49ers Notes: Manning, Harbaugh, Smith, Baalke
As the Broncos and 49ers are battling on Sunday Night Football, it is a time to think about what could have been for both franchises. After being cut from the Colts, Peyton Manning considered the 49ers as a potential suitor, at least for a brief amount of time. Manning eventually decided not to include the team on his list of finalists, and one major reason for that was a concern about his inability to coexist with head coach Jim Harbaugh, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Harbaugh, who is known to be a control freak on offense, likely would not have given Manning the freedom he desired and ultimately received with head coach John Fox in Denver.
Here are some other notes from around the 49ers:
- Florio also said that outside linebacker Aldon Smith could return from his nine-game suspension one or two weeks early, reports Kevin Lynch of SFGate.com (via Twitter).
- There are a few possible reasons that Smith could return early, including the fact that he waived his right to appeal the suspension, and possible side deals he could have made with the league, reports Florio.
- General manager Trent Baalke says he has no knowledge of any reduction in suspension for Smith, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Maiocco also notes that the NFL has maintained that there is no update on his status going forward.
- Former NFL receiver and NFL broadcaster Cris Collinsworth addressed the ongoing drama between Harbaugh and the 49ers, noting that the team should just pay him like a top quality coach, reports Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
49ers Re-Sign Ventrone, Cut Josh Johnson
The carousel that is the 49ers’ 53rd roster spot continued to spin today, as the 49ers re-signed safety Bubba Ventrone to a one-year contract, cutting quarterback Josh Johnson to clear room (Twitter account). The Niners released Ventrone on Tuesday when they re-signed Johnson.
Johnson has been serving as the 49ers’ third quarterback, but with both Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert healthy, he hasn’t needed to be active on game day, and now the team has gotten into the habit of removing him from the roster entirely on the weekend. The veteran signal-caller will likely be re-signed next week for practice.
Assuming he’s active on Sunday against the Broncos, Ventrone, who turns 28 next week, will likely play exclusively on special teams, so it wasn’t absolutely necessary for the Villanova product to be with the team this week during practice.
NFC Notes: Antone Smith, Gore, Bucs
No running back in the NFL is scoring long touchdowns more frequently this season than Antone Smith of the Falcons, and team owner Arthur Blank has taken notice, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
“It’s incredible to see his performance,” Blank said. “And it’s actually really interesting because I really hadn’t paid a lot of attention to it, but he’s been to several other clubs in the NFL. You really wonder what it is in a player’s career that at a certain point in time, they blossom and they just trigger and go. And he’s obviously doing that now.”
While Smith has had several stops throughout his NFL career, Blank is hoping that the veteran running back won’t be moving onto a new team next season. Asked if he’d like to see Smith wearing a Falcons uniform beyond this season, the owner replied, “Absolutely. I have no reason to not want that, for sure.”
Here are a few more Thursday items from out of the NFC:
- Responding to a report that suggested the 49ers informed him this past offseason that his roster spot was in jeopardy, running back Frank Gore said that didn’t happen, according to Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. Still, Gore isn’t sure if the Niners will try to re-sign him after the season, though he hopes to continue playing in San Francisco.
- Buccaneers director of player development Isaiah Harris was arrested this morning on a misdemeanor DUI, and the team didn’t waste much time in letting him go. In a statement explaining the decision, Bucs GM Jason Licht indicated that “this type of incident, particularly for someone whose primary responsibilities are to mentor and develop our players off the field, cannot be tolerated.”
- While defensive coordinator Dan Quinn‘s name comes up in any discussion about potential head coaching candidates, the Seahawks‘ coordinator on the other side of the ball, Darrell Bevell, have faced criticism for the offense’s recent performance. As Terry Blount of ESPN.com details, Bevell responded to his critics this week, acknowledging that he needs to find a way to get the ball to Marshawn Lynch and Percy Harvin more often.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Tuesday is typically a busy in-season day for NFL transactions, so we expect to add several more moves from around the league to this list as the day goes on. For now, here are the the day’s minor transactions relating to clubs’ 53-man rosters:
- For now, to replace linebacker Danny Trevathan, the Broncos will promote Shaquil Barrett from their practice squad, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- The Seahawks have tweaked the back of their roster, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has cut safety Steven Terrell and signed defensive end Greg Scruggs.
- With the roster opening created by Ventrone’s release (noted below), the 49ers have re-signed quarterback Josh Johnson, who was cut a few days ago, the club announced today in a press release.
Earlier updates:
- The Browns have placed defensive lineman Armonty Bryant on injured reserve, signing another defensive lineman, Sione Fua, to take his spot on the roster, the team announced today (Twitter link). Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports first reported (via Twitter) that Fua was signing with the Browns.
- The Ravens have a roster exemption for previously-suspended safety Will Hill, which will last until next Monday, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. By that point, Baltimore will have to either waive Hill or cut someone else on the roster, creating space for the safety.
- A week after re-signing him to their active roster, the 49ers have released defensive back and special-teamer Bubba Ventrone, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Ventrone spent last season on San Francisco’s roster, but was cut prior to the 2014 regular season.
- Having lost cornerback Trumaine McBride during Sunday night’s game against the Eagles, the Giants are set to promote cornerback Chandler Fenner from their practice squad to the active roster, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Fenner, cut in July by Seattle, has shuffled back and forth between New York’s practice squad and active roster since the regular season began.
West Notes: Gore, Trevathan, Robinson, Davis
During the offseason, a 49ers front office member approached veteran running back Frank Gore and alerted him that his roster spot was not guaranteed, reports Ian Rapoport on the NFL Network’s Total Access (Twitter link via Rapoport’s colleague, Chris Wesseling). As Rapoport adds (via Twitter), the news isn’t entirely surprising, as Gore, 31, was set to count $6.45MM against the cap while playing a devalued position. For what it’s worth, Niners general manager Trent Baalke claims there is “no truth” to the report, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News (on Twitter). San Francisco is probably glad it kept the 10-year veteran around, though, as Kendall Hunter‘s injury and LaMichael James‘ release made Gore quite valuable. So far in 2014, he’s rushed 77 times for 365 yards, but only managed one touchdown. Let’s look at more from the NFL’s two West divisions as the 49ers prepare to take on the Rams on Monday Night Football:
- Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan will be out for three-to-six weeks after suffering a fracture near his left kneecap in yesterday’s game against the Jets, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. As Klis notes, Denver has yet to use its injured reserve/designation to return slot, so that could be an option for Trevathan, although that would keep him out of action for a minimum of eight weeks. Trevathan missed the first three games of the season with a similar injury.
- Greg Robinson, the second overall pick in this year’s draft, will make his first start for the Rams tonight, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Dispatch. Robinson played left tackle at Auburn, but will begin his NFL career at left guard. As such, Rodger Saffold will shift to right guard, and Davin Joseph will act as a reserve.
- The last time the Rams played a game in primetime, current quarterback Austin Davis was a QB coach at a local high school, tweets Rapoport. It’s been quite a ride for Davis, who has thrown for six touchdowns and more than 1,100 yards in four games this season.
NFL Notes: Los Angeles, Goodell, Rice
There are a number of notes pertaining to the league as a whole this afternoon. Let’s have a look:
- Adding to the increasing buzz surrounding the potential return of the NFL to Los Angeles, Albert Breer of the NFL Network writes that owners at the annual Fall meetings last week were presented with six potential sites for a stadium in LA. Per Breer, those sites are: “the AEG site in downtown Los Angeles, the Dodger Stadium site, a site at Hollywood Park with multiple parcels, a site that the NFL has been looking at for years in nearby Carson, a second Carson site on land that is currently home to a golf course and Ed Roski’s site in Industry.”
- Breer adds (via Twitter) that it is unlikely that the Raiders would be the first team on the list of clubs that could end up making the move to LA. He writes that many of the scenarios regarding a possible relocation involve the Raiders but also include the Rams and Chargers.
- Citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that the NFL wants to shield commissioner Roger Goodell from testifying at the Ray Rice appeal hearing. Judge Barbara S. Jones, who will hear and decide Rice’s appeal, could compel Goodell to testify, but that is the last thing the NFL wants.
- Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole tweets that Jermichael Finley‘s disability insurance case has been an “eye-opener” for other players, as it is much more difficult to collect on such a policy than one would think.
- Mike Garafalo of FOX Sports writes that one of the issues discussed at last week’s Fall meetings was the possibility of a team being stripped of draft picks for player conduct policy violations.
- Robert Salonga and Mark Emmons of the San Jose Mercury News discuss how the circumstances surrounding 49ers‘ defensive lineman Ray McDonald demonstrate the conflicts of interest created when NFL teams hire sworn police officers as security.
- CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported earlier today that many NFL owners want someone other than Roger Goodell to handle disciplinary matters, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen expounds on the issue. As Mortensen writes, one proposed modification would make it so that “the commissioner would not decide on the initial player punishment but rather yield to a neutral arbitration panel chosen by the union and league.” However, “Goodell would be the appellate officer or appoint a designated hearing officer if a player appeals his disciplinary action administered by the panel.” Nonetheless, union sources are skeptical of that proposal and indicate that any modification to the personal conduct policy would require collective bargaining.
NFC West Notes: Davis, Kaepernick, Seahawks
Jim Harbaugh knew little about Rams quarterback Austin Davis before this week, but he regrets not getting a better look at the Southern Mississippi product during the draft process in 2012, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I wish I would’ve been more aware of him,” Harbaugh said of Davis, who went undrafted. “He looks like a real nice prospect.” Since taking over for the injured Shaun Hill in Week 1, Davis has thrown for more than 1,100 yards and six touchdowns while completing 67.8% of his passes. Davis and his 1-3 Rams take on Harbaugh’s 3-2 49ers on Sunday.
- A Colin Kaepernick-releated hearing will take place Tuesday morning, but there’s a dispute as to what issue the meeting will address. While a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk the hearing will focus on Kaepernick’s alleged use of offensive language towards Bears defensive lineman Lamarr Houston, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News says (via Twitter) the hearing is about Kaepernick’s wearing of Beats headphones, which are banned by the league.
- The Seahawks waived defensive lineman Greg Scruggs earlier today, but Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times thinks there’s a good chance the 24-year-old will be added to the Hawks’ practice squad if no other team claims him.
- The new field at the 49ers’ Levi Stadium drew some criticism earlier this year, but it looks like all the kinks have been worked out, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- After playing 109 snaps through the Rams’ first four games, rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald is ready to handle a larger role, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
49ers Re-Sign Osgood, Cut Josh Johnson
As expected, the 49ers have once again re-signed wideout and special-teamer Kassim Osgood to their 53-man roster, according to the league’s transactions wire. To make room for Osgood, the club cut third-string quarterback Josh Johnson.
Osgood has signed four different contracts with the Niners since March, including two since the season got underway. Earlier this week, the 34-year-old was released once again to clear a spot for safety Bubba Ventrone, another special teams ace, but head coach Jim Harbaugh indicated that he expected Osgood to be re-signed quickly.
Johnson, who was behind Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert on the quarterback depth chart, has been shuffled on and off the Niners’ roster multiple times this year as well. Most recently, he was cut on September 20 and re-signed three days later. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make his way back onto San Francisco’s 53-man roster sometime in the near future, though as long as the club’s top two signal-callers stay healthy, there shouldn’t be much urgency.
NFC Notes: Murray, Harbaugh, House
The NFL’s leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, told Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com today that he’s happy his camp has opened extension talks with the Cowboys, though he acknowledged it’s not something he’s focused on at this point. While Murray’s hot start in the final year of his rookie contract has made him a logical extension candidate, Joel Corry of the National Football Post notes that even in a career year, the running back may not receive a huge offer from the Cowboys. The team also has to address other potential free agents like wideout Dez Bryant, and if Murray’s workload continues at its current pace, the club could have concerns about his future production, particularly given his past durability issues.
As we wait to see if negotiations between Murray and the Cowboys move forward, let’s take a look at a few more notes from around the NFC….
- In the view of ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, it would be an upset if Jim Harbaugh is still coaching the 49ers in 2015. While Schefter isn’t entirely ruling out the possibility, he says he “wouldn’t count on it right now.”
- Davon House‘s name is a little ways down on the Packers‘ depth chart, but the cornerback could be setting himself up for a nice payday in the offseason based on his performance, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Pass-Gazette. So far, the team has yet to talk to House’s agent about an extension. “If I continue what I’ve been doing, good things are to come, here or somewhere else,” House said. “Hopefully here.”
- Top draft pick Marcus Smith is itching to get on the field more, but Eagles coach Chip Kelly says he won’t rush things with the young linebacker, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We don’t look at a guy and say, ‘Hey, he’s this, we have to force him in,’ ” Kelly said. “I think you’d lose the rest of the guys on your team if you say, ‘Why are you playing this guy? Just because we drafted him high.’ He has to prove that he deserves playing time.”
- Wide receiver Nick Williams, who was released from Washington’s practice squad about a month ago, tried out this week for the Falcons, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
PUP, IR-DTR Players Soon Eligible To Practice
Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the 49ers and Rams, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many of those clubs may be welcoming some players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to practice.
Of course, just because those players are able to return to the practice field doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player on the PUP list could theoretically return for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest. If the player doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, he’ll revert to season-ending injured reserve.
Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform list who can begin practicing as soon as next week:
- 49ers: NaVorro Bowman (LB), Garrett Celek (TE), Kaleb Ramsey (DT)
- Chargers: Jeromey Clary (OL)
- Colts: Stanley Havili (FB)
- Falcons: Drew Davis (WR), Zeke Motta (S)
- Jets: Antwan Barnes (LB)
- Lions: T.J. Jones (WR)
- Panthers: De’Andre Presley (WR)
- Raiders: D.J. Hayden (CB)
- Ravens: Terrence Cody (DT)
- Redskins: Stephen Bowen (DE), Leonard Hankerson (WR)
- Saints: Cheta Ozougwu (OLB)
Players who began the season on the PUP list didn’t participate in any preseason practices, but that’s not the case for players on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.
That means that players who were placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing next week. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after – for instance – Week 2 will have to wait another two weeks to return to practice.
Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as next week:
- 49ers: Glenn Dorsey (DT)
- Bears: Marquess Wilson (WR)
- Buccaneers: Charles Sims (RB)
- Chiefs: Joe Mays (LB)
- Colts: Xavier Nixon (T)
- Cowboys: Demarcus Lawrence (DE)
- Giants: Geoff Schwartz (G)
- Lions: Kyle Van Noy (LB)
- Packers: J.C. Tretter (C)