Raiders, Jets To Pursue Jim Harbaugh?
The Raiders have long been viewed as a likely landing sport for current 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, assuming Harbaugh and San Francisco part ways as expected after the 2014 season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter, citing an NFL source, lent some credence to that theory this morning, tweeting that the Raiders are the favorites to trade for Harbaugh.
In that same tweet, however, Schefter notes that the Jets are expected to keep a “close eye” on the Harbaugh situation. Although that report seems to be more speculation than anything else at this point, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that it is the first tacit acknowledgement that the Jets are prepared to fire Rex Ryan.
Interestingly enough, Schefter’s tweet comes on the heels of Cimini’s full-length piece published this morning that details the increasingly bizarre quarterback controversy in New York. Cimini writes that Ryan has insisted that his arm was not twisted by GM John Idzik to revert to Geno Smith as the team’s starting quarterback for tomorrow night’s game against Miami, but “not everyone is buying what he’s selling,” and “[t]here remains a level of skepticism within the organization as to whether Ryan actually made the decision.” That is especially true since Idzik’s job would probably only be saved with a strong showing from Smith, his hand-picked quarterback, over the last few games of the season.
Of course, there was little chance that Ryan would retain his job after 2014 even before this latest controversy, and Cimini’s article simply adds fuel to the fire. But Schefter’s report, even if it just means that the Jets are prepared to exercise due diligence on all head coaching candidates after the season, is interesting in that it represents not only the first time the Jets have outwardly expressed their desire to move on from Ryan, but the first time they have been connected with Harbaugh.
However, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that one sticking point in any possible trade is “Harbaugh’s unwillingness to go to a team that has to give up a draft pick in order to acquire his services.” As Maiocco tweets, “Why would [Harbaugh] let a team weaken itself and help [the] 49ers by giving up draft pick(s)?” He certainly has a point, and in acknowledging Harbaugh’s say in the matter, Maiocco has added a wrinkle to what promises to be one of the more intriguing storylines this offseason.
La Canfora’s Latest: 49ers, Saints, RGIII
It is almost a foregone conclusion that 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh will not be prowling the San Francisco sidelines after the 2014 season. Although much of the talk concerning the 49ers’ head coaching situation has centered around Harbaugh’s next destination, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports examines how the team might go about replacing its successful but polarizing general.
Although Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase would be a logical external candidate, La Canfora writes that the 49ers plan to thoroughly evaluate their internal options and that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and defensive line coach Jim Tomsula would be at the top of the team’s list. Both men have done an exceptional job during their tenure with the club, and 2014 might represent their high-water mark as coaches, given that the 49ers’ defense has thrived in the midst of injuries to some of its best players.
Tomsula is a personal favorite of owner Jed York, and both he and Fangio are expected to receive interest from other clubs looking to fill head coaching positions. However, the team would like to keep as much of its talented defensive staff in place as possible, particularly since Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Greg Roman are expected to follow Harbaugh wherever he goes. Hiring Tomsula or Fangio would also mesh with San Francisco’s preferred operating procedure, as it would be out of character for the team to attempt to attract a big-name, big-money coach from outside the organization.
Let’s take a look at some other relevant issues that La Canfora has touched on this morning:
- La Canfora writes that there is a growing rift between Saints head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, and that the team is expected to find a new defensive coordinator–which would be its fifth in Payton’s nine-year tenure–after the season. Citing an unnamed source, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report tweets that La Canfora’s report is “very accurate,” although Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets that he has not heard about the friction between Payton and Ryan.
- La Canfora tweets that he expects “substantial change” on the Saints and 49ers rosters after this season given the teams’ high salary cap numbers and large salaries.
- If Washington were to try to trade quarterback Robert Griffin III after the season, La Canfora writes that the team is unlikely to get more than a third round pick for him.
- We learned earlier today that the Ravens are expected to reward Justin Forsett with a multiyear deal after this season, but La Canfora notes that Forsett’s contract prevents him from signing an in-season extension if Baltimore were inclined to lock him up sooner. As former agent Joel Corry tweets, Forsett’s age (30) will limit the size of his contract, despite his “low mileage.”
- Although the Colts have stated they do not have interest in bringing Ray Rice aboard, La Canfora wonders if the team’s need at running back and Rice’s relationship with head coach Chuck Pagano will be enough for them to change their stance.
Kaepernick’s Future Not Linked To Harbaugh
The 49ers are on the outside of the playoff picture, and the relationship with head coach Jim Harbaugh has been tumultuous all season. Despite tremendous success in Harbaugh’s first three seasons with the team, reaching the NFC Championship Game three years running, the fear is that the relationship between the head coach and the organization is beyond repair.
The tension has been documented numerous times here at Pro Football Rumors, from early on this season to as recently as the day after the Niners’ Thanksgiving loss to the Seahawks. The team seems prepared to move on from Harbaugh, and hopes to continue the success they experienced during his tenure.
Losing Harbaugh will hurt, but it could be a lot worse if the team believes they will lose their starting quarterback as well. Colin Kaepernick is a product of Harbaugh, drafted by him and a favorite of his. Harbaugh himself was a former NFL quarterback, and his ability to rein in Kaepernick’s best characteristics has no doubt brought out the best in his early development as a passer.
Kaepernick of course, has struggled, and if he continues to regress, especially without the coach who drafted him, the team may be forced to move on from him.
Such a possibility is plausible due largely to the nature of the contract extension he signed with the team. The contract included a small amount of guaranteed money, with a small signing bonus and big yearly salaries. Therefore the team can cut him after any season it decides he is no longer worth the money.
His 2015 base salary stands at $12.4MM, but rises incrementally all the way up to $21MM in 2020.
Because of the nature of Kaepernick’s contract, the team figures to stick with even in a post-Harbaugh world, as long as he continues to improve and show signs of promise as the franchise quarterback, says Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Maiocco writes that the team could be interested to see how his game evolves under a new set of circumstances on offense.
Latest On Jim Harbaugh, 49ers
Even before last night’s ugly home loss against the Seahawks, the future of 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh was very much up in the air, with many observers around the league believing someone else will be coaching the club in 2015. Following yesterday’s loss, Harbaugh’s seat seems to be even hotter. Niners CEO Jed York tweeted after the game that his team’s performance “wasn’t acceptable,” and apologized to fans for the showing, prompting speculation that Harbaugh might not even last until season’s end. While I don’t think a move involving Harbaugh is imminent, there’s certainly a sense of unease in San Francisco, where the Niners’ 7-5 record makes it an uphill battle to a playoff spot.
Here’s more on Harbaugh and the 49ers:
- While the notion of firing Harbaugh with several games left in the season “seems beyond ludicrous on the surface,” there’s a strong sense in league circles that the front office is looking forward to Harbaugh’s exit, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As such, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the club parts ways with Harbaugh and promotes Jim Tomsula to head coach to try to make a last-ditch run to the postseason. Still, with just four games left on the 2014 schedule, it seems more likely that the team will play out the year with Harbaugh and then try to see if they can trade him in the offseason to a team in need of a new coach.
- As something of an aside, Florio notes in the aforementioned piece that multiple league insiders believe Tomsula has the inside track to succeed Harbaugh as the Niners’ next head coach.
- The daughter of Niners general manager Trent Baalke tweeted after last night’s game that offensive coordinator Greg Roman “can take a hike,” though she has since deleted the tweet. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link) acknowledges that replacing Roman is one major move the team could make, but says there’s no indication Harbaugh is looking to make a change.
- Asked after last night’s loss if it was time to reevaluate the offense and make major changes, Harbaugh replied, “We always do that. We’ll do that again. We’ll evaluate it. I don’t know what you refer to with major changes” (link via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News).
- For what it’s worth, Harbaugh had no reaction to York’s tweet, writes Maiocco at CSNBayArea.com.
- Prior to last night’s game, Florio wrote in a separate PFT piece that the 49ers’ silence on Harbaugh’s future has been deafening. With little support from the San Francisco front office, the question is now where Harbaugh will wind up — per Florio, many expect him to stay in the Bay Area, or at least on the West Coast, and the Raiders are viewed as the most likely landing spot.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
49ers Announce Series Of Roster Moves
With tonight’s crucial divisional showdown against the Seahawks looming, the 49ers have made multiple changes to their 53-man roster, the team announced today in a press release. Tight end Garrett Celek has been activated from the physically unable to perform list, while tight end Asante Cleveland has been promoted to the active roster. To accommodate the additions, the club has waived linebacker Chase Thomas and placed tight end Derek Carrier on the injured reserve list.
Multiple injuries at the tight end position necessitated the Niners’ latest additions — besides Carrier, who had been sidelined with a foot injury and will now miss the rest of the season, tight end Vance McDonald is also banged up, dealing with a back ailment. Having been on the PUP list since August, it’s the first time Celek has been on the active roster this season, and the second game for Cleveland, who was briefly promoted in September before returning to the taxi squad.
As for Thomas, the 25-year-old was signed off the practice squad earlier this month and saw action in the Niners’ last three games. He looks like a candidate to return to the practice squad, assuming he clears waivers.
Robert Griffin III Notes: Wednesday
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who first reported last night that Washington would be making a quarterback change, head coach Jay Gruden informed his team this morning that Colt McCoy will start this Sunday instead of Robert Griffin III (Twitter link). In his initial report, Schefter suggested that the former second overall pick remains a “significant” part of Washington’s long-term plan, but it’s hard to imagine things turning around for RGIII and the club at this point. Here are today’s updates on Griffin:
- Jason Reid of the Washington Post (Twitter link) calls any talk of Griffin being part of the team’s long-term plans “nonsense,” suggesting that club sources are merely trying to boost the signal-caller’s trade value.
- The consensus among decision-makers who spoke to Albert Breer about RGIII’s trade value is that he’d be worth a mid-round pick — something like a third-rounder, plus change. One AFC executive told Breer that Washington would perhaps ask for a second-rounder and settle for a third or maybe a fourth. Another GM offered the following analogy: “He’s a car that’s been driven off the lot. Also, the dynamics of his contract drive price down at this stage” (all Twitter links).
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap and Bill Barnwell of Grantland each explore what’s next for Griffin, with Barnwell suggesting 10 potential suitors for the 24-year-old if and when Washington shops him in trade discussions. The 10 clubs identified by Barnwell are the Rams, Bills, Eagles, Buccaneers, Jets, Raiders, 49ers, Cardinals, Texans, and Titans.
- While some Washington players feel bad for RGIII and others agree it was time for a change, the most common comment around the locker room is “this is a circus,” says Dianna Marie Russini of NBC Washington (Twitter link).
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com takes a look at how Washington’s cap would be affected if the team keeps, trades, or cuts the third-year quarterback.
NFC West Notes: Brooks, 49ers, Rams
The Seahawks aren’t in the driver’s seat of the NFC West as they anticipated, but coach Pete Carroll says that their record doesn’t dictate their effort on the field. “We’d still be playing these games as championship games,” Carroll said, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “That’s the way we look at it. If we were here and our record is different than it is, we’d be playing every one of these games like it’s the last game we get to play all year. That’s how we do it. And it doesn’t matter.” More from the NFC West, where the Cardinals are on top..
- Ahmad Brooks’ cap figure of $9.65MM for 2015 makes him a prime candidate for a trade, or a drastic pay cut if he wants to stay with the 49ers, former agent Joel Corry told Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Niners can save $4MM in 2015 by releasing Brooks. Corry went on to say that he doesn’t expect SF to sign both Mike Iupati or Alex Boone – it’s either-or.
- Another team was interested in signing tight end Justice Cunningham to its active roster, but the Rams liked him enough to beat them to the punch and promote him to the 53-man roster, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch (via Twitter).
- Thomas (via Twitter) also notes that the Rams must create an additional roster spot later in the week when they activate defensive end Chris Long from the IR/DTR list.
NFC Notes: Holliday, 49ers, Vikings
While much has been made of the NFC’s miserable South division, the race to the postseason is heating up in the East, North, and West, and all three divisions will be on display during this week’s Thanksgiving games — the winner of the Eagles/Cowboys contest will take over first place in the East, while the Seahawks/49ers winner will gain an advantage in the Wild Card race. Meanwhile, the Lions have lost their last two games and their hold on the NFC North, and will have an uphill battle for a Wild Card berth if they’re upset at home by the Bears.
As we look forward to what should be an entertaining slate of Thursday games, let’s check in on the latest out of the NFC….
- Having already been cut this year by the Giants and Buccaneers, return specialist Trindon Holliday is looking for a new home, and worked out this week for the 49ers, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). San Francisco also auditioned running back David Fluellen, who was cut by the Colts prior to the regular season.
- While head coach Jim Harbaugh isn’t viewed as likely to return to the 49ers next season, quarterback Colin Kaepernick told reporters today he believes Harbaugh will continue on with the team beyond 2014. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the details.
- After seeing starting right tackle Phil Loadholt go down for the season with a pectoral injury, the Vikings worked out veteran tackles Eric Winston and J’Marcus Webb, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com.
- Sam Bradford of the Rams, Steven Jackson of the Falcons, and Dashon Goldson of the Buccaneers are among the high-priced veterans who could become cap casualties in the offseason, writes Yates in an Insider-only ESPN.com piece.
- Bradford and Goldson earn spots on a similar list from Joel Corry of CBSSports.com, who also identifies Marshawn Lynch of the Seahawks and Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals as stars who could be released by their respective teams.
- Running back Kapri Bibbs will ultimately end up sticking with the Broncos’ practice squad after being waived by the team over the weekend, but he did work out for the Cardinals today, as Troy Renck of the Denver Post details.
NFC West Notes: 49ers, Britt, Lynch
Before landing in Washington, DeSean Jackson seriously contemplated the idea of joining the 49ers in free agency, the veteran wideout told reporters today, including Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News.
“I had some talks with them, the general manager, coach [Jim] Harbaugh, things like that,” Jackson said during a conference call. “It was a close call. Almost made a trip to come out there. But Washington did what did to keep me here and did everything right. Coach Harbaugh and I played against each other, when he was at Stanford and I was at Cal. I respect him. It was a close call but I came here.”
As we contemplate what the Niners’ offense might’ve looked like with Jackson in the fold, let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFC West….
- If there’s tension in San Francisco between Harbaugh and the 49ers‘ front office, it doesn’t affect the players on the roster, according to running back Frank Gore. Appearing on the Jim Rome Show, Gore said that he and his teammates “don’t even think about it.”
- At this point, there haven’t been any known communications or negotiations between the Rams and Kenny Britt‘s agent, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. However, the wideout, whose contract expires at season’s end, would like to stick with the Rams if he can. “Hopefully I can stay here after this season and be in this locker room,” Britt said. “It’s hard to put a team together like this in the locker room, with this chemistry.”
- As a result of his decision not to speak to reporters after Sunday’s loss against the Chiefs, Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has been fined $100K by the league, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com details. The league will collect $50K for this incident, as well as a $50K fine for a previous violation, which had been held in abeyance in anticipation of Lynch’s future cooperation.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
As usual, Tuesday means plenty of practice squad signings and cuts for teams around the NFL. Here are today’s practice squad moves, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- To make room for their new practice squad additions, the Broncos have released defensive end Zach Thompson and wide receiver Douglas McNeil, tweets Mike Klis of The Denver Post.
- The Saints signed former Chiefs inside linebacker Jerry Franklin to their practice squad, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- According to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (via Twitter), tackle Mark Asper and defensive back Josh Bush have joined the Broncos‘ practice squad. Denver previously had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait for word on which players are being replaced.
- The Bengals have swapped one linebacker for another on their taxi squad, signing Terrell Manning and dropping Justin Jackson, per the team (Twitter link).
- The Cowboys have made a few changes to their practice squad, releasing guard Jeff Baca and linebacker Will Smith and adding linebacker Keith Smith and cornerback Robert Steeples to replace them (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- Rookie running back Dominique Williams, who was with the Vikings in camp, has re-signed with the team, joining the practice squad, according to a press release. Minnesota had a full 10-man unit, but now no longer lists safety Pierre Warren on its roster, so perhaps he was signed away by another club — the Saints, Warren’s former team, would be the most likely candidate.
- In addition to making multiple changes to their 53-man roster, the Colts also tweaked their practice squad today, adding running back Michael Hill and cutting wide receiver Eric Thomas, the team announced today. We’ll have to wait to see whether Hill, the only running back on Indianapolis’ practice squad, has a chance to be promoted in Ahmad Bradshaw‘s absence, or if the team will opt for a veteran replacement instead.
- The Falcons have filled the 10th and final spot on their taxi squad by signing former Oregon defensive tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli, per Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (Twitter link).
- Having recently worked out for the club, cornerback Marcus Cromartie has joined the 49ers‘ practice squad, replacing tight end Xavier Grimble, who has been cut, according to the club (Twitter link).
- Outside linebacker Cordarro Law, who was cut from the Chargers‘ active roster prior to Sunday’s game against the Raiders, has re-signed with the team’s practice squad, according to the Chargers’ transactions list.