Jimmie Ward Out Until Training Camp
Jimmie Ward went to the NFL Scouting Combine in February unaware of a fracture in his right foot. Doctors alerted him of the issue and did not allow him to work out.
His pre-draft medical recheck in Indianapolis on March 25 brought good news — doctors reported that the foot was healing on schedule.
But, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, Ward is likely out until training camp in late-July due to the injury, specifically referred to as a Jones fracture, which deals with the fifth metatarsal bone in the midfoot area.
The 49ers selected Ward No. 30 overall with knowledge of the player’s medical history, so this isn’t exactly a shocker for them. Ward was in attendance Friday at the team’s opening day of rookie camp, but was only cleared for mental reps.
Sunday Roundup: Pats, Jags, Browns
With the increasing importance of tight ends in today’s game–the current average for tight ends on a roster is 5.5–it is not surprising that the Patriots have brought in veteran free agent TEs Dustin Keller, Ben Hartsock, and Nate Byham for tryouts over the past couple of weeks, writes Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. The team has two open spots on its 90-man roster, and would like to add more depth to the tight end position with Rob Gronkowski currently unavailable to practice. If the Patriots do decide to pull the trigger on any of those players, Reiss expects it will be after June 1, so they can protect their compensatory picks.
Now for some more notes around the league on this Sunday morning:
- In the same piece, Reiss says that if the Patriots are looking to add a veteran linebacker, James Anderson might be their guy. He was in for a tryout last week, and he offers solid coverage abilities. Again, if New England were to sign him, it would be after June 1.
- Finally, Reiss takes a look at the players the Dolphins drafted with the picks they received in the Brandon Marshall trade and comes to an obvious conclusion: the Bears got the better end of the deal.
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union examines UDFA Allen Hurns‘ path to the Jaguars‘ roster and what attracted the team to Toby Gerhart, who currently tops the Jacksonville’s depth chart at running back.
- Chris Boden of CSNChicago.com offers his early projections as to how the Bears‘ final roster might shake out, with the caveat that injuries and veteran additions will inevitably happen.
- Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com looks at a number of Browns-related topics in his weekly mailbag, including several clarifications on the Josh Gordon saga and an early look at the right tackle position battle.
- Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee offers an early take on the 49ers‘ roster battle at inside linebacker.
Marcus Lattimore Returns To Field
In what might be his first significant on-field action since suffering the second of two horrific knee injuries, 49ers running back Marcus Lattimore took the field for rookie minicamp drills yesterday, cleared to take handoffs and make basic cuts. NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling writes that Lattimore was expected to sit out minicamp with soreness in both legs, but the second-year back felt well enough to participate.
Lattimore, a fourth-round pick in 2013, spent the entirety of last season on the reserve/NFI list, and can thus participate in rookie camp.
A stacked depth chart at running back lies in front of Lattimore — incumbent starter Frank Gore, 2014 second-round pick Carlos Hyde and 2011 fourth-round pick Kendall Hunter — but long odds have never swayed Lattimore’s efforts. Many projected his career over after multiple torn knee ligaments on two separate injuries, but the 49ers saw enough promise to use a fourth-round pick on him in last year’s draft, and he’s determined to prove them right.
NFC Extra Points: Saints, Cobb, Nelson, Dockett, Ansah, Harbaugh
- Three players are vying for the Saints’ No. 2 cornerback job — Champ Bailey, Patrick Robinson and Corey White — and ESPN’s Mike Triplett thinks “it’s pretty close to a three-way tie between that trio for the No. 2 job — or they may all be used in situations that favor their skill sets.” As for Robinson in particular, Triplett says he will get a legitimate shot because otherwise they would have released him to alleviate their salary cap crunch. The 2010 first-rounder hasn’t lived up to expectations, and is entering the final year of his rookie deal counting $2.8MM against the cap.
- It would be a surprise if the Packers didn’t extend the contract of Randall Cobb or Jordy Nelson (both free agents in 2015) before September, writes ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, who says Cobb is a must re-sign while Nelson is a “little bit trickier” because he’ll be 29 this season.
- Soon to be 33, Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett has two years remaining on his deal. He will count $8.75MM against the cap in 2014 and is scheduled to count $9.8MM against the cap in 2015, but ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss says after the upcoming season the team will ask him to take a pay cut or likely release him.
- Aldon Smith‘s future is unknown thanks to his legal issues, and 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh is already aggravated talking about it, writes Aaron Wilson at National Football Post. “I’m not going to get into speculating on what’s going to happen, what could happen, what will happen. There’s nothing really further that I can add to this line of questioning. You can take bamboo shoots and stick ’em under my fingernails and there still wouldn’t be any more I could add further to this discussion.”
- Also at NFPost, Greg Gabriel spotlights a handful of second-year players in the NFC North poised to break out in 2014, including Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah. Says Gabriel: “As a rookie last year, [Ansah] had 32 total tackles and eight sacks. With a year of learning the game under his belt, I expect those numbers to nearly double. There is no telling how good Ansah can eventually become.”
- Jackson Jeffcoat, a defensive end out of Texas, garnered a $15k signing bonus from the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent, reports the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, who has the full list of the team’s signings/bonuses.
NFC Notes: Giants, Durant, Washington, Floyd
“It seems everyone in the free world with an interest in football wants to know why the Giants didn’t draft a tight end and what they’re going to do to shore up the position,” writes Giants.com Senior Writer/Editor Michael Eisen. However, Eisen says GM Jerry Reese likes his two young, developmental tight ends (Adrien Robinson and Larry Donnell) and wants to see what the team has in veterans Kellen Davis and Daniel Fells and rookie free agent Xavier Grimble before addressing the position.
In other NFC news and notes…
- The 49ers waived offensive tackle Luke Marquardt, a 2013 undrafted free agent out of Azusa Pacific who has been sidelined with foot problems, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- In a “Buy or Sell” piece for the Cowboys’ website, former NFL executive Bryan Broaddus says the days of linebacker Justin Durant being useful have passed, and DeVonte Holloman and Kyle Wilber possess the athleticism and three-down utility to compete for the Sam linebacker job.
- Bears 2013 sixth-round defensive lineman Cornelius Washington could be a roster casualty if his raw ability doesn’t manifest more consistently, believes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
- Panthers receivers coach Ricky Proehl‘s “ability to teach and develop talent is almost as valuable as having extra draft picks,” asserts ESPN’s David Newton.
- Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd, a first-round pick in 2012, is showing signs that he’s ready to take his game to another level, writes Darren Urban on azcardinals.com. Quarterback Carson Palmer praised Floyd, and receivers coach Darryl Drake said, “The only person that can keep [Floyd] from being good is him.”
- The Cardinals brought in 17 tryout players for rookie minicamp, and ESPN’s John Weinfuss has the list.
49ers Notes: Harbaugh, Thomas, James
Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News had a pretty interesting Q&A session with 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh today concerning troubled linebacker Aldon Smith. The whole article is worth a read, but one highlight came when Kawakami asked, “What’s your standard [for player behavior]? Is it ten felony counts the standard? Do you have a standard?” Harbaugh responded, “I know you probably worked really hard on asking that question. Probably stared in the mirror and thought about just the way you could [ask] that.” The 49ers find themselves in a strange position with the All-Pro standout and Harbaugh is seeking to make things work with him while maintaining a positive locker room atmosphere. More out of SF..
- The 49ers have signed third-round offensive lineman Brandon Thomas to his four-year rookie contract, the club announced today in a press release. Thomas, the last of the third round’s compensatory picks, tore his ACL during a predraft workout with the Saints and isn’t expected to contribute this season, but if his recovery goes well, he could ultimately be a steal for San Francisco.
- Running back LaMichael James, who is less-than-happy with his role in San Francisco, joined the team this week, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. James forfeited a $50K workout bonus by staying in his home state of Texas for the start of the 49ers’ offseason program in April. James would welcome a trade and the club was said to be shopping him earlier this offseason, though GM Trent Baalke issued a denial soon after. As it stands, the Oregon product could be behind Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, and possibly Marcus Lattimore on the depth chart.
- San Francisco is one of a handful of teams conducting their rookie minicamps this week, and the team has formally announced its full roster for the camp. The list features 15 non-roster players auditioning in the hopes of earning contracts, including wide receiver Jerry Rice Jr.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: Marshall, Redskins, Bucs, 49ers
Under the conditions of Brandon Marshall‘s new contract with the Bears, the receiver will receive $22.3MM guaranteed, all coming in the next two years. That includes a $7.5MM signing bonus, a $7.3MM base salary for 2014, and a $7.5MM salary for 2015, says Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. As Biggs outlines, the deal also features annual $200K workout bonuses, and includes an escalator for 2017 if the Bears make it to the Super Bowl in any of the first three seasons of the contract.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- In addition to signing second-round linebacker Trent Murphy, the Redskins made a pair of minor moves today, signing free agent wideout Rashad Ross and waiving receiver Kofi Hughes (Twitter link). Ross was recently cut by the Chiefs, while Hughes had been signed earlier this month out of Indiana as an undrafted free agent.
- Mike Biehl, who has worked for the Chargers for the last 13 years, has joined the Buccaneers as the club’s director of college scouting, according to a team release. Said GM Jason Licht on the hiring of Biehl: “He’s coming from an organization that has been among the winningest and most successful in the NFL during his time there and whose foundation has been built around draft picks, which was important as we researched all candidates.”
- The 49ers‘ rookie minicamp will feature several local prospects, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who tweets that UC Davis tight end Taylor Sloat, Stanford linebacker Chase Thomas, and Stanford running back Anthony Wilkerson will participate.
- The Cardinals will audition Arizona State wide receiver Kevin Ozier at their rookie camp, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
Draft Signings: Fiedorowicz, Borland, Scott
Here are the latest draft signings from rounds 3-7..
- The Texans agreed to sign third-round tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). With the Iowa product in the fold, only Jadeveon Clowney and Xavier Su’a-Filo remain unsigned. Prior to the draft, Fiedorowicz visited the 49ers, Patriots, Lions, Jets, and worked out privately for the Buccaneers. Fiedorowicz caught 26 passes for 253 yards and led Iowa with six touchdowns last season.
- The 49ers signed third-round pick Chris Borland, tweets Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. As noted in Rory Parks’ PFR Prospect Profile, the Wisconsin linebacker had a very productive collegiate career, especially in 2013, when he accumulated 112 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks.
- The Seahawks announced that they have signed sixth-round pick Garrett Scott, tweets Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. The offensive tackle out of Marshall did not participate in Seattle’s rookie minicamp because he had yet to pass his physical.
49ers Sign Jimmie Ward
The 49ers announced that they have signed first-round pick Jimmie Ward, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The cornerback/safety was taken with the 30th overall pick.
Ward, a 5’11”, 193 pound athlete out of Northern Illinois, finished his collegiate career with 320 tackles, 26 passes defensed, 11 interceptions, four forced fumbles, two sacks, one fumble recovery and four blocked kicks. He was also a three-time All-Mid-American Conference selection and two-time All-American. As a senior, Ward started all 14 games at safety, and recorded a team-high 95 tackles, while adding one sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, a conference-best 10 passes defensed and seven interceptions.
Ward may be undersized, but the 49ers aren’t concerned about how he’ll make the transition to the NFL. “Don’t mistake lack of size for lack of toughness, because it’s not the case,” 49ers GM Trent Baalke said on draft night, according to Daniel Brown of the Mercury News. “He’s a highly competitive young man that’s beat the odds his whole career.”
NaVorro Bowman Reworks Contract
49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman has restructured his contract to create some 2014 cap space for the club, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter links). According to Yates, Bowman has reduced his base salary to the minimum ($730K), converting $3.27MM into a signing bonus.
The move is a win-win for both Bowman and the Niners, since it creates cap space for the team while ensuring Bowman of a larger upfront guarantee. That new $3.27MM signing bonus will be prorated over the next five seasons, at a rate of $654K annually. While that increases Bowman’s future cap hits a little, it creates $2.616MM in cap savings for San Francisco in 2014.
Bowman’s cap number for ’14 is now just $4.434MM, a great price for a player who has earned a spot on the NFL’s All-Pro team for three straight seasons. 2013 may have been the best year yet for the former third-round pick, who racked 180 tackles, six forced fumbles, five sacks, and a pair of interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
Over The Cap’s most recent data recently suggests that the Niners were only under the cap by about $656K, so reworking Bowman’s deal could help create room to sign 2014’s draft picks without necessarily needing to wait for post-June 1 cut Carlos Rogers to come off the books.