HEADLINES

Aaron Lynch

49ers Activate LB Aaron Lynch

October 6th, 2016 at 3:05pm CST by Zachary Links

As expected, the 49ers have activated linebacker Aaron Lynch. To make room, the team has officially placed linebacker NaVorro Bowman on injured reserve. Aaron Lynch (vertical)

Lynch was suspended without pay for the first month of the season after running afoul of the league’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. Lynch, 23, has appeared in 30 games for SF over the last two years with 16 total starts. In his rookie year, Lynch made a mark when he tallied 23 tackles and 6 sacks. In 2015, he improved on those numbers in a 14-game season, racking up 38 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Now, he’ll rejoin a Niners team that has totaled just seven sacks through four games.

The Niners announced on Wednesday that Bowman is done for the year after suffering a torn Achilles.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

14 Players Returning From Suspension

October 3rd, 2016 at 7:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Fourteen players will return from four-game suspensions this week, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). The most high-profile returnee, of course, is quarterback Tom Brady, who will re-join the 3-1 Patriots on Sunday against the Browns.

The following players have completed their suspensions:

The club that employs each player will receive a short roster exemption that ends the day following the team’s Week 5 game. that means the 49ers’ exemption for Lynch ends Friday, the Panthers’ exemption for Scott ends next Tuesday, and the rest end next Monday.

Sterup, meanwhile, was on the Chiefs’ practice squad when he was banned, but he hasn’t completed the PED reinstatement requirements, according to Balzer. So although he can sign with a new club, Sterup can’t practice or play until he’s approved by the league.

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Lynch, Cards, Mathis

July 31st, 2016 at 5:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

49ers linebacker Aaron Lynch unsuccessfully attempted to appeal his four-game substance abuse policy, as he explained to reporters, including Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Lynch entered stage one of the NFL’s drug program via positive tests in college, and he maintains he failed his most recent test due to a “unreliable specimen” caused from drinking too much water, tweets Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. While he’ll be allowed to attend training camp, play in the preseason, and attend regular season team meetings, Lynch won’t be able to practice once the regular season begins, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Let’s take a look at more from the NFC West:

  • If he’s able to win another Super Bowl with the Cardinals in 2016, Evan Mathis says he’ll retire immediately, according to Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link). “Absolutely,” said Mathis, when asked if he’ll hang up his cleats. “Not even thinking twice.” Mathis, 34, won a title during his first (and only) season with the Broncos, and proceeded to join Arizona on a one-year, $4MM deal. The veteran guard can earn another $2MM via incentives.
  • The Cardinals could conceivably keep a third quarterback on the active roster, but that No. 3 QB will have to compete with a fourth tight end, fourth running back, or sixth wide receiver, head coach Bruce Arians told reporters, including Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Arizona’s third signal-caller battle will come down to Matt Barkely and 2016 undrafted free agent Jake Coker, each of whom will compete to work behind Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton.
  • Trent Baalke knew Tom Gamble‘s promotion to assistant general manager would invite more scrutiny as to who holds the power in the 49ers‘ front office, as Branch writes in a full piece. Gamble spent two seasons with Chip Kelly in Philadelphia in between two stints in San Francisco, so Gamble acquiring a stronger voice could make it appear as though Kelly is usurping control. “I don’t live in a cave,” Baalke said. “I think I understood exactly what was going to happen. And that should show you even more that I don’t care. In all honesty, (Gamble is) deserving of the position.”
  • Meanwhile, Baalke says the 49ers will carry over the nearly $50MM in cap space that they currently possess, and could use it on extensions for players like Eric Reid, Carlos Hyde, Jimmie Ward, and others. Maiocco has the details and Baalke’s full statements in a separate piece.

NFC Notes: A. Lynch, C. Johnson, Cook, Best

July 16th, 2016 at 8:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Linebacker Aaron Lynch‘s four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy will not only put a cap on his 2016 production, but make an long-term extension with the 49ers increasingly unlikely, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. The 23-year-old Lynch, considered perhaps the best edge rusher on San Francisco’s roster, is a building block on a club that isn’t expected to win many games during the upcoming season. He’ll be eligible for a new deal after the 2016 campaign, but general manager Trent Baalke & Co. will likely want to ensure that Lynch can be trusted before locking him up for the long haul, per Maiocco.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • After being released and re-signed by the Panthers, defensive end Charles Johnson admits this is something of a make-or-break year. “Of course,” Johnson told Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. “I’ve got to prove myself, right? I’m only signed to a one-year deal, so I got to go out and prove myself.” Carolina saved $8MM by cutting and re-signing Johnson earlier this year, lowering his base salary from a scheduled $11M down to $3MM. Though he played in only nine games in 2015 and posted just a single sack, Johnson was also hampered by injury, so his performance can be somewhat excused. Johnson isn’t exactly washed up, either, as he’s still under 30 years old, and averaged 11 sacks per season from 2012-14.
  • Packers general manager Ted Thompson went outside his comfort zone and signed an external free agent this offseason, inking tight end Jared Cook after he was released by the Rams, and Aaron Rodgers is hoping Cook and incumbent Richard Rogers can form a lethal combination. “We haven’t figured that out yet,” Rodgers told Rob Reischel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Obviously we haven’t even put the pads on, so we’re just trying to work through it. Obviously when you have two tight ends on the field it creates a matchup problem, so we’ll see where that goes.” Cook, who has never appeared in a playoff game during his NFL career, signed a one-year, $2.75MM deal with Green Bay that contains $900K in incentives.
  • Former Lions running back Jahvid Best will compete in the Summer Olympics as a member of Saint Lucia’s track team, write Nick Zaccardi and Seth Rubinroit of NBC Sports. Best, who holds dual citizenship and has a Saint Lucian father, will become the first athlete with NFL experience to compete in the Summer Games. Former NFLer Herschel Walker participated in the 1982 Winter Olympics, while Patriots safety Nate Ebner could join Best this summer, as he’s trying out for the U.S. rugby squad.

49ers LB Aaron Lynch Suspended Four Games

July 15th, 2016 at 3:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers announced that linebacker Aaron Lynch has been suspended for four games by the NFL. Lynch will not be paid for the first month of the season after running afoul of the league’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. "<strong

Lynch will be eligible to return to the 49ers active roster on Monday, October 3rd following the team’s Sunday contest against Cowboys. In the interim, Lynch is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games.

“While disappointed to hear the news regarding Aaron today, we support and respect the league’s decision. We are confident that he will learn from this matter and that he understands what is expected of him moving forward,” 49ers GM Trent Baalke said in a statement.

Lynch, 23, has appeared in 30 games for SF over the last two years with 16 total starts. In his rookie year, Lynch made a mark when he tallied 23 tackles and 6 sacks. This past year, he improved on those numbers in a 14-game season, racking up 38 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

With Lynch sidelined, the Niners may rely more on outside linebackers Eli Harold and Corey Lemonier to pick up the slack. For a full view of San Francisco’s depth chart, check out their page on Roster Resource.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

49ers Notes: Boone, Looney, Borland

August 10th, 2014 at 10:09am CST by Rory Parks

We learned several days ago that some teams have expressed an interest in trading for 49ers’ holdout Alex Boone. Boone has stated that he will not report to camp until he has a new deal, but San Francisco has stood by its policy of not negotiating a contract with a player until that player shows up. In a video post, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says that other teams have not yet spoken directly with the 49ers about the possibility of acquiring Boone.

Although these impasses have a tendency of working themselves out and often result in new contracts or some other resolution that allows both parties to publicly reconcile, the demand for quality linemen like Boone may make the 49ers think twice. If a team like the Giants become desperate enough–and they are already deeply concerned with the development and chemistry of their remade offensive line–the 49ers would have to give serious thought to a potential trade.

Now for some more 49ers notes:

  • Joe Looney, who is currently filling in for Boone, scored a -0.7 grade from Pro Football Focus for his performance in the team’s preseason opener against Baltimore, observes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Barrows notes that Looney “appeared to come out of his stance too soon and lose his balance.”
  • According to Barrows, the right side of the 49ers’ offensive line, which included Looney at right guard and Jonathan Martin at right tackle, was weaker than the left side in the first preseason game, but they were not horrible, and head coach Jim Harbaugh noted that there were a number of correctable issues. Given those comments, it looks as though the team may wait another couple of weeks before making a decision on Boone.
  • In a separate article, Barrows notes that the 49ers are a little thin along the defensive line after losing Lawrence Okoye to an ankle injury on Thursday, but “reinforcements” in the form of Justin Smith and Ray McDonald should be returning shortly.
  • Barrows also notes that rookies Marcus Martin and Aaron Lynch had their first full practice on Saturday.
  • Rookie linebacker Chris Borland, who is fighting to replace the injured NaVorro Bowman in the first half of the season, said he had an “up and down” performance against Baltimore on Thursday, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com writes. Borland said he is hoping to improve his pre-snap work in the team’s second preseason game against Denver next week.
  • In a different post, Williamson points out that recently-signed wideout Lance Lewis is likely just an “August body” and will probably be released once Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd are fully healthy.
    Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/10/6618154/looney-vows-to-improve-while-boone.html#storylink=cpy.”

49ers Links: Camp Reports, Lynch, Martin

July 27th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Rob DiRe

There is no shortage of information to consume for 49ers’ fans, as training camp reports have emerged from a number of sources. Tom Pelissero’s report for USA Today highlights the improved receiving group, with a healthy Michael Crabtree and a still able Anquan Boldin leading the charge.

Here are some more notes from around the 49ers’ camp:

  • Pelissero also notes that with Anthony Davis recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, former Dolphin Jonathan Martin has been filling in at right tackle with the first team offense.
  • The team has been intent on re-signing Crabtree, but Bill Williamson’s camp report for ESPN.com also notes that the team also plans to re-sign right guard Mike Iupati. Iupati has been one of the best interior linemen in the league, and was thought as possibly too expensive for the team to retain.
  • One note from that report that needed to be highlighted further was general manager Trent Baalke’s assertion that the team only had four or five roster spots open this camp. Williamson highlighted that statement on his Twitter account.
  • Williamson also highlighted a number of players who had been particularly impressive thus far in a separate report. Among those players who had been performing well were former Bills’ receiver Stevie Johnson and rookie tailback Carlos Hyde.
  • Head coach Jim Harbaugh also pointed out two players who were standouts at their position in cornerbacks Tramaine Brock and Chris Culliver, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). They separated themselves from the other corners on the roster.
  • Harbaugh also complimented defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye after his first padded practice, according to Maiocco (via Twitter).
  • The team has activated two rookies from the physically unable to perform and non-football injury lists in Aaron Lynch and Marcus Martin, respectively, reports Maiocco of (via Twitter).
  • Although both players are now active and will participate in walk throughs, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee points out that this does not necessarily mean they will be joining padded practices just yet (via Twitter).

Minor Moves: Saints, Panthers, Bucs, Eagles

May 13th, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up today’s minor transactions here, including mid-to-late-round draftees agreeing to contracts, players being claimed off waivers, and the retirement of a former NFLer who most recently played in the Canadian Football League…..

  • The Chiefs announced that they have sixth-round pick Zach Fulton (Twitter link). The offensive lineman out of Tennessee was taken with the No. 193 pick.
  • The 49ers announced that they have signed fifth-round outside linebacker Aaron Lynch and seventh-round defensive lineman Kaleb Ramsey, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • The Saints have signed former Notre Dame guard Mike Golic Jr. to a two-year contract, the club announced today in a press release. Golic went undrafted in 2013 and joined the Steelers for the preseason.
  • Drake Nevis, who was cut yesterday by the Jaguars, has been awarded to the Panthers on waivers, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The defensive lineman appeared in games for the Cowboys and Jags last season.

Earlier updates:

  • The Buccaneers have waived running back Michael Smith, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Eagles have locked up one of their draft picks, signing third-round wideout Josh Huff to a four-year deal, per Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
  • After being cut by the Seahawks yesterday, long snapper Jorgen Hus has been claimed off waivers by the Rams, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter).
  • The Dolphins have cut punter Matt Syzmanski, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The only NFL team to lock up any draftees so far, the Bears have agreed to terms with two more players they selected last week, according to the team (Twitter links). Fourth-round running back Ka’Deem Carey and seventh-round tackle Charles Leno Jr. have reached agreements on four-year deals with the club. At Over The Cap, Jason Fitzgerald has estimations on what sort of contracts the duo will be receiving.
  • The Jaguars have claimed linebacker Allen Bradford off waivers from the Giants, a day after he was cut, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Bradford, a former Seahawk like a few other players the Jags have added this offseason, fills the last spot on the team’s 90-man roster.
  • Former Bills first-round pick Aaron Maybin has officially announced his retirement as a football player, according to the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts (Twitter link). After being selected 11th overall out of Penn State, Maybin failed to make a consistent impact at the NFL level, with his best season coming in 2011 as a reserve for the Jets (six sacks).

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Sam

May 11th, 2014 at 12:07pm CST by Peter Sowards

General manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll have worked five drafts together with the Seahawks, and as The News Tribune’s Todd Dybas writes, the duo has developed a penchant for taking lesser-known players.

Examples of this include Middle Tennessee State defensive tackle Jimmy Staten, Marshall offensive tackle Garrett Scott and Arkansas fullback Kiero Small, none of whom received much notoriety in the days leading up to the draft.

Schneider talked about the ambitious nature of his team’s roster and a mentality his players must possess: “There’s so much competitiveness. These guys are on edge. They’re confident, so you have to have a certain mentality to be able to battle. You’ve got to bring it right away. Right when you walk in the door, you’ve got to bring it.”

More notes from the division of the reigning Super Bowl champions below…

  • The unpredictably consistent Seahawks need five or six of the nine draft picks to hit for Schneider and Carroll to retain the title of draft geniuses, penned Jerry Brewer of The Seattle Times.
  • A roundup of the Rams‘ 11 draft picks by Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. With two first-round picks, St. Louis solidified the trenches, going with Auburn tackle Greg Robinson No. 2 overall and Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald at No. 13.
  • At No. 249, the Rams made one of the more memorable picks in the draft, selecting Missouri DE/OLB Michael Sam, who will become the first openly gay player to play in the NFL. As Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch writes, now Sam needs to prove that he can also play football in addition to breaking barriers.
  • USA TODAY Sports’ Tom Pelissero named the Rams as one of five teams that should expect instant impact from its rookies in 2014.
  • 49ers general manager Trent Baalke was happy for Sam, but wished that the Missouri rusher landed outside the NFC West and thus avoiding facing him twice a year, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes.
  • South Florida outside linebacker Aaron Lynch, standing an impressive 6-foot-6 and 244 pounds, lauds himself as a first-round talent with mistakes in his past. He slipped to the 49ers in the fifth round because of those mistakes, and head coach John Harbaugh says Lunch needs direction, according to Eric Branch of SFGate.com.
  • Despite the availability of SEC quarterbacks Zach Mettenberger (LSU), Aaron Murray (Georgia) and A.J. McCarron, the Cardinals took a developmental project instead, Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas, writes Kent Somers of AZcentral.com.

West Rumors: Baldwin, Tuck, Jones, Chargers

April 22nd, 2014 at 8:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Doug Baldwin told 710 ESPN in Seattle that he has not yet signed his second-round tender, but he is working out with the Seahawks at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, tweets Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Seattle extended the one-year, $2.187MM tender to Baldwin back in early March. Baldwin is coming off of a solid season in which he hauled in 50 passes for 778 yards and five touchdowns. Baldwin added that he still hopes to work out a long-term pact with the team, tweets Terry Blount of ESPN.com. More from the AFC and NFC West..

  • Justin Tuck knows the Raiders‘ history and reputation, but he says he’s ready to help turn it all around, writes ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez. “A lot of people always say you go to Oakland for your career to die. I’m not looking at it like that. I’m looking at it like this is an opportunity to revive a storied franchise in a city with a great fan base behind this football team. The energy and excitement around this football team should be good. I’m excited about it,” said the veteran.
  • New Raiders receiver James Jones spoke glowingly of his relationship with GM Reggie McKenzie when they were together in Green Bay, writes Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Sulia link).
  • Former Ohio State cornerback Brandon Roby is en route to San Diego to visit the Chargers, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter).
  • The 49ers hosted three draft prospects today, according to Adam Caplan of NFL.com (on Twitter). Arizona State outside linebacker Carl Bradford, University of South Florida defensive end Aaron Lynch, and defensive tackle Stephon Tuitt of Notre Dame all flew out to San Francisco.