Amidst Pro Bowl guard Alex Boone‘s holdout, as he seeks a new contract from the 49ers, other NFL teams have expressed interest in possibly trading for the fifth-year pro, reports Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 agrees with Williamson’s assessment, noting that guards are in demand right now across the league (via Twitter). Garafolo mentions that even Richie Incognito is beginning to generate some interest, despite becoming a pariah of the league following the Jonathan Martin bullying scandal that led to his suspension and eventual expulsion from the Dolphins last season.
One team Williamson has picked out as a logical suitor is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who parted ways with Carl Nicks earlier this offseason. Boone could slide into Nicks’ position and steady the offensive line.
He could also be a fit for the Giants, writes Williamson. Boone has the ability to play guard or tackle, providing versatility along the offensive line. Of course, they 49ers are still likely to try to retain him, as his replacement, Joe Looney, has struggled thus far during the preseason. The team reached out to Boone at the end of July with hopes of coming to a resolution.
The niners hold all the cards. If a team wants to trade for him they’ll have to overpay if not unfortunately he will sit this season out. The niners will not cave here.
He’s only a $1M hit on the niners cap, so I agree…they may let him sit. But I doubt they will do that because it’s better to get something for him (3rd round maybe) and get that $1M back in case they have to fill another need. I doubt the Bucs would pay more than $5M for him because they got rid of Penn, Joseph, and Zuttah because of them making so much money…but I’d love to see the trade go down.
He’s a pro bowl caliber O-lineman, I think the niners wouldn’t be out of line to ask for a 1st rounder and maybe settle on a second. Draft picks are hit or miss, why take the risk of drafting a player who potentially could become a pro bowler when you can have the sure bet. Boone has only been in the league 5 years and isn’t close to a decline. He would make a big impact on any line, even more so if that’s your position of need.
The Bucs have over $13M in cap space after parting ways with Nicks. After Friday night’s look at the O line and the disaster is stands to be, the Bucs should move now to get Boone. Florida has no income tax, which is enticing to a player in California where the rate is 12%. He makes under $2M a year and SF can’t afford right now to pay him more. The Bucs could pay him easily $4-5M and give up a 3rd round pick for him. The Jags and Giants don’t have the cap space. Boone is only 27 and has a good 5-7 years left…the Bucs need to jump on this fast!
What makes u think the jags don’t have the cap space did u see what they offered Alex mack only for Cleveland to match
I think it’ll take at least a second rd pick as more teams lose value tackles, he will become more valuable as he can play both tackle and guard positions.
I thought of that too. The reason I settled on a 3rd rounder is he’s not been to a pro-bowl, and in a few days, the league will be flooded with guards that have been cut. Won’t be as good as Boone, but a lowering demand will always lower the price. When it comes down to it, the Niners can deal him or not. They will only gain by the deal though.