Saints backup quarterback Luke McCown will get a second opinion on his back injury this week, but Terrell’s source indicates that McCown will likely require season ending surgery. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, the news is fairly significant, as New Orleans has never had to rely on a rookie to back up Drew Brees.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes that free agent wide receiver Wes Welker is still waiting for his phone to ring, and that he has passed both physicals he has taken this year. He wants to play for a contender, and he has instructed his agent to reach out again to the teams on his list to see if there is a fit.
- ESPN’s Jane McManus tweets that the NFL’s investigation into Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel‘s recent encounter with police is expected to conclude this week. McManus notes that the police report and various witness testimony have complicated the investigation.
- Although there was more league-wide effort to make a deal prior to this year’s trade deadline than in seasons past, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that only one trade was made because the demand from sellers was too great. The Browns and 49ers in particular asked for compensation that rival executives believed was unreasonable.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a detailed look at the 2016 wide receiver free agent class and the types of contracts some of the bigger names in the class can expect to land. Fitzgerald says the best player on that list, Alshon Jeffery, is better equipped to handle a franchise tag should the Bears go that route because he is so young and the tag will not impact the way teams view his future as long as he remains healthy.
- ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the Jaguars are likely to part ways with Toby Gerhart at season’s end.
- Likewise, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com believes Jon Beason has played his last game for the Giants (Twitter link).
NFC Notes: Bears, Gase, 49ers, Knighton
In his latest notes column for the Chicago Tribune, David Haugh points to left tackle — not quarterback, cornerback, or pass-rusher, as some might suggest — as the Bears‘ biggest need come draft time. Kyle Long is still an option to move to the blind side at some point, but Haugh suggests the club could target players like Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss or Ronnie Staley of Notre Dame next spring. Such a move would likely follow the release of veteran Jermon Bushrod, who has played in only three games this season (he first dealt with concussion issues but was then benched).
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC:
- Continuing the Bears theme, John Mullin of CSNChicago.com notes that offensive coordinator Adam Gase should be a hot name on the head coaching circuit next year. The 37-year-old Gase interviewed for nearly every head coaching vacancy following last season, bu ultimately reunited with John Fox in Chicago, where he has helped quarterback Jay Cutler turn around his career. In the piece above, Haugh suggests that Gase will also be a popular candidate for many NCAA openings.
- It’s unlikely that quarterback Colin Kaepernick will return to the 49ers next season, opines Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, noting that the club will likely release Kaerpenick before his 2016 $11.9MM base salary becomes guaranteed on April 1. Elsewhere in San Francisco, Maiocco writes that GM Trent Baalke clearly believes he will remain the club’s decision-maker going forwar, as he wouldn’t have traded Vernon Davis for future draft pick compensation if he believed this season was his last with the team.
- Terrance Knighton will miss Sunday’s game with severe headaches, John Keim of ESPN.com reports. The Washington defensive tackle has reportedly visited around 30 doctors for this condition, which is said to be worse than migraines, albeit in shorter duration.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
49ers Sign Two CBs; Mike Davis To IR-DTR
The 49ers have placed running back Mike Davis on the injured reserve list with the designation to return, the team announced today in a press release. Davis may be the last player this season to get that designation, since anyone placed on IR-DTR after this week wouldn’t be eligible to return in the second half of the regular season.
In addition to moving Davis – who can return for Week 17 – to IR-DTR, the Niners also placed safety L.J. McCray on season-ending injured reserve. To fill the two newly-opened spots on the 53-man roster, San Francisco promoted a pair of cornerbacks, Marcus Cromartie and Chris Davis, from the team’s practice squad.
As Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle points out (via Twitter), it makes sense for the 49ers to promote multiple cornerbacks to their active roster due to the injury problems they’re having in the secondary. Cornerbacks Tramaine Brock (shin), Kenneth Acker (concussion), and Keith Reaser (ankle) are all listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Atlanta.
The Niners have also seen their backfield ravaged by injuries, having placed Davis on IR-DTR after sending Reggie Bush to the IR list earlier this week. The team signed veteran backs Shaun Draughn and Pierre Thomas to fill in for this weekend’s contest.
NFC Notes: Kaepernick, JPP, Hardy
For the first time since 2012, the 49ers will have someone other than Colin Kaepernick under center this Sunday when they face the Falcons. After the Kaepernick-led 49ers stumbled to a 2-6 start, head coach Jim Tomsula elected to make a change at quarterback and turn to backup Blaine Gabbert. Tomsula said that sitting will enable Kaepernick to take a breath and refocus.
“I’m not out of breath, so I don’t understand that reference,” Kaepernick said Friday, according to the Mercury News’ Cam Inman.
In response to offensive coordinator Geep Chryst‘s assessment that Kaepernick has been more focused on avoiding mistakes than making plays this season, the 28-year-old stated, “I don’t believe that’s accurate. Every time I step on the field, I step on the field to make plays. That’s just a matter of opinion.”
While Kaepernick may not agree with Tomsula or Chryst, he added that he’s respectful of the coaches’ authority (Twitter link via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez) and won’t be a distraction to either Gabbert or the rest of the 49ers.
“I’ll support my teammates and support Blaine in everything they do, because they’ve been good to me,” Kaepernick stated.
More from around the NFC:
- Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who lost his right index finger in a devastating July 4 fireworks accident, could make his long-awaited season debut this week. Linebacker Devon Kennard said Pierre-Paul has been “very good” in practice, while head coach Tom Coughlin added that Pierre-Paul has “done everything we’ve asked him to do and we’re very positive about it.” Coughlin will decide by 4 p.m. Saturday whether to activate Pierre-Paul for the Giants’ game in Tampa (story via Brian Heyman of Newsday).
- The Cowboys and Greg Hardy are facing further backlash from media and fans after Deadspin released horrifying photos and details of the defensive end’s 2014 domestic violence arrest Friday. In light of Deadspin’s report, Christine Brennan of USA Today writes that Hardy should be banished from the league.
- Contrary to the wishes of Brennan and many others, the Cowboys won’t send Hardy packing, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Rick Gosselin. The organization is unfazed by the Deadspin report and believes that Hardy has been suitably punished for his past misdeeds (which came when was a Panther). Further, considering the franchise is in the business of winning games, its thinking is that having Hardy around is more beneficial than detrimental. Hardy has indeed been an asset on the field for Dallas, racking up three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in three games, but his presence hasn’t yet led to any victories.