49ers Sign Jerome Simpson
SATURDAY, 12:32pm: Simpson’s two-year deal is worth $1.73MM, reports USA Today’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The deal contains no guaranteed money.
THURSDAY, 4:36pm: After hosting him for a free agent visit, the 49ers have reached an agreement to sign wide receiver Jerome Simpson, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Financial terms of Simpson’s new deal aren’t yet known, but it’s a two-year contract, per a team release.
Simpson, 29, was suspended for the first three games of the 2014 season after he was arrested for a DUI, and was subsequently released by the Vikings before he became eligible to return to the field. Simpson has been arrested three times since 2012, and the fact that the 49ers are willing to bring him on board shows that the club isn’t inclined to shy away from players with off-field red flags following the release of Ray McDonald.
On the field, Simpson had his best seasons in 2011 and 2013, posting nearly identical numbers for the Bengals in ’11 (50 receptions, 725 yards, four touchdowns) to the ones he put up for Minnesota in ’13 (48 receptions, 726 yards, one TD).
The 49ers are expected to significantly overhaul their receiving corps this offseason, with Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd heading to the open market and Stevie Johnson a likely cap casualty. Adding Simpson almost certainly won’t be the last move the team makes to address the group this month.
FA Notes: Spiller, Murray, Thomas, Williams
The Vikings philosophy heading into this offseason may similar to their strategy last year. The team looked for under-the-radar signings, and they were rewarded by one of their bargain contracts. Defensive tackle Tom Johnson inked a minimum one-year contract with the squad, and he ultimately finished the season with 6.5 sacks.
“Tom Johnson last year, we were patient, and he came in and did a nice job for us as an inside nickel rusher,” general manager Rick Spielman told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “A lot of times, if you can, you sit back and hopefully let the market settle a little bit.”
It sounds like the organization will be just as patient this time around, especially based on coach Mike Zimmer‘s comments.
“You use free agency to try to plug in a couple of holes here a bit,” said Zimmer. “I don’t believe we’re going to go out and pay some guy a whole bunch of money. Like when I was in Cincinnati and a lot of places, we would kind of go with the lower end of free agents, kind of coach them and hope they fit in the system.”
Let’s take a look at some rumors surrounding the league’s top free agents…
- Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports gives a list of teams that have interest in running back C.J. Spiller (via Twitter): the Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals, 49ers, Lions and Washington.
- Furthermore, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says Spiller will be an option for the Cowboys if DeMarco Murray signs elsewhere. Regardless, Florio quotes Spiller referring to himself as a “former” member of the Bills.
- Peyton Manning‘s reduced salary doesn’t guarantee that the Broncos will bring back tight end Julius Thomas, writes Florio. The organization is still strapped financially, and Florio notes that come teams, including the Seahawks, Jaguars and Raiders, may have the money to lure him away from Denver.
- The Lions could soon be in the market for a new defensive tackle, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says Cardinals lineman Dan Williams is atop the team’s list of potential Ndamukong Suh replacements.
Minor Moves: NFC West
The NFC West brought multiple headline-worthy news items Friday – the Seahawks’ extension of Marshawn Lynch and a possible contract restructuring for the Cardinals‘ Carson Palmer, for instance – but not every transaction includes household names. The Seahawks’ and Cardinals’ division rivals, the 49ers and Rams, proved as much Friday.
- The 49ers signed long snapper Kyle Nelson to a four-year extension, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan. Last season was Nelson’s first 16-game campaign. He has been a member of seven different organizations and has had three separate stints with the 49ers since entering the NFL in 2011.
- San Francisco also agreed to a one-year deal with tight end Garrett Celek, per Caplan. Celek has been a backup to Vernon Davis, having caught just eight passes in three seasons.
- Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted that the Rams tendered offers to two exclusive rights free agents, running back Chase Reynolds and offensive lineman Brandon Washington. As ERFAs with fewer than three years’ experience, the tender means that both players must either stay with the Rams or not play at all. Reynolds has made his hay in St. Louis as a special teamer, while Washington has appeared in just one game since his career began in 2012.
Minor Moves: Friday
Exclusive rights free agent Ryan Davis signed a deal with the Jaguars today, according to the team’s Twitter account. The defensive end signed with the Jaguars in May 2012 after going undrafted. He played in one game as a rookie and seven games in 2013 before sticking on the roster last year for 16 games and recording 6.5 sacks. Today’s minor moves..
- Quarterback Tajh Boyd has agreed to terms with the Steelers on a one-year deal, multiple league sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Clemson product was drafted by the Jets in the sixth round of the 2014 draft.
- The Broncos officially announced that they have tendered offers to three exclusive rights free agents: linebacker Brandon Marshall, tackle Paul Cornick, and guard Ben Garland, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Browns announced they re-signed exclusive rights free agents running back Shaun Draughn and punter Spencer Lanning, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
- The Jaguars declined to tender offers to their five restricted free agents, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union writes. Fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou, cornerback Teddy Williams, tailback/kick returner Jordan Todman, guard Jacques McClendon, and tight end Fendi Onobun will now become unrestricted free agents.
- The Lions gave defensive end George Johnson an original-round tender and wide receiver Jeremy Ross an exclusive rights tender, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes.
- The Chiefs have tendered ERFA Junior Hemingway, according to a source that spoke with Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). Hemingway, 26, is a fourth-year pro who caught 12 passes for 108 yards in 14 games as a backup last season.
- The 49ers have tendered exclusive-rights free agents Michael Wilhoite and Tony Jerod-Eddie, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets.
- As expected, the Cardinals declined to tender either one of their restricted free agents, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. Both quarterback Ryan Lindley and nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu will hit the open market.
NFC West Notes: Williams, Cards, 49ers
Free agent cornerback Cary Williams visited the Seahawks yesterday, and was “blown away,” according to agent Harold Lewis. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) quotes Williams’ agent as saying the former Eagles was “very impressed” with Seattle’s pitch, though the corner will still continue on with his other visits, including the Jets and Titans.
As we wait to see where Williams land, let’s check in on a few other items from out of the NFC West….
- Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reported earlier today that he wouldn’t be surprised to see the Falcons and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon reach an agreement on a new deal soon. However, if the two sides can’t finalize anything, expect the Cardinals to be waiting with their arms “wide open,” tweets McClure.
- Besides Weatherspoon, Stefen Wisniewski and A.Q. Shipley are a couple players expected to draw interest from the Cardinals, according to Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Arizona (via Twitter). The Cards are looking for potential upgrades on the interior offensive line, and both Wisniewski and Shipley look poised to become unrestricted free agents.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap attempts to make sense of the motives for the 49ers and Aldon Smith, following reports of Smith’s contract restructure.
West Rumors: Cole, S. Johnson, Myers, Dockett
Since being released by the Eagles yesterday, Trent Cole has garnered a decent amount of free agent interest, as he was scheduled to meet with the Buccaneers today. Two more NFC teams could be interested in signing the 32-year-old edge rusher, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports that both the 49ers and the Seahawks have inquired about Cole. As PFR’s Luke Adams notes in the link above, Cole is viewed as a better fit for a 4-3 defense (which both Tampa Bay and Seattle utilize). San Francisco, though, fields a 3-4 look, so it presumably believes Cole is still an option at outside linebacker.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from San Francisco and the rest of the West divisions…
- With Jerome Simpson now in the fold, the 49ers might not have a role for fellow receiver Stevie Johnson. Indeed, Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 tweets that the 28-year-old Johnson is expected to be released in the coming days. With no remaining guarantees on the books, Johnson would leave no dead money on San Francisco’s cap, and his release would save the club more than $6MM.
- Whereas Johnson hasn’t yet been released, former Texans center Chris Myers has already been handed his walking papers, officially being cut by Houston yesterday. But Myers could stay in the AFC, where the Raiders are set to lose free agent Stefen Wisniewski, as Alex Marvez of FOX Sports reports (Twitter link) that Oakland does have interest in bringing in the 33-year-old Myers. Bill Williamson of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that he senses the Raiders will target Chiefs center Rodney Hudson, with Myers serving as backup option.
- After being released by Arizona, defensive lineman Darnell Dockett signed with the 49ers earlier today, but he insists that staying with the Cardinals was initially possible. “I was willing to restructure my contract,” Dockett said on FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). “I was willing to take less money than what SF was offering.” Dockett ultimately inked a two-year, $7.5MM deal with San Francisco.
Aldon Smith Restructures Contract
After making a move to strengthen their defense earlier in the day, the 49ers have made a second, more finance-based, transaction, as linebacker Aldon Smith has agreed to restructure his contract, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Smith was set to earn $9.754MM in 2015 after San Francisco exercised his fifth-year option — per Barrows, he’ll earn the same amount next season, but none of that money will be guaranteed.
Smith’s salary would have become fully guaranteed on Tuesday; because it was a result of a fifth-year option decision, his salary had been protected for injury only during the offseason. However, Smith’s new deal appears to be structured a bit differently, as it’s broken up into monthly bonuses beginning in April, and weekly bonuses during the season, adds Barrows.
The reported deal is interesting for several reasons, the first of which is that it allows the 49ers to release Smith with limited financial ramifications, which makes this restructure an appealing move given Smith’s history of off-the-field incidents. Second, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets, the transaction indicates that Smith himself is confident he’ll remain on the Niners roster for the entirety of the season, thus earning his full paycheck.
Third, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap notes (Twitter link), the restructure could create a bit of cap room for San Francisco, for the time being at least, if Smith’s bonuses are of the per-game variety as indicated. Per-game bonuses are considered likely-to-be-earned based on the percentage of games the player was active during the previous season — Smith was active for nine games, so the 49ers will only have to carry 9/16 of his bonus on their cap for now.
While the concerns with Smith are obvious, he is a dominant player when on the field, as evidenced by his 33.5 sacks during his first two years in the NFL. If he can remain clean off-the-field, I’d imagine the Niners would look into extending him during the season. Meanwhile, San Francisco is near the bottom of the league in terms of cap space, with only about $6.5MM to work with, so this move should create a little more room.
NFC FA Rumors: Cole, Hardy, McDonald, Hawk
The Eagles officially announced on Wednesday that they’ve released Trent Cole from his contract, and the veteran edge defender didn’t waste much time in scheduling his first free agent visit. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Cole is meeting with the Buccaneers, a team that runs a 4-3 system. Having played in the Eagles’ 3-4 scheme for the last two years, Cole is viewed as a better fit as a defensive end for a 4-3 club, and Tampa Bay is certainly in need of an outside pass rusher.
As we wait to see if anything comes of Cole’s visit with the Bucs, let’s check in on a few more free agent updates from around the NFC….
- NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says there’s nothing stopping a player on the exempt list from signing a new contract, which is good news for Panthers defensive Greg Hardy (link via ESPN.com). The league has yet to announce its decision on whether or not Hardy will face discipline for alleged off-field conduct, which could diminish enthusiasm for the defensive end on the open market, but he’ll still be able to negotiate with teams and accept an offer next week.
- In other legal news, agent Tom Condon has informed teams that the Santa Clara District Attorney won’t be pursuing charges against free agent defensive lineman Ray McDonald, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). According to Condon, the Santa Clara DA hasn’t fully completed the release, but McDonald’s counsel has been informed of the decision. Since McDonald was cut by the Niners in December, he’s eligible to sign a new contract anytime.
- Linebacker A.J. Hawk may not be totally out of the picture in Green Bay, according to Bob McGinn and Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who report that the Packers left the door open for the linebacker’s possible return.
- In addition to hosting Ted Ginn Jr. for a visit this week, the 49ers also met with former Vikings wideout Jerome Simpson, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Simpson, who was suspended at the start of the 2014 season, was cut by Minnesota and hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2013. The Niners, meanwhile, are on the lookout for receivers, since they could part ways with Michael Crabtree, Brandon Lloyd, and Stevie Johnson this month.
- Appearing on SportsCenter today, cornerback Byron Maxwell suggested he would like to sign with a team that plays a Cover 3 scheme like the Seahawks do, tweets Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate. Of course, if a team running another coverage scheme makes Maxwell a big offer, I would guess he’d be willing to compromise that stance.
- Lions offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds is expected to test the free agent market next week, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
49ers Sign Darnell Dockett
9:13am: According to Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Arizona (via Twitter), Dockett gave the Cardinals the opportunity to match the 49ers’ offer before officially agreeing to terms with San Francisco.
8:47am: Veteran defensive lineman Darnell Dockett has made the move from one NFC West team to another, signing with the 49ers days after being released by the Cardinals. Agent Drew Rosenhaus broke the news on Twitter, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has since reported (via Twitter) that Dockett’s new deal with San Francisco is a two-year pact.
Dockett, who is entering his age-34 season, was sidelined for the entire 2014 campaign due to an ACL tear. In 2013, the former third-round pick started all 16 games for the Cards, logging 46 tackles and 4.5 sacks. However, Dockett’s cap number for 2015 was nearly $10MM, which forced the club to cut him.
According to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, the Cards wanted Dockett back, and had a one-year offer on the table to the veteran earlier this week worth up to $4MM, with a a base value of $2.5MM. In fact, Dockett drew interest from the entire NFC West, though he didn’t visit the Rams or Seahawks. Ultimately, the Niners’ offer won out — Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, citing Rosenhaus, tweets that the two-year deal is worth $7.5MM, including $4MM in year one, with $2MM guaranteed.
For the 49ers, Dockett represents a nice addition for a defensive line that may need replenishing this offseason. The team’s two primary defensive ends in 2014, Justin Smith and Ray McDonald, may not return for the 2015 season. Smith is mulling retirement, while McDonald was cut in December due to poor off-field conduct. The Niners also pursued Ricky Jean-Francois last week before the former Colt landed in Washington.
West Notes: Smith, 49ers, Manning
Justin Smith stopped by the 49ers offices today, presumably to speak with coach Jim Tomsula, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets.Despite the injuries he has dealt with, Smith is still regarded as one of the top defensive linemen in the league, so SF badly wants to keep him. However, there’s no word yet on whether he plans to play in 2015. Here’s more from the West divisions..
- Former Broncos who were coached by Gary Kubiak believe that Peyton Manning can play in his offense, including Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe and quarterback Jake Plummer, Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post writes.
- Alex Marvez of FOX Sports wonders if Manning has enough left in the tank for another championship run and frames the Broncos quarterback as something of an underdog given his age and decreasing arm strength.
- Manning’s pay cut gives the Broncos options, USA Today’s Lindsay H. Jones writes. Manning will have adjustments to make in 2015, but it’ll be a lot easier if that money is used to bring tight end Julius Thomas back to Denver. It still remains to be seen how things will work out with Denver’s numerous key free agents, but with Manning in the fold Jones sees the Broncos as the favorites yet again in the AFC West.
- Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie said a few weeks back that D.J. Hayden, Travis Carrie, and Keith McGill don’t need veteran leadership to succeed. Still, they could be in the market for cornerbacks and Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com ran down their options.
- According to a recent study, San Diego County would have to cover up to 65 percent of the cost of a new stadium for the Chargers based on what other NFL markets have contributed, Roger Showley of U-T San Diego writes.