Reaction To 49ers’ NaVorro Bowman Release

The 49ers ultimately released veteran linebacker NaVorro Bowman today after failing to find a suitable trade partner, but at least one club did have interest in Bowman, general manager John Lynch told reporters, including Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Lynch said the 49ers likely could have dealt Bowman to that particular team, but Bowman didn’t want to play for that unidentified club. Given that it’s unlikely a non-contender would have interest in an expensive two-down linebacker, it’s possible Bowman’s misgivings were geographical in nature, although that’s entirely speculative.

Here’s more on Bowman and the 49ers:

• Bowman is reportedly “excited” to become a free agent and have the ability to pick his next team, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). As Florio reported earlier today, Bowman didn’t have any offset language in his 49ers contract, meaning he can collect his fully guaranteed San Francisco salary and earn money from his new club. As such, Bowman will take home the rest of his $4.7MM guarantee plus whatever he can wrangle on the open market.
• An offensive coach who faced Bowman earlier this year tells Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) that while Bowman can no longer run like he used to, he’s still a solid tackler. Although Bowman remains a capable run defender, he’s a liability in the passing game. Hypothetically, that could be a problem for Bowman in a league where defenses play nickel on two-thirds of snaps.
• One team that likely won’t be pursuing Bowman is the division-rival Cardinals, whom Mike Jurecki of 98.7 FM (Twitter link) don’t have any interest in the 29-year-old linebacker. Arizona has made a habit of inking aging defensive players (Dwight Freeney, Antoine Bethea), but that apparently won’t be happening with Bowman. The Cardinals are set at inside linebacker with Karlos Dansby and Deone Bucannon.
• The 49ers will absorb $4.774MM in 2018 dead money as a result of releasing Bowman, the same total they would have taken on had they traded him, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes in his analysis of the transaction.