49ers Make Offer To Seahawks’ Garry Gilliam
The 49ers proposed a multi-year contract to Seahawks restricted free agent offensive lineman Garry Gilliam, but Gilliam rejected the offer, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. San Francisco will continue negotiating with Gilliam, per Kapadia, who says the “lines of communication” are open between the two parties.
Gilliam met with the Niners earlier today on something of an exploratory mission, and he now has until April 21 to sign an offer sheet with San Francisco (or another club). The Seahawks own the right of first refusal, but if they decline to match the 49ers’ terms, they’ll receive no draft pick compensation for Gilliam. Seattle tendered Gilliam at the original round level, and Gilliam entered the league as an undrafted free agent.
If Gilliam can’t agree on a deal with the 49ers, he’s expected to sign his Seahawks RFA tender next week, reports Kapadia. That tender will pay him a non-guaranteed $1.797MM base salary for the 2017 season. If Gilliam — for some reason — doesn’t sign his tender by June 15, Seattle can cut his 2017 earnings down to $660K.
San Francisco’s offensive line is nothing special, and Gilliam could conceivably compete for time at right tackle. But it’s not clear the 26-year-old would be much of an upgrade, even on the 49ers’ roster, given that he graded as a bottom-10 offensive tackle in 2016, per Pro Football Focus.
49ers Host Seahawks OT Garry Gilliam
The 49ers hosted Seahawks restricted free agent offensive tackle Garry Gilliam for a visit today, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Seattle tendered him at the original round level. Because Gilliam was undrafted, Seattle will not be entitled to any draft compensation if he is signed away. 
Gilliam, 26, appeared in 14 games for the Seahawks last season and made 13 starts. Unfortunately, his performance left much to be desired as the entire Seahawks offensive line sagged. Gilliam finished out the year with an abysmal 38.0 overall score on Pro Football Focus, framing him as one of the ten worst qualified tackles in the NFL. The Seahawks wound up using him on 939 snaps, which would explain much of their O-Line woes. Fellow Seattle tackle George Fant, who was on the field for 792 snaps, had the worst grade of any tackle in the league at 27.6.
The Seahawks probably do not intend on using Gilliam as a starter again in 2017, but they would like to have him back as a reserve. The Niners, meanwhile, are likely kicking the tires on him as a depth signing. There will be cheaper and younger options in the draft, so the Seahawks would have to be pretty fond of him to sign him to an offer sheet.
Raiders Working On Short-Term Deal For Lynch
- The Raiders are working on short-term deal with heavy incentives for Marshawn Lynch in advance of his reinstatement, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. After that, the Seahawks will either trade him to Oakland or release him to facilitate a deal.
Seahawks Expected To Trade Marshawn Lynch To Raiders
The Seahawks and Raiders are expected to work out a trade sending Marshawn Lynch to Oakland, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The deal is contingent on first hammering out a reworked contract. 
On Thursday morning, we learned that Lynch has begun the reinstatement process. According to Rapoport (on Twitter), Lynch technically does not have to file for reinstatement in order to allow for a trade. If and when a new contract is executed, however, he must request and be granted reinstatement in order to play (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Ed Werder).
Lynch was held back by injuries in 2015, but he had a strong 2014 with 4.7 yards per carry and a career-high 13 touchdowns on the ground. He’s still only 30 years old and, theoretically, would be returning to football with fresh legs.
After losing Latavius Murray to the Vikings in free agency, the Raiders are without a clear No. 1 running back for the coming year. Lynch could fill that void and be the team’s primary ball carrier ahead of Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington, and Taiwan Jones. Some analysts have been expecting the Raiders to target a running back with the No. 27 pick in the draft, but acquiring Lynch could push them in a different direction.
Lynch has reportedly mulled the possibility of joining the Patriots or following Richard Sherman to his next team (if the cornerback is dealt), but his affinity for Oakland has been the league’s worst kept secret for the past year. When asked about the idea of returning with the Raiders, Lynch issued steadfast denials, but there was clearly fire beneath the smoke.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Marshawn Lynch Begins Reinstatement Process
Marshawn Lynch has begun the process of reinstatement, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. The Seahawks running back is hoping to play for Raiders, of course, but Werder suggests that he could be interested in teaming with Richard Sherman elsewhere if the star Seahawks cornerback is traded. 
[RELATED: Marshawn Lynch Interested In Patriots]
Lynch would carry a $9MM cap hit for Seattle if reinstated and the team simply cannot afford him at that rate. The Seahawks also don’t really need Lynch from a football perspective after signing Eddie Lacy in free agency this offseason. Once Lynch formally returns to football, the team will be forced to trade or release him, which could pave the way for his long-expected union with the Raiders.
For a long time, it was Raiders-or-bust for Beast Mode, but he’s at least considering other options if he cannot work things out with Oakland. Lynch has interest in joining up with the Patriots and he’s now reportedly daydreaming about following Sherman out of Seattle. The Raiders are still the odds-on favorites to land Lynch, but it’s certainly a situation worth monitoring.
Draft Rumors: Jets, Mahomes, Foster
It’s not a guarantee that the Jets will select a quarterback at No. 6 overall, but they’re certainly doing their homework in that area. Today, the Jets are meeting yet again with Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes II, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
Earlier this month, Mahomes did a private workout with Gang Green and he apparently did well enough to warrant further consideration. After the college season, Mahomes looked to be a second or third-round type of player. Now, all signs are pointing towards him going in the first round. It’s even possible that he could be the second QB off the board.
Here’s more NFL Draft news:
- The Saints are still evaluating linebackers and expected to have Reuben Foster in for a pre-draft visit on Wednesday, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Foster has already met with a number of clubs and has a busy schedule still ahead of him between now and the draft. He won’t be on the board for long and Dallas Robinson’s mock draft 1.0 has him going inside of the top ten.
- 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback coach Rich Scangarello flew to Chapel Hill, North Carolina last Thursday to work out Mitch Trubisky, a league source tells Schefter (on Twitter). If the latest rumors are to be believed, Trubisky might not be available when SF picks at No. 2.
- Cal quarterback Davis Webb is visiting the Seahawks today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Many believe he’s a first-round QB, Rapoport adds.
- The Jaguars are still doing their quarterback homework and they have scheduled a private workout next week with Pitt QB Nathan Peterman, a source tells Rapoport (on Twitter).
- The Raiders have scheduled cornerback Kevin King for a visit today (Wednesday). King is an Oakland-area native.
Six Teams To Meet With Mo Alie-Cox
The jump from basketball to football may not be easy, but Mo Alie-Cox has plenty of believers in the NFL. The former Virginia Commonwealth University forward is already slated to visit the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Jets, Colts, Seahawks, and Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. More teams could request to meet with the 6’7″ athlete, Rapoport adds. 
Alie-Cox held an open audition for NFL teams recently and it seems like more than half the league had scouts in attendance. In addition to the aforementioned clubs, reps from the Bears, Lions, Dolphins, Vikings, 49ers, Browns, Patriots, Redskins, and Steelers were in the house (via Lane Casadonte of WTVR on Twitter).
Despite his lack of gridiron experience, teams are intrigued by Alie-Cox’s combination of size and athleticism. He is looking to play tight end and follow in the footsteps of Tony Gonzalez, Julius Thomas, Jimmy Graham, Antonio Gates, and other TE standouts with basketball backgrounds. At the same time, he is open to playing other positions and he took requests from scouts to perform drills that were suited for different roles.
What really sets Alie-Cox apart from other young NFL hopefuls is that he is not draft eligible and, therefore, can be signed as a free agent. A team that is really high on the hoopster could see this as an opportunity to effectively acquire a late-round draft pick for nothing.
Seahawks Drop Richard Sherman Price
Last week, Seahawks were telling teams that they would only part with Richard Sherman in exchange for “a very good player” plus a high draft pick, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. Already, it seems that asking price has dropped a bit. The Seahawks are now looking for a first-round pick in the upcoming draft plus a conditional mid-round choice in 2018, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com.
For what it’s worth, Garafolo (Twitter link) says the asking price has always been a first-round pick plus a future mid-round choice. But, Salguero has a history of rock solid reporting and, with that in mind, it appears there has been a reduction in Seattle’s ask.
As former NFL executive Joe Banner suggested recently, Garafolo says the Darrelle Revis trade of 2013 could give us an idea of the kind of return that would come in a Sherman deal. The Jets received a first-round pick in 2013 and a fourth-round pick in 2014 in exchange for Revis, which is right in line with what Seattle is now asking for. That fourth-round pick was a conditional choice that would have blossomed into a third-round selection if Revis remained on the roster on the third day of the 2014 league year.
Either the market for Sherman isn’t quite as strong as the Seahawks anticipated or the Seahawks were intentionally setting an inflated sticker price to begin the sweepstakes. Now, one has to wonder if the Seahawks will be willing to take even less than the Revis package as we get closer to the draft.
If the Seahawks do not find a suitable deal for Sherman, they may have to work on mending some fences with their star cornerback.
Seahawks Sign DE Dion Jordan
Dion Jordan has agreed to terms with the Seahawks, a source tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). The former No. 3 overall pick will now try to get a fresh start in a completely different part of the country. 
Late last month, the Dolphins officially released Jordan after weeks of buildup. The 27-year-old held lots of promise upon entering the league in 2013, but he has done very little at the professional level. Jordan was hit with three separate drug policy suspensions and the most recent one cost him the entire 2015 season. Then, in 2016, he suffered a significant knee injury and had surgery without first informing the team. The Dolphins figured they would get another chance to evaluate Jordan, but it wound up being another lost season. After all the headaches, here’s where we are: Jordan has not played in a game since December 28, 2014 and has just three career sacks to his name.
The Seahawks are hoping that their locker room culture can help get Jordan’s career back on track, but he’ll also have to stay healthy in order to contribute.The Seahawks now have five defensive ends under contract: Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Frank Clark, Garrison Smith, and Jordan.
Pelissero: Seahawks Unlikely To Trade Richard Sherman
No NFLer has come up in more trade rumors this month than Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, but it’s likely he’ll stay put, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. It would take something along the lines of a first- and third-round pick to acquire Sherman, and that price probably isn’t going to come down, Pelissero hears. Plus, even though Sherman requested a trade, the relationship between him and the Seahawks is hardly in shambles. Sherman is content to continue his career in Seattle, and the team would have no problem retaining the four-time Pro Bowler, per Pelissero.