49ers Sign Marcus Martin, Lock Up Draft Class
No team selected more players in the 2014 draft than the 49ers, who tied with the Jets for most picks with 12. And now all 12 of those players are under contract. The team announced today in a press release that third-round center Marcus Martin has signed his four-year deal, officially joining his 11 fellow draftees on the Niners’ roster.
Martin, a Los Angeles native, played his college ball at USC and joins a deep, talented group of interior linemen on San Francisco’s roster, as our David Kipke detailed earlier this week. The 20-year-old was viewed as a possible late-first-round pick, earning an invite to New York for the draft, but ended up being the last player remaining in the green room when he was eventually selected 70th overall.
Per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, Martin is in line for a signing bonus worth about $671K, with an overall value of $3.058MM on his new four-year contract. To follow the complete list of draft picks who have and haven’t signed so far, be sure to check out our tracker.
Vernon Davis Looking For New Contract
Alex Boone isn’t the only player absent from the 49ers’ offseason workouts as he seeks a new contract. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, tight end Vernon Davis is also hoping for a new deal, and isn’t in attendance at the Niners’ workout program due to dissatisfaction with his current contract.
Davis has two years left in a five-year extension he signed back in 2010, which had a total value of $36.75MM. The $7.35MM per-year figure on that deal continues to make the 30-year-old one of the highest-paid players at his position. Only Rob Gronkowski ($9MM) and Jason Witten ($7.4MM) have higher annual values on their contracts, though Jimmy Graham figures to join that group if he and the Saints reach a long-term agreement.
Still, Davis’ current contract was structured so that it included a significant chunk of money in the form of a signing bonus as well as roster bonuses and workout bonuses. His actual base salaries for 2014 and 2015, which are non-guaranteed, are only $4.7MM and $4.35MM respectively. The standout tight end may be worthy of a little raise, or at least a new deal that includes more upfront guarantees, but he’s not significantly underpaid, and the Niners may have more pressing contract concerns, including a new deal for Boone and extensions for Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree, and Mike Iupati.
While the current workout program is voluntary and there are no mandatory workouts on the Niners’ schedule until late June, Davis will lose his $200K workout bonus for 2014 by not attending the program, so the situation is worth monitoring over the next few weeks.
Minor Moves: Steelers, Dolphins, Seahawks
Here are a few of the latest transactions from around the league, including several draft pick signings, waiver claims, and cuts, plus a new contract for a player who was cut by his old team earlier this month:
- Three teams parted ways with recently-signed undrafted free agents or players on reserve contracts, as the Steelers cut offensive lineman Kaycee Ike, the Dolphins dropped running back Cameron Marshall, and the Texans waived guard Kevin Forsch (all Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun). The Packers also waived linebacker Victor Aiyewa, per Wilson (via Twitter).
- Three players cut this week have been claimed off waivers, according to Wilson, who reports (in a series of three tweets) that tackle Michael Ola is headed to the Bears, defensive back Deion Belue was awarded to the Steelers, and receiver Kofi Hughes was claimed by the Texans.
- A couple more updates from Wilson: Luke Marquardt is now on the 49ers‘ injured reserve list (Twitter link), while Garrett Scott has been placed on the Seahawks‘ non-football injury list (Twitter link).
- Having been recently cut by the Seahawks, defensive back Jimmy Legree has signed with the Cardinals, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Earlier updates:
- The Seahawks became the NFL’s fourth team to finishing locking up its 2014 draft class, announcing last night that fourth-round wide receiver Kevin Norwood and fourth-round linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis have signed their rookie contracts. The Saints, Chiefs, and Bears were the first three clubs to sign all their draftees.
- Sixth-round cornerback Brandon Dixon has inked his four-year rookie deal with the Jets, the team confirmed today in a press release. The 195th overall selection, Dixon is in line for a signing bonus worth about $103K an an overall four-year base value of around $2.324MM, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. The former Northwest Missouri State speedster is the 10th of 12 Jets draft picks to sign his contract.
- The Dolphins have signed former Buccaneers cornerback Anthony Gaitor, according to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The appropriately named Gaitor, a seventh-round pick in 2011, remains in the state where he also played his college ball, at Florida International.
The Importance Of June 1st
Many of the most important dates of the NFL offseason have already come and gone, but this Sunday represents another day that team executives around the league have circled on their calendars. Here’s a brief summary of why June 1 is important, and what we can expect starting next Monday, after that deadline has passed:
- As we explained in a PFR Glossary entry, players released or traded after June 1 count against the cap differently than players who were cut or moved earlier in the offseason, with teams able to spread the player’s dead money across multiple years. So we could see a handful of veterans released or dealt once June 1 is behind us.
- Several players were released earlier in the offseason and designated as post-June 1 cuts, meaning their cap hits will finally be reduced starting in June. Those players are LaMarr Woodley (Steelers; $8MM cap savings), Carlos Rogers (49ers; $6.6MM), Miles Austin (Cowboys; $5.5MM), Steve Smith (Panthers; $5MM), David Bass (Giants; $5MM), Daryn Colledge (Cardinals; $5MM), and Thomas DeCoud (Falcons; $3.4MM). Each of those teams was starting to approach the cap limit, so the new savings will give them the flexibility to lock up draft picks and possibly revisit the free agent market.
- Speaking of free agents, June 1 represents the deadline for teams to extend contract tenders to their unrestricted FAs. If a club’s former veteran player remains unsigned, that team can make him a one-year offer worth 110% of his previous cap number (minus workout and incentive payments). For former players who were on rookie contracts, the one-year tender is worth 100% of the player’s previous base salary. Players who receive these June 1 tenders have until July 22 to sign with another team — after that date, the player’s previous team retains exclusive negotiating rights throughout the season.
- Most free agents won’t receive tender offers, meaning they become free after June 1 to sign with any club without being tied to future draft compensation. As such, we’ll likely see an increase in veterans inking contracts, since teams will no longer have to worry that signing those players will reduce their chances at compensatory 2015 draft picks.
Details from Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.
Extra Points: Bucs, Lions, Boone, Chargers
What’s harder, learning an NFL offense or studying at Harvard? Buccaneers rookie tight end Cameron Brate gave Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times the answer. “This is definitely harder,” said Brate, comparing the playbook to his classes at Cambridge. “Once you get the base down, everything builds off of that in economics. One thing that Harvard helped me out with was teaching me how to learn efficiently.” More from around the NFL..
- Free agent tight end Jermichael Finley will undergo testing with the Packers tomorrow, writes Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel. This could be a sign that his spinal contusion has healed and that he’s closer to getting back on the field.
- The Lions worked out defensive tackle Derek Landri today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) Landri, 31 in September, signed a two year, $3.25MM contract with the Buccaneers in March 2013 and was released in February of this year.
- The Bucs are discussing a long-term deal with All-Pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy but that’s not exactly at the forefront of his mind. “That’s cool,” McCoy said, according to Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times. “That sounds good, but I’m not worried about that right now.” One of McCoy’s priorities for this offseason will be to get more familiar with the Tampa 2 defense that Lovie Smith has brought back to the franchise.
- The 49ers‘ method of signing promising inexperienced backups to modest contract extensions can backfire and Alex Boone is just the latest example, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The 26-year-old was a no-show for OTAs over dissatisfaction with his deal. He’s set to earn base salaries of $2MM this season and $1.2MM in 2015.
- While he wouldn’t name names, Chargers GM Tom Telesco told SiriusXM that the 2014 crop of undrafted free agents is better than those that were signed in 2013, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports 1.
- Prized offseason pickup Chris Johnson took to Twitter to let everyone know that he wants to see the Jets go out and get disgruntled Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson. The star receiver, frustrated with several difficult seasons, was a no-show for OTAs in Houston.
- The Bears‘ draft picks and free agent pickups look strong in OTAs and seem comfortable with their new surroundings and schemes, writes Matt Bowen of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears’ additions on the defensive front, including defensive end Jared Allen, give Chicago a level of flexibility that they didn’t have last season.
- In this week’s mailbag, Mike Jones of the Washington Post discusses the Redskins‘ front office following the departure of Morocco Brown and Bruce Allen being bumped up to President and GM.
Minor Moves: Steelers, 49ers, Saints, Cards
The Steelers announced that they have signed two of their draft picks: fifth-round offensive lineman Wesley Johnson and sixth-round linebacker Jordan Zumwalt. Johnson, a 6’5″, 297 pound lineman out of Vanderbilt University, was taken with the 173rd overall pick and offers experience all over the O-line. Zumwalt, a UCLA product who stands at 6’4″ and 235 pounds, was the 192nd overall selection. He started 30 of 50 games played in his career, compiling 256 tackles (164 solo), two sacks, 22 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions and two blocked kicks. With the signings, Pittsburgh has now signed four of their nine selections from the 2014 NFL Draft. Here’s the rest of tonight’s minor moves..
- The Cardinals are signing former Arizona State wide receiver Kevin Ozier to a three-year contract following a successful rookie minicamp, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The Cardinals also signed tackle Cory Brandon to a two-year deal, his agent tells Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link), and they went on to announce the signings of cornerback Jimmy Legree and running back Jalen Parmele (link).
- To make room for the above signings, the Cardinals cut LeQuan Lewis, Tim Cornett, Kadeem Williams, and Corey Washington, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The 49ers announced that they signed fourth-round wide receiver Bruce Ellington. The No. 106 overall pick out of South Carolina finished last season with 106 catches for 1,586 yards and 16 touchdowns.
- The Saints inked tackle Jason Weaver and waived receiver Chris Givens, writes Katherine Terrell of The Times-PIcayune. Weaver, a former Edna Karr player, signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2013 and spent training camp with the Bengals last year before spending the regular season on the Dolphins practice squad. Givens was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2012 but never saw a regular season snap.
- The Cowboys waived-injured Jarrod Pughsley and Evan Wilson to sign offensive guards Tyronne Green and Darius Morris, Wilson (of the Baltimore Sun).
- The Rams signed wide receiver Diontae Spencer, according to Wilson (via Twitter). The McNeese State product had some interest in April but went undrafted.
Alex Boone Seeking New Contract
Having not yet participated in the team’s voluntary offseason workouts, 49ers guard Alex Boone also wasn’t in attendance at today’s OTAs and is seeking a new contract, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Boone’s current deal runs through the 2015 season, but will only pay him about $3.7MM over the next two seasons.
Considering the sort of contracts guards of his caliber signed for in free agency a couple months ago, Boone represents one of the league’s better bargains, at a base salary of $2MM in 2014 and just $1.2MM in 2015. While Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) graded the 27-year-old as a middle-of-the-pack starting guard in 2013, Boone ranked third overall in 2012, and has posted excellent run-blocking marks in both of his seasons as a Niners starter.
Boone has workout bonuses worth $50K this season, so he’d be sacrificing some pay if he continues to sit out of San Francisco’s offseason workouts. Considering how much depth the Niners have at the interior line positions, the team may not feel a ton of pressure to make a big offer to its starting right guard, but I wouldn’t be surprised the two sides to negotiate a modest raise for Boone at some point before training camp.
Still, players like Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree, and Mike Iupati are viewed as higher priority extension candidates, and it remains to be seen how much long-term cap flexibility the Niners will have if they hammer out new deals with all those players. As Williamson notes, Boone’s agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, have had multiple clients hold out in the past, so this will be an interesting situation to watch over the next few weeks.
Minor Moves: 49ers, Jags, Dolphins, Pats
We’ll round up several of Tuesday’s minor moves in this post, including a handful of signings and cuts, plus one draftee inking his new rookie contract. Following Memorial Day weekend, here are a handful of today’s transactions:
- The 49ers made a series of roster moves today, signing former Stanford linebacker Chase Thomas and USC tight end Kevin Greene. To clear room on the roster for the new additions, the club waived-injured offensive tackle Luke Marquardt and waived linebacker Morgan Breslin with a non-football injury designation.
- Fifth-round linebacker Telvin Smith signed his rookie contract with the Jaguars today, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. As our tracker shows, the Florida State product becomes the fifth of nine Jacksonville draftees to sign.
- The Dolphins have added three players to their 90-man roster, signing offensive linemen Samuel Longo and Michael Philipp and defensive tackle Micajah Reynolds, the team announced today (via Twitter). None of the three players have any regular-season NFL experience, though the two linemen spent a little time with the Browns and Reynolds was previously on the Saints’ roster.
- A pair of rookie free agents, Troy State’s Wilson Van Hooser and East Carolina’s Reese Wiggins, have signed deals with the Patriots, the club announced in a press release. The two receivers occupy the final spots on New England’s roster, which is now full at 90 players.
- Former UTEP linebacker Horace Miller, who tried out for the Seahawks at their rookie minicamp last week, is practicing today with the team, which presumably makes him the final addition to the 90-man roster, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
The 49ers’ Offensive Line Situation
The reigning NFC runners-up have developed an elite offensive line over the past few years, as evidenced by the remarkably consistent success of Frank Gore, as well as the fact that the unit allowed the fourth fewest quarterback pressures in 2013. It’s worth considering how the unit will look heading forward into 2014 and beyond.
The 49ers finished 2013 with nine offensive lineman on their active roster. Although San Francisco chose not to re-sign returning starting center Jonathan Goodwin, the team added USC center Marcus Martin via the draft. While the rookie will likely provide quality depth at both center and guard, three-year veteran Daniel Kilgore figures to slide into Goodwin’s vacated starting role. In fact, Kilgore’s February three-year extension, which was covered by our own Luke Adams, would suggest that the 49ers perhaps have similar intentions to groom Martin for multiple seasons before bumping him up to a starting role when Kilgore’s contract expires.
Former first-rounder Jonathan Martin was another significant offseason acquisition for the 49ers, when the team sent the Dolphins a 2015 seventh-round draft pick for him. Although Martin does not figure to start away with elite tackles Joe Staley and Anthony Davis already on the roster, the Stanford product immediately becomes one of the league’s best backup tackles.
One interesting subplot to watch after next season will be the 49ers’ treatment of former All-Pro left guard Mike Iupati, who will become a free agent next March after establishing himself as one of the predominant guards in the NFL. Should the 49ers decide to cut ties with Iupati, one could reasonably expect Marcus Martin, Kilgore, or 2014 draft pick Brandon Thomas to fill his vacated spot. Meanwhile, Jonathan Martin has no experience at guard, but suggested he has heard that making a transition toward the interior of the line is easier than moving from guard to tackle. So while the team may lose an elite lineman next offseason, they have four high-upside, talented replacements waiting in the wings — or in Kilgore’s case, about six inches to Iupati’s right on Sundays.
It is undeniable that the 49ers have learned how to cultivate homegrown superstar lineman, a reality exemplified chiefly by perennial All-Pros Staley and Iupati. As good as the last few years have been on the San Francisco offensive line, the future looks just as bright.
Poll: Who Will Be Traded?
As a result of free agency and the draft, there are players around the league that now find themselves in a bit of roster limbo. Plenty of veterans could be on a team’s trading block, so NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling took a look at the top-ten trade candidates in the league.
The Vikings added Matt Cassel and rookie Teddy Bridgewater and as a result, incumbent quarterback Christian Ponder tops Wesseling’s list. The writer states that Ponder has higher upside than a typical backup, and lists the Saints, Packers, Panthers and Falcons as potential trading partners. Fellow quarterback Ryan Mallett of the Patriots was second on the list, with Wesseling suggesting the Texans and Cowboys as landing spots.
Michael Roos‘ contract (and the addition of rookie Taylor Lewan) makes the Titans offensive tackle a definite trade option. Roos is number-four on Wesseling’s list, with the Panthers and Ravens listed as destinations. 49ers running back LaMichael James, Cardinals tight end Rob Housler and Raiders wideout Denarius Moore round out Wesseling’s offensive options.
On defense, Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers leads the way at number-four. The team is reportedly open to trading the Pro Bowler, and Wesseling suggests the Texans, Titans and Colts would be interested. Defensive end/linebackers Brandon Graham (Eagles) and Dion Jordan (Dolphins) come in at five and six, followed by Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan.
Wesseling mostly focused on players that were squeezed out of their team’s plans following the offseason. That means he omits Texans wideout Andre Johnson, who would clearly top the list if included. The Pro Bowler has been the subject of trade rumors for the past month.
Which player do you think is most likely to be traded? Is there somebody that you think should have been included? Let us know in the comments.
Who Is Most Likely To Be Traded?
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QB Ryan Mallett, Patriots 21% (224)
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RB LaMichael James, 49ers 18% (194)
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QB Christian Ponder, Vikings 17% (188)
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WR Andre Johnson, Texans 16% (175)
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CB Brandon Flowers, Chiefs 6% (64)
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DE/LB Dion Jordan, Dolphins 5% (54)
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DE/LB Brandon Graham, Eagles 5% (52)
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WR Denarius Moore, Raiders 4% (45)
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OT Michael Roos, Titans 4% (44)
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TE Rob Housler, Cardinals 4% (42)
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DE Derrick Morgan, Titans 1% (9)
Total votes: 1,091