FA Notes: Patterson, Rogers, Fox, Hall
DeSean Jackson may be the biggest name on the free agent market these days, but he’s not the only potential difference-maker still available. Let’s round up a few of the latest news and notes related to a few other free agents still on the board…
- After missing out on a handful of cornerbacks earlier in free agency, the Jets are hosting ex-Dolphin Dimitri Patterson today, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
- Another free agent cornerback, Carlos Rogers, is scheduled for a visit with the Raiders today, tweets Colleen Dominguez of Fox Sports.
- The Chiefs are hosting free agent offensive tackle Jason Fox, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The 25-year-old ex-Lion struggled to stay healthy during his four seasons in Detroit.
- Former Ravens defensive lineman Bryan Hall worked out recently for the Rams, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if Chris Culliver’s legal troubles could prompt the 49ers to consider veteran free agent cornerback Champ Bailey.
NFC Notes: Johnson, Eagles, Sanchez, Jackson
The Falcons have no interest in Titans running back Chris Johnson, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. On Friday, Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean tweeted that Atlanta would be a prime destination for Johnson, but a source tells Florio that this union will not come to fruition. It seemed dubious that the Falcons would want to invest in another aging running back to pair with veteran Steven Jackson, and the draft seems like a more viable way for Atlanta to infuse talent into their backfield. For his part, Johnson is widely expected to be released within the coming weeks.
More notes from the NFC:
- Following the release of DeSean Jackson, the Eagles are thin at wide receiver, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Besides Riley Cooper, Jeremy Maclin and Arrelious Benn are both coming off torn ACLs, and Damaris Johnson is unproven. Newly-acquired Darren Sproles, with his acumen in the passing game, could play a key role in the Eagles offense this season.
- The Eagles signing of Mark Sanchez doesn’t figure to start any type of quarterback controversy, but that doesn’t mean Sanchez has lost his competitive edge, notes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. “I’m always going to want to start,” said the quarterback. “It doesn’t matter where you are, you want to play. There’s nothing wrong with having that drive. I’ll keep that fire going and try to help this team the best I can.” A nice preseason, followed by competency in the case of a Nick Foles injury would the best way for Sanchez to rehabilitate his value.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com mentioned the 49ers as a team that could be in play for Jackson (podcast link). We noted earlier this week that the 49ers may not be able to fit him on their roster financially, but Fitzgerald argues that Anquan Boldin will likely be cut after this season, and that Jackson could be signed to contract with a low first-year base salary.
49ers Notes: WRs, Culliver, Verrett
Michael Crabtree is entering the final year of his contract, and although the 49ers have expressed their desire to sign him to a long-term deal, they have to at least prepare for his departure, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Similarly, although Anquan Boldin just signed a two-year deal with the team, his age suggests that the 49ers have to start looking for his eventual replacement as well.
Furthermore, neither of those players offer much of a speed element to the 49ers vertical attack–which helps to explain the natural links that pundits drew connecting DeSean Jackson to San Francisco–so Barrows believes the 49ers need to add both a strong, sturdy receiver as well as a speedster. He notes that the team has the resources–six draft picks in the first three rounds–to fill those needs in this deep class of wide receivers.
Some more notes from the NFC West powerhouse:
- Needless to say, Clemson WR Sammy Watkins would be a “beautiful fit” in the 49ers receiving corps, but Bill Williamson of ESPN.com thinks the price will just be too steep for the 49ers to trade up high enough to draft him. Williamson does not, however, rule it out, given that the team does not have many other holes to fill.
- In a separate piece, Williamson notes that the 49ers were always going to take a cornerback early in the draft, but the uncertainty that Chris Culliver‘s arrest has created makes the team’s need for a corner even more pressing. It was his presence that allowed the 49ers to let Tarell Brown leave for Oakland and stopped them from pushing harder for a free agent like Walter Thurmond. That said, San Francisco may use one or more of its six picks in the first three rounds to move up not for a top-flight receiver, but a top-flight corner.
- In keeping with those sentiments, after projecting the 49ers to draft a receiver in his first several mock drafts, Williamson is now mocking TCU cornerback Jason Verrett to the 49ers with the No. 30 overall selection.
NFC Notes: Clark, Seahawks, Culliver
Could Ryan Clark be the newest member of the “Legion of Boom”? The former Steelers safety recently visited the Seahawks, a league source told National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson, then tweeted how impressed he was with the city and the organization. Clark, who played the last eight of 12 seasons with the Steelers, has also received interest from the Redskins, Ravens and Jets. Seattle Times beat writer Bob Condotta chimed in on the report, saying that the Seahawks need a backup free safety with Chris Maragos departing for the Eagles. Jeron Johnson, who signed a second-round tender earlier this offseason, is better suited at strong safety, Condotta notes.
Other news and notes from the NFC this Saturday morning…
- 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver is out of jail following his arrest last night for felony hit-and-run and weapons possession, KTVU.com reports. The team released a subsequent statement indicating its awareness of the incident: “The 49ers organization is aware of the recent matter involving Chris Culliver. We will remain in contact with Chris and the local authorities as we continue to gather the facts regarding this situation. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we will reserve further comment at this time.” Culliver was last in hot water during the run up to Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013, when he said he wouldn’t welcome a gay player in the locker room.
- Buccaneers GM Jason Licht and coach Lovie Smith weighed in on recently released receiver DeSean Jackson, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “He’d have to be the right fit on and off the field,” Licht said. “I don’t want to dismiss him right away but we’re looking at a bunch of other players, too.” Smith was more complimentary of the three-time Pro Bowler, calling him a great football player and saying the team will look at everyone they think can help them win.
- Further down in Stroud’s piece, Smith says the team “might move up” from the No. 7 pick, and that he and Licht have talked about that possibility, as well as the possibility of moving back.
49ers Re-Sign Perrish Cox
FRIDAY, 1:51pm: The 49ers have officially announced their new deal with Cox, according to a team release.
TUESDAY, 12:01pm: The 49ers and free agent defensive back Perrish Cox have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). Cox had been eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, but the Niners decided not to tender him an offer, so the new agreement between the two sides will likely be worth the minimum, or something close to it.
Cox, 27, saw more defensive snaps in the postseason (83) than he did in the regular season (81), according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That increased playing time at season’s end may earn him a longer look in 2014, though he’s still not a lock to make the roster, given San Francisco’s depth in the secondary.
Cox has spent time with the Broncos, Seahawks, and Niners since being selected in the fifth round of the 2010 draft by Denver.
Contract Notes: Staley, Wilfork, Brad Smith
A source tells Rand Gatlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that the 49ers are mulling the possibility of reworking Joe Staley‘s current contract, which he has outplayed. Staley, who will earn a total of $3.4MM in 2014, has a deal that runs through 2017, so he doesn’t have a whole lot of leverage at this point, but Gatlin’s source suggest the Niners recognize they’d be wise to address the situation to avoid having the offensive lineman become disenchanted (Twitter link).
Here’s more on a few other contracts around the league:
- Ben Volin and Christopher Gasper of the Boston Globe pass along the details of the first year of Vince Wilfork‘s new contract with the Patriots in a pair of Twitter links. According to the Globe duo, the contract includes $2.5MM in signing bonus and base salary money, a $300K weight bonus, a $200K workout bonus, a $500K bonus for spending one game on the 53-man roster, up to $1.4MM in per-game roster bonuses, and additional incentives of about $3MM. In total, by my calculations, the team should create at least $3MM in 2014 cap savings with the move.
- The Eagles recently restructured the contract for wide receiver Brad Smith, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. According to Caplan, the agreement reduced Smith’s cap number by $350K, but assured him $450K in guaranteed money.
- E.J. Biggers‘ new one-year contract with the Redskins is a minimum salary benefit deal, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The pact includes a base salary of $730K, a signing bonus of $65K, and a cap hit of $635K.
NFC Links: Marshall, 49ers, Winston
A couple of notes from around the NFC…
- Brandon Marshall is not worried about this future with the Bears, and he said as much on “The Waddle and Silvy Show” on ESPN Chicago 1000 (via ESPNChicago.com). “One way or another, they’re going to get the deal done,” Marshall said.
- The 49ers have been seeking a veteran inside linebacker and Brandon Spikes was one of the players on their list, says ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter). The player ultimately proved to be too expensive and signed with the Bills.
- In a separate article, Williamson gives a list of potential veteran linebackers that the 49ers could be interested in. Among them are Desmond Bishop, Dan Connor and Jonathan Vilma.
- Offensive tackle Eric Winston still hopes to return to the Cardinals, according to a tweet from SiriusXM NFL Radio. The tweet quotes Winston: “I’ve maintained I hope I’m going back to (the Cardinals). I still think there’s a possibility for that, but have to keep looking.”
- Prior to signing with the Saints, Ramon Humber considered signing with the Vikings and the Patriots, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of the New Orleans Advocate.
49ers Notes: Harbaugh, Gerhart, WR, Gore
Jim Harbaugh was one of 16 NFC head coaches to meet with reporters in Orlando this morning, and few have had more eventful offseasons so far than the 49ers coach, who was linked to the Browns’ coaching job in February. Today, Harbaugh made it clear “that opportunity existed in someone else’s mind, not mine,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter). The Niners head coach added that he wants to be in San Francisco for a “very long time,” and that the Browns had “zero opportunity” to acquire him, in his view (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
After discussing his own future, Harbaugh also touched on a handful of Niners-related topics, so let’s round up a few of his comments….
- Harbaugh confirmed that the Niners spoke to free agent running back Toby Gerhart before he signed with the Jaguars, tweets Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com.
- The Niners like Quinton Patton, but still would like to add a potential No. 3 receiver, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who says Harbaugh made it clear the team is looking to augment the position. San Francisco has been linked to Julian Edelman and Emmanuel Sanders this offseason, among others.
- Frank Gore is entering the final year of his contract, and the running back’s future with the Niners beyond that is uncertain. Said Harbaugh: “I really think Frank has three more good years. I truly believe that. But we’re in a game of taking it one year at a time, so…”
- Harbaugh is checking out a few quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, says Barrows. The Niners coach has already looked at Eastern Illinois’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas, and also wants to get a chance to see San Jose State’s David Fales and Fresno State’s Derek Carr.
49ers Notes: Harbaugh, Cox, Jackson
Earlier today, we learned that the 49ers hope to lock Colin Kaepernick up to a brand new deal before he throws his next pass in an NFL game. “We’re going to work extremely hard, very diligently in trying to get something done prior to training camp,” GM Trent Baalke said. “That’s the objective right now, as it stands.” However, with Kaepernick reportedly seeking in the neighborhood of $20MM+ annually on his next deal, the Niners may have to get creative as they consider how to keep the Nevada-Reno alum around long-term. More out of SF..
- 49ers owner Jed York doesn’t deny that there can be tension between coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Trent Baalke, but he says it’s not necessarily a bad thing, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “We’ve been competing for the Super Bowl – realistically competing for the Super Bowl – for the last three years,” York said. “They get along. They’re just grinding. They want a ring. And they’re trying to battle and fight to get a ring. And sometimes it wears on people. But I like that tension,” he continued. “I think they like that tension. And I think both of them compete better when there’s something to compete against.”
- Re-signing Perrish Cox will help to build the 49ers’ depth at cornerback, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Two weeks ago, San Francisco also brought back Eric Wright on a new contract. Cox beat out Wright for playing time in the postseason, but the fact that Wright signed first probably indicates that he’s the bigger priority.
- It would be quite a challenge given their salary cap constraints, but Williamson looks at how the 49ers could possibly find room for DeSean Jackson. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick tells Williamson that it could work from an Xs and Os standpoint, but it doesn’t sound all that feasible from a financial standpoint.
49ers Working To Extend Colin Kaepernick
If all goes according to plan, the 49ers will lock up quarterback Colin Kaepernick to a new contract before he throws his next pass in an NFL game. That’s what GM Trent Baalke told reporters today, including Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News and Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
“We’re going to work extremely hard, very diligently in trying to get something done prior to training camp,” Baalke said. “That’s the objective right now, as it stands.”
According to Baalke, the two sides, including 49ers president Paraag Marathe and Kaepernick’s agent Scott Smith, have had general “lay of the land” discussions about an extension for the 26-year-old. The next step will be to explore specific figures and years in face-to-face meetings.
Finding a number that works for both Kaepernick and the 49ers won’t necessarily be easy. San Francisco has been able to put together a perennial contender in recent years in part because the modest cap numbers for Kaepernick and Alex Smith before him allowed the team to add plenty of talent at other positions. However, with Kaepernick reportedly seeking in the neighborhood of $20MM+ annually on his next deal, the Niners may have to get creative as they consider how to keep the Nevada-Reno alum around long-term.