49ers Notes: Willis, Harbaugh, Crabtree
The latest out of San Francisco..
- 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis was placed on season-ending injured reserve for his toe injury yesterday and the problem has been plaguing him for a long time, writes Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. “That’s kind of the way I’ve been playing for the last few years,” the 49ers inside linebacker said Tuesday. “I know a lot of people may not see it or at times saw a certain thing that was uncharacteristic, but that’s all because I was trying to find a way to compensate, to be able to continue to go out there and play. And it just got to the point where I couldn’t put the torque or the force that I needed to continue to grow and be a better linebacker.”
- When asked if receiver Michael Crabtree is putting too much pressure on himself in his contract year, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh twice responded that “He’s a tremendous competitor” and indicated that he sees nothing wrong with his performance, writes Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News. Crabtree, meanwhile, sounded frustrated with his role after the team’s overtime win on Sunday. While he’s looking for No. 1 receiver money, he has stats this season that make him look more like a No. 2 or 3 option.
- Center Marcus Martin is the latest player to shine from the 49ers’ stellar 2014 rookie class, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. Martin is one of several rookies contributing this season, a class that includes nickel back Jimmie Ward, running back Carlos Hyde, linebacker Chris Borland, wide receiver/return specialist Bruce Ellington, cornerback Dontae Johnson, and outside linebacker Aaron Lynch.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
In addition to tweaking their 53-man rosters in preparation for Week 11’s games, teams around the NFL are also making changes to their practice squads. Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts:
- The Browns signed defensive lineman Jamie Meder to their taxi squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter). Meder, an Ohio native, was recently cut from the Ravens’ practice squad.
- Brian McIntyre (on Twitter) has the goods on the Seahawks‘ latest taxi squad moves. Seattle has signed defensive end Ryan Robinson and running back Cierre Wood while placing running back Demitrius Bronson and defensive tackle Julius Warmsley on the IR. Linebacker L.J. Fort, who was being looked at as a possible fullback option, has been released.
- The Giants released safety Kyle Sebetic from the practice squad, tweets Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger.
- The Packers have re-signed wideout Alex Gillett to their taxi squad, releasing Jordan McCray in a corresponding move, a source tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Confirming a Monday report, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com tweets that center Darren Keyton has formally been added to the Lions‘ practice squad, replacing linebacker Jerrell Harris.
Earlier updates:
- After placing linebacker Patrick Willis on injured reserve today, the 49ers signed another linebacker, Shayne Skov, to their practice squad, the team announced (via Twitter). Skov, who spent the summer with the Niners, was cut from the Buccaneers’ taxi squad last month.
- Looking to add depth at the tight end position, the Chiefs not only added Phillip Supernaw to their active roster today, but also signed tight end Adam Schiltz to their practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Schiltz takes the spot vacated by running back Charcandrick West, who was promoted to the 53-man roster today.
- The Browns have released defensive lineman Jacobbi McDaniel from their practice squad, leaving an opening on the unit, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link).
- Linebacker Denicos Allen has been cut from the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
- Amidst a flurry of other roster moves, the Jaguars released cornerback Lou Young from their practice squad today, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
Brandon Mebane, Patrick Willis Out For Year
4:38pm: Both Mebane and Willis have now officially been placed on IR by their respective teams.
12:19pm: Two key defensive players on NFC West contenders will be sidelined for the rest of the season with injuries, according to multiple reports. Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane has suffered a torn hamstring that will end his season, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, , who also reported (via Twitter) that 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis was likely to undergo season-ending surgery. A source confirms to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link) that the Niners are placing Willis, who has a toe injury, on season-ending injured reserve.
The losses are significant ones for the Seahawks and 49ers, who currently rank second and third, respectively, in a competitive NFC West division. Mebane has been Seattle’s best interior defensive lineman this season, and his absence figures to mean increased playing time for Jordan Hill, Kevin Williams, and Tony McDaniel. The Seahawks may also add another defensive tackle to their roster — the team has Jimmy Staten on its practice squad, and worked out free agent Michael Brooks today, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
As for the Niners, while Willis will very much be missed, the team does have reinforcements on the way. Rookie Chris Borland has been excellent in an increased role over San Francisco’s last two games, and Aldon Smith was reinstated today following his nine-game suspension. NaVorro Bowman may also return within the next few weeks, assuming he doesn’t have any setbacks on his way back from last year’s knee injury.
Neither team has officially placed its injured player on IR yet, but an announcement should come soon in both cases.
49ers Re-Sign Alfonso Smith; Willis To IR
1:54pm: The 49ers have officially re-signed Smith and placed linebacker Patrick Willis on IR, the team announced in a press release. We learned earlier today that Willis’ toe injury would sideline him for the rest of the season.
8:49am: After carrying just two running backs on their active roster for most of the season, the 49ers are re-signing a third back, Alfonso Smith, according to his representatives at HOF Player Representatives (Twitter link). Smith will join veteran Frank Gore and rookie Carlos Hyde in the team’s backfield.
Smith, 27, spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the division-rival Cardinals, working as a backup. For his career, Smith has 48 carries for 156 yards and two touchdowns. In 2013, he played on nearly 50% of Arizona’s special teams snaps, and he’ll likely be asked to contribute in that capacity in San Francisco, assuming he’s active on game days. Smith also spent some time this preseason with the 49ers, but was cut at the end of August when the club reduced its roster from 75 players to 53.
Running back depth appeared to be one of the Niners’ strengths heading into the summer, but since then, LaMichael James has been cut, Kendall Hunter suffered a torn ACL, and Marcus Lattimore retired due to knee issues. In addition to signing Smith, San Francisco is also expected to activate linebacker Aldon Smith, who has finished serving his nine-game suspension, so we should expect to see a pair of cuts from the team within the next few days.
Aldon Smith Reinstated From Suspension
The 49ers will welcome back a former All-Pro to their lineup this week, as the NFL officially announced today that linebacker Aldon Smith has been reinstated from his suspension. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), Smith will be on the field for the Niners’ walk-through today.
Smith, 25, is returning from a nine-game suspension for violating the league’s policies for substances of abuse and personal conduct. While there were rumblings that the ban could be reduced by a game or two due to good behavior, Smith ultimately ended up serving the full nine-game penalty. NFLPA executive VP George Atallah indicated this week that the linebacker had “fulfilled all of his obligations to be considered to return from his suspension early,” but it simply didn’t happen.
In any case, the Niners will be happy to welcome back a player who is two years removed from a season in which he racked up 19.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. For now, San Francisco doesn’t have to make a corresponding roster move to accommodate Smith — the team will have a roster exemption for him until next Monday. However, if the club intends to activate him for this Sunday’s game against the Giants, it will need to cut a player to do so.
I cited Smith and fellow linebacker NaVorro Bowman as returning players who could have an impact down the stretch for the Niners as the team attempts to earn a postseason berth. Bowman, who is recovering from a significant knee injury, is on track to begin practicing soon.
Extra Points: Sanchez, Palmer, Cofield, 49ers
As the Eagles and new starting quarterback Mark Sanchez continue to dominate Cam Newton and the Panthers, let’s look at some notes from around the NFL…
- The NFL is considering pushing back the window for franchises to apply for relocation, reports Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). The current period begins on January 1, but the league may want to move it back to February 2 (the day after the Super Bowl) so that news of potential relocations doesn’t overshadow the playoffs. If the Raiders or Rams want to to move to Los Angeles, the process will likely be delayed until the postseason is complete.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines what Sanchez’s half-season tenure as the Eagles’ QB will mean for his future earnings, noting that the ex-Jet is capable of producing similar statistics to Andy Dalton, who earns $16MM annually. Additionally, Fitzgerald looks at Sanchez’s potential effect on Nick Foles‘ future, Jeremy Maclin‘s free agency prospects, and Rex Ryan, John Idzik, and Chip Kelly’s reputations.
- In a separate piece, Fitzgerald breaks down Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer‘s three-year, $50MM extension, explaining that after 2015, the contract enables Arizona to decide yearly if they want to retain Palmer. Though he’s posted better numbers than either Jay Cutler or Alex Smith, Palmer’s two-year cash value is lower than either of those QBs, but Fitzgerald attributes that fact to Palmer’s age.
- Washington defensive tackle Barry Cofield will be activated from IR-DTR this week, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Therefore, the club will need to make a roster move by Wednesday in order to clear a space.
- We learned earlier today that the Santa Clara County DA’s office won’t file domestic violence charges against 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald, and as expected, the NFL doesn’t believe it has a basis to punish McDonald, either, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
West Notes: Cards, Chiefs, Seahawks, 49ers
Carson Palmer is expected to miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL on Sunday, and while the Cardinals wait for the official word on his injury, the club is assessing its options at quarterback. Drew Stanton will be handed the starting reins, but Arizona will likely want to add some depth behind him, and the team could look to bring in Dennis Dixon, who spent one week on the Cardinals’ practice squad before being cut in mid-October, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Dixon, a Steelers fifth-round draft choice in 2008, has also spent time with the Ravens and Eagles. Currently, the only quarterback on the roster other than Stanton is 2014 fourth-rounder Logan Thomas. Here’s more from the West divisions.
- The Chiefs will probably need to make a few roster moves this week to shore up their offense after a pair of players suffered long-term injuries on Sunday, tweets Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. Third-string running back Cyrus Gray tore his ACL, while reserve tight end Demetrius Harris broke his foot, so Kansas City will likely bring in a couple replacements before next week’s game against the Seahawks.
- The Seahawks’ defense was dealt a blow on Sunday, as head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, that defensive tackle Brandon Mebane will “be out for awhile” after pulling his hamstring. Carroll noted the the club will try to get by with players already on the roster, so Tony McDaniel, Kevin Williams, and Jordan Hill could see more playing time.
- NaVorro Bowman has been on the physically unable to perform list for the duration of the season, and the rules of said list state that if he doesn’t begin practicing the day after the Week 11 games, he’ll be ineligible for the rest of 2014. 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh told reports, including Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, that Bowman would return to practice as soon as this week; if so, the club will have a three-week window during which it can activate the 26-year-old linebacker.
- As the only winless team in the league, the Raiders have a lot of work to do in order to turn their franchise around. Matt Williamson of ESPN.com offers a blueprint for Oakland to reverse its fortunes, which includes re-signing defensive tackle Pat Sims and offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski and adding a big-name receiver via free agency.
DA Won’t File Charges Against Ray McDonald
The Santa Clara District Attorney’s office has elected not to file domestic violence charges against 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald due to insufficient evidence, reports Shelley Smith of ESPN.com (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Reports at the end of October had indicated that McDonald was unlikely to face charges.
Earlier this year, when Adrian Peterson, and Greg Hardy agreed to be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list while their legal cases played out, the 49ers faced increased scrutiny for allowing McDonald to continue playing. However, as the team pointed out at the time, while an incident involving the 30-year-old was being investigated, no formal charges had been made. McDonald was initially arrested on August 31 on suspicion of domestic violence.
While the 49ers’ defensive line is undergoing some changes, McDonald’s role figures to remain the same now that it appears he won’t face any sort of discipline from the league. Nose tackle Ian Williams suffered a fracture in his leg during yesterday’s game against the Saints, but the Niners figure to replace him with backup Quinton Dial or Glenn Dorsey, who is now eligible to come off the injured reserve list. McDonald is expected to continue on in his role at defensive end in San Francisco’s 3-4 scheme.
NFC West Notes: Aldon Smith, Rams, Lynch
The Rams lost again yesterday, falling to 3-6 on the season and further deflating any long-shot playoff hopes they may have had. Things are getting interesting elsewhere in the NFC West though, with the Cardinals, Seahawks, and 49ers all picking up Week 10 victories. At 8-1, Arizona leads the way, but it looks as if the team will be without starting quarterback Carson Palmer the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, last year’s NFC Championship participants, Seattle and San Francisco, remain firmly in playoff contention, but don’t have an easy path to the postseason by any means. At the moment, the 7-3 Cowboys and 6-3 Seahawks project as the NFC’s Wild Card teams, with the 6-3 Packers and 5-4 49ers on the outside looking in.
Let’s round up a few items out of the NFC West to start the week….
- NFLPA executive VP George Atallah tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports that 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith “fulfilled all of his obligations to be considered to return from his suspension early.” However, the NFL elected not to reinstate Smith until he served his full nine-game suspension. Garafalo suggests we can expect to hear more on this issue this week, since Smith’s camp and the NFLPA aren’t pleased that the linebacker wasn’t reinstated a week or two early, as had been rumored.
- The Rams‘ defense came into yesterday’s game in Arizona thin at cornerback, and the club’s depth took another hit when nickel back Lamarcus Joyner left with a groin injury, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see St. Louis make a roster move or two this week to shore up the position.
- It’s viewed as a fait accompli by some observers that Marshawn Lynch won’t be back with the Seahawks next season due to his age, contract, and possible off-field concerns, but performances like yesterday’s four-touchdown romp show how important he is to the club, says Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.
NFC Notes: Peterson, 49ers, Palmer, Cox
The Vikings front office has become very sensitive about bringing back running back Adrian Peterson following his prolonged legal saga, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who adds that there are “no guarantees” the club would welcome him back if he’s reinstated by the NFL. Citing multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, La Canfora writes that the Vikings harbor “serious concerns” about Peterson’s physical and mental state — while the running back accepted a no-contest plea, the team isn’t sure he recognized the seriousness of the charges he was facing. La Canfora also hears from sources that Peterson isn’t currently in game shape.
As we wait to see what the NFL and the Vikings decide to do with the former All-Pro running back, let’s check in on several other items from around the league….
- The Vikings should cut Peterson and let another team deal with the circus surrounding his return, argues Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- 49ers nose tackle Ian Williams suffered what head coach Jim Harbaugh called a “small fracture” in his left leg today, as Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle details. The team’s regular nose tackle, Glenn Dorsey, is on track to return soon from off the injured reserve list, but if he’s not quite ready yet, Quinton Dial figures to get the start next week.
- According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), Carson Palmer‘s new extension features $10MM in guaranteed signing and roster bonuses, as well as a $10.5MM salary for 2015 that’s guaranteed for injury. So even though he may have torn his ACL today, the Cardinals quarterback has secured $20.5MM in guarantees over the course of this year and next year.
- Giants running back Michael Cox was in a wheelchair with what appeared to be a serious leg injury following the team’s loss in Seattle today, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, who tweets that the club is likely to add a replacement running back this week. The Giants confirmed tonight that Cox fractured the lower part of his left leg, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- Lions offensive lineman Larry Warford doesn’t have an ACL injury, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Warford will undergo further tests to determine the severity of his knee injury.
- Jeremy Maclin bet big on himself when he turned down a multiyear contract offer from the Eagles in the offseason to sign a one-year deal, and that decision is paying off, writes Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer.