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Aldon Smith

Aldon Smith Restructures Contract

March 5th, 2015 at 7:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After making a move to strengthen their defense earlier in the day, the 49ers have made a second, more finance-based, transaction, as linebacker Aldon Smith has agreed to restructure his contract, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Smith was set to earn $9.754MM in 2015 after San Francisco exercised his fifth-year option — per Barrows, he’ll earn the same amount next season, but none of that money will be guaranteed.

Smith’s salary would have become fully guaranteed on Tuesday; because it was a result of a fifth-year option decision, his salary had been protected for injury only during the offseason. However, Smith’s new deal appears to be structured a bit differently, as it’s broken up into monthly bonuses beginning in April, and weekly bonuses during the season, adds Barrows.

The reported deal is interesting for several reasons, the first of which is that it allows the 49ers to release Smith with limited financial ramifications, which makes this restructure an appealing move given Smith’s history of off-the-field incidents. Second, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets, the transaction indicates that Smith himself is confident he’ll remain on the Niners roster for the entirety of the season, thus earning his full paycheck.

Third, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap notes (Twitter link), the restructure could create a bit of cap room for San Francisco, for the time being at least, if Smith’s bonuses are of the per-game variety as indicated. Per-game bonuses are considered likely-to-be-earned based on the percentage of games the player was active during the previous season — Smith was active for nine games, so the 49ers will only have to carry 9/16 of his bonus on their cap for now.

While the concerns with Smith are obvious, he is a dominant player when on the field, as evidenced by his 33.5 sacks during his first two years in the NFL. If he can remain clean off-the-field, I’d imagine the Niners would look into extending him during the season. Meanwhile, San Francisco is near the bottom of the league in terms of cap space, with only about $6.5MM to work with, so this move should create a little more room.

Joel Corry On Worst Salary Cap Situations

December 25th, 2014 at 10:18am CST by Rob DiRe

On Christmas Eve, Joel Corry of CBS Sports took a look at a few NFL teams who have the worst salary cap situations going into 2015. He picked out the five organizations stuck deepest in salary cap hell:

  1. New Orleans Saints – $23.07MM over the cap
  2. Arizona Cardinals – $6.44MM
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers – $2.901MM
  4. New England Patriots – $1.945MM
  5. San Francisco 49ers – $928,000

Here are some of the highlights of actions Corry suggests that would help them get under the cap in order to have a successful offseason:

Saints

  • Pass rusher Junior Galette could see his contract restructured to open up $10MM, despite signing the extension this past offseason.
  • Another contract doled off last offseason that can be restructured is of prized free agent Jairus Byrd, which could open up $5.6MM in cap space.
  • A third contract from last offseason that can be restructured is that of tight end Jimmy Graham. That move could save $4.77MM in cap space.
  • Both of their Pro Bowl guards are suddenly highly paid luxuries as they have seen their performance drop, and Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs are candidates for release. If cut, they will free up $6.6MM and $3.6MM, respectively.
  • Veteran receiver Marques Colston holds a $9.7MM cap number, and has seen a sharp decline in his play. It will be a tougher cut, but is a candidate to be released.
  • The team could restructure Drew Brees‘ contract again, although they will only push their cap problems into the future in exchange for immediate relief.
  • Releasing linebacker David Hawthorne will free up $2.99MM in cap space if he is released before his $2.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year.

Cardinals

Steelers

Patriots

  • The obvious move for the Patriots would be signing Darrelle Revis to a long-term deal, which would create substantial cap space. The team is unlikely to keep him in 2015 at his current number. They will open $20MM in cap space if they do not keep him on the roster.
  • The Patriots could open up $4MM in cap space by restructuring Tom Brady‘s contract.
  • The team will likely ask linebacker Jerod Mayo to take a pay cut, or they may release him. Corry writes that his $4.5MM injury guarantee will be the only thing that potentially saves him from being released.
  • Danny Amendola will be expendable, and cutting him will free up $2.1MM in cap room or $4.5MM if he is designated a post June 1st cut.
  • Vince Wilfork could also become a cap casualty, as the team will have to decide whether to guarantee his contract for 2015 and 2016. Releasing him will free up $7.566MM in cap room.
  • The team could also recoup some money from Aaron Hernandez‘ signing bonus if the grievance ruling comes back favorable for the Patriots.

49ers

  • The 49ers could restructure Colin Kaepernick‘s contract to lower his 2015 cap number.
  • Linebacker Ahmad Brooks may be released, freeing up a little over $4MM in cap room.
  • Another staple of the team, Vernon Davis, could be released as performance has dropped. The team would gain $4.95MM from releasing him.
  • If Aldon Smith‘s off-field troubles are too much for the 49ers, the team could decline his 2015 option and pick up $9.754MM in cap space.
  • The team could pass on re-signing Michael Crabtree, and will likely cut Stevie Johnson and save just over $6MM unless they lose Crabtree and replace him with Johnson.
  • The team will most likely not seek to bring Frank Gore back to the team, unless it is at an extremely reasonable number.

49ers Put Jimmie Ward On IR, Activate Smith

November 15th, 2014 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers have made a pair of roster moves involving defensive players today, placing rookie defensive back Jimmie Ward on injured reserve and activating linebacker Aldon Smith, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Smith had been reinstated from his nine-game suspension earlier this week, but the team had to remove a player from the 53-man roster in order for him to be active for tomorrow’s game against the Giants.

Ward, San Francisco’s first-round pick back in May, will be sidelined for the rest of the season with a foot injury. While it’s not clear if the injury is related to the Jones fracture Ward was diagnosed with earlier in the year, it’s the same foot giving him problems this time around. Despite entering the league as a safety, Ward saw most of his time at the nickel back position for the 49ers this season.

As for Smith, the Niners had a roster exemption for the returning linebacker, and could have waited until Monday to make a move to officially accommodate him. However, that corresponding move needed to be made by today if the club hoped to get him on the field in tomorrow’s game. It’s not clear how much action he’ll see, but we can expect Smith to make his 2014 debut against the Giants.

For now, Niners defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who is eligible to be activated from the injured reserve list, remains on IR.

Aldon Smith Reinstated From Suspension

November 11th, 2014 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers will welcome back a former All-Pro to their lineup this week, as the NFL officially announced today that linebacker Aldon Smith has been reinstated from his suspension. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), Smith will be on the field for the Niners’ walk-through today.

Smith, 25, is returning from a nine-game suspension for violating the league’s policies for substances of abuse and personal conduct. While there were rumblings that the ban could be reduced by a game or two due to good behavior, Smith ultimately ended up serving the full nine-game penalty. NFLPA executive VP George Atallah indicated this week that the linebacker had “fulfilled all of his obligations to be considered to return from his suspension early,” but it simply didn’t happen.

In any case, the Niners will be happy to welcome back a player who is two years removed from a season in which he racked up 19.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. For now, San Francisco doesn’t have to make a corresponding roster move to accommodate Smith — the team will have a roster exemption for him until next Monday. However, if the club intends to activate him for this Sunday’s game against the Giants, it will need to cut a player to do so.

I cited Smith and fellow linebacker NaVorro Bowman as returning players who could have an impact down the stretch for the Niners as the team attempts to earn a postseason berth. Bowman, who is recovering from a significant knee injury, is on track to begin practicing soon.

NFC West Notes: Aldon Smith, Rams, Lynch

November 10th, 2014 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Rams lost again yesterday, falling to 3-6 on the season and further deflating any long-shot playoff hopes they may have had. Things are getting interesting elsewhere in the NFC West though, with the Cardinals, Seahawks, and 49ers all picking up Week 10 victories. At 8-1, Arizona leads the way, but it looks as if the team will be without starting quarterback Carson Palmer the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, last year’s NFC Championship participants, Seattle and San Francisco, remain firmly in playoff contention, but don’t have an easy path to the postseason by any means. At the moment, the 7-3 Cowboys and 6-3 Seahawks project as the NFC’s Wild Card teams, with the 6-3 Packers and 5-4 49ers on the outside looking in.

Let’s round up a few items out of the NFC West to start the week….

  • NFLPA executive VP George Atallah tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports that 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith “fulfilled all of his obligations to be considered to return from his suspension early.” However, the NFL elected not to reinstate Smith until he served his full nine-game suspension. Garafalo suggests we can expect to hear more on this issue this week, since Smith’s camp and the NFLPA aren’t pleased that the linebacker wasn’t reinstated a week or two early, as had been rumored.
  • The Rams‘ defense came into yesterday’s game in Arizona thin at cornerback, and the club’s depth took another hit when nickel back Lamarcus Joyner left with a groin injury, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see St. Louis make a roster move or two this week to shore up the position.
  • It’s viewed as a fait accompli by some observers that Marshawn Lynch won’t be back with the Seahawks next season due to his age, contract, and possible off-field concerns, but performances like yesterday’s four-touchdown romp show how important he is to the club, says Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.

West Notes: LA, Aldon Smith, Chiefs, Cards

November 9th, 2014 at 3:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We learned late last night that Inglewood, California mayor James Butts had announced that he would meet with Rams owner Stan Kroenke, whose 60-acre patch of land in Inglewood (which is within Los Angeles county) has been rumored as a potential site for an NFL stadium. Butts declined to confirm if the Kroenke meeting has taken place, but sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com that Butts has spoken with executives from both the Rams and the Raiders. This news jives with a La Canfora report from last month which indicated that a team could be playing in Los Angeles as early as next season. Any club looking to relocate to southern California would need to declare its intention to move by mid-February, per La Canfora. Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions.

  • 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith‘s suspension wasn’t reduced today after he failed to complete the counseling requirements attached to the ban, but the dynamic pass-rusher is facing even more bad news. Because of the multitude of salary and bonus forfeitures that go along with a suspension, Smith will effectively pay San Francisco to play in 2014, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Smith will earn just 8/17 of his $1.099MM base salary, which amounts to $525K. He also forfeits $1.18MM in bonus money, meaning that he owes the 49ers $661K.
  • The Chiefs believe they have satisfied the requirements to bid on a Super Bowl, owner Clark Hunt tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Kansas City has agreed to give up one home game to play in London at some point in the near future, a stipulation for Super Bowl hosting hopefuls that NFL owners recently agreed to.
  • In his latest mailbag at ESPN.com, Josh Weinfuss sees a possibility that the Cardinals could add a power back, such as Ryan Mathews or Mark Ingram, during the offseason to pair with Andre Ellington. If backup Marion Grice impresses over the second half of the season, however, he could fill that role in 2015.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Sunday Roundup: Jags, Cowboys, Randy Moss

November 9th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

PFR’s Ben Levine wrote yesterday that Jaguars owner Shad Khan expects his club to be active in free agency in 2015, and Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union followed up on Khan’s statements this morning. O’Halloran, noting that the Jags have nearly $30MM in cap room, a “figure that could double with rollover (unused) dollars, an increase in the cap and cleared space from veterans who will be released or not re-signed,” will have a whole host of opportunities to improve their roster next year.

Although Jacksonville is still far from a destination of choice for the league’s top free agents, Khan noted that it is not just the money that the team has to spend that excites him, it is the fact that 2014 has revealed the specific needs that the Jaguars need to address in the offseason. As our Rob DiRe pointed out yesterday, the team could look to add a defensive lineman, a free safety, and a pair of linebackers.

Now for some more links from around the league:

  • An earlier report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport claimed that 20 Cowboys players missed curfew on Friday night, but Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes that owner Jerry Jones said there were no curfew violations because there is no curfew. Meanwhile, head coach Jason Garrett said there is a curfew, at midnight. As Alper notes, this is not the first time Garrett and Jones have issued contradictory statements regarding the team’s inner machinations, and the Cowboys need a win today to divert attention from what should have been a non-issue.
  • In the wake of the mounting criticism surrounding Falcons head coach Mike Smith, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution sides with defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora, who believes the coaching staff is not the problem. Ledbetter writes, “If the Falcons get rid of the winningest coach in team history, it won’t be about winning football games. It will be about selling tickets and premium seat licenses to the new stadium.”
  • Marc Sessler of NFL.com says retired wideout Randy Moss, to whom the Seahawks made overtures after trading Percy Harvin, said he would come out of retirement if Peyton Manning and the Broncos came calling.
  • Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes that “how the season ends — and how [Marshawn] Lynch plays — may matter only so much in the debate” as to whether the Seahawks should retain Lynch after this season. Instead, “it will still come down largely to one thing — will the Seahawks think it worth it to pay Lynch $7 million in 2015 when he’s 29 years old? And will Lynch be happy playing out the final year or would he ask for more money?”
  • ESPN’s Ed Werder reports that 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith‘s suspension was not reduced as expected, thereby allowing him to participate in today’s game, because “while Smith did more than mandated in terms of community service, he did not fulfill the obligations assigned him in terms of his counseling protocol.”
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that, although the Browns and Brian Hoyer have not engaged in contract talks since the summer, sources indicate the deal that Andy Dalton recently signed with the Bengals will be the benchmark for future negotiations.

NFC West Notes: Brooks, Smith, Seahawks

November 4th, 2014 at 10:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio doesn’t put much stock into a recent report that San Francisco almost dealt linebacker Ahmad Brooks to the Browns before last week’s trade deadline, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “It was never mentioned to me before the trade deadline ended and I would think that if there was any seriousness going on along those ways that [general manager] Trent [Baalke] would have mentioned it to me,” Fangio told KNBR in San Francisco. “And he never did. So I think those reports are way out of line.” Fangio’s reasoning is valid, but I outlined in the link above why the idea of the Niners shopping Brooks wouldn’t be too far-fetched. Here’s more from the NFC West.

  • 49ers pass-rusher Aldon Smith‘s suspension won’t be reduced (as was rumored), according to Ed Werder of ESPN, meaning Smith will be allowed to return to the field on November 16 against the Giants. The linebacker, who was banned for the first nine games of the season, should provide a nice boost to a 4-4 San Francisco team.
  • The Seahawks worked out several players today, report Adam Caplan of ESPN (several Twitter links) and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), who identify receivers Austin Pettis, Arrelious Benn, Tim Benford, and Michael Preston, and quarterback Brad Sorensen as the players who auditioned for Seattle. Pettis is a former Rams third-round pick who was waived two weeks ago, while Benn, a second-round pick in 2010, has played for the Buccaneers and Eagles.
  • Missouri governor Jay Nixon will hold a media conference call tomorrow to discuss the Rams’ stadium situation and how to keep the team in St. Louis, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Amid rumors of the franchise moving to Los Angeles, Nixon’s comments should shed some light on the state’s commitment to retaining the team.

Returning Impact Players For Contenders

October 31st, 2014 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

The NFL’s second half is getting underway this week, and it’s not too early to point to specific games as crucial for playoff positioning, as teams jockey for divisions and Wild Card openings. Last night’s contest between the Saints and Panthers, for instance, could ultimately have a real impact on which team wins the NFC South.

As we near the home stretch of the 2014 season, several teams could get a boost from returning players who have been sidelined for most or all of the year. These players won’t necessarily swing playoff races, but their teams will certainly welcome them back with open arms as a way of fortifying rosters that may be plagued by various injuries and ailments.

Listed below are a handful of players worth keeping an eye on during the season’s second half. These players are on track to return from longer-term injuries or suspensions, and could have an impact down the stretch, perhaps helping to buoy their respective teams into postseason berths. While the returns of other players, like Cincinnati’s A.J. Green, will also obviously be massive for their respective teams, shorter-term absences like Green’s aren’t noted here.

Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Eifert (TE)
Green’s return may have a more significant impact on the Bengals’ offense, but Eifert shouldn’t be overlooked. The young tight end was expected to take on a larger role this season, and had already caught three balls in the team’s Week 1 contest before he suffered a dislocated elbow. Since he received the designation to return when he was placed on IR, Eifert is eligible to practice now and is expected to be activated for the club’s Week 11 game against the Saints.

Cleveland Browns: Josh Gordon (WR)
The Browns currently sit in last place in the competitive AFC North, so it’s fair to question whether they’re a legit contender. Still, at 4-3, they’re right on the heels of the division-leading 4-2-1 Bengals, and with a soft schedule and the 2013’s leading receiver due back soon, there’s reason for optimism in Cleveland. Taking into account the Browns’ bye, Gordon’s 10-game ban means he’s eligible to return for Week 12, and it’ll be interesting to see what Brian Hoyer – or, perhaps, Johnny Manziel – can do during the season’s final six weeks with a weapon like Gordon at his disposal.

Dallas Cowboys: Demarcus Lawrence (DE/OLB)
We’ve yet to see what Lawrence is capable of at the NFL level, since the first half of his rookie season has been wiped out by a broken foot. But this is a player for whom the Cowboys traded up to No. 34 in May’s draft, and the team is looking forward to getting him back this weekend. Dallas’ defense has been surprisingly effective so far, but it certainly hasn’t been infallible, and a player like Lawrence will help fortify the team’s pass rush. It’s also worth monitoring defensive tackle Josh Brent, whose 10-game ban will soon expire — Brent may not see a ton of snaps right away, but the fact that the Cowboys have stuck with him indicates he remains very much in the team’s plans.

Detroit Lions: Kyle Van Noy (LB)
Like Lawrence, Van Noy is an early second-round pick who we’ve yet to see play in a regular season game. Of course, the Lions’ defense has been so effective that the team can afford to ease Van Noy in slowly if it so chooses, but this is a player who was initially penciled in as a three-down starter during the preseason. While he may not receive that kind of workload when he returns this weekend, I expect he’ll become a bigger part of Detroit’s D by December.

Philadelphia Eagles: Jason Kelce (C), Evan Mathis (G)
Eagles fans and LeSean McCoy‘s fantasy owners alike will welcome the return of this standout duo of interior offensive linemen. Kelce appears ready to return to action this weekend, while Mathis is expected to be activated for the following week, which is great news for an offensive line that has been shorthanded virtually all season. Assuming Kelce and Mathis are both healthy and remain as effective as ever, McCoy should start finding a few more holes and Nick Foles may be a little more comfortable in the pocket.

San Diego Chargers: Melvin Ingram (LB), Ryan Mathews (RB), Manti Te’o (LB)
Few – if any – teams have been hit harder this season by injuries than the Chargers, but reinforcements are on the way. In addition to players like Brandon Flowers and Jeremiah Attaochu being on the mend, the trio noted here is recovering well from longer-term injuries. Ingram, Mathews, and Te’o have each been sidelined since at least Week 3, but if all goes well, all three players could be back in action again following the club’s Week 10 bye.

San Francisco 49ers: NaVorro Bowman (LB), Aldon Smith (LB)
Heading into the season, many pundits viewed the Niners as a candidate to fall out of the postseason this year in large part due to the extended absences of Bowman and Smith. The team has hung in there so far though, and should finally be getting their standout linebackers back in November. Even if Smith’s nine-game ban isn’t reduced by a game or two, a rumor which appears increasingly unlikely, he’ll be eligible to return for the Niners’ Week 11 contest against the Giants, and I’d expect Bowman to be back a week or two after that. With December showdowns against the Seahawks, Chargers, and Cardinals on tap, San Francisco could be getting two of its best defenders back just in time to affect the playoff picture.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Aldon Smith, Cards

October 29th, 2014 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles were cited as a potential suitor for a safety prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline, but they didn’t trade for anyone to replace Nate Allen because they have confidence in his ability to bounce back, as Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

“I watch every play Nate had. Nate had a very good game. He had one bad play,” defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. “Over and over again, Nate was in the right spot, the right leverage, making the plays, and at the end of the game he had one bad play. The spotlight is on you, and that’s part of being in the secondary, but Nate has thick skin, and we as a defense, collectively, blew it at the end.”

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Don’t expect an announcement on a reduced suspension for 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith today, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The chances of Smith playing on Sunday are diminishing, but he could be in line for a return in the following week. That means the linebacker probably won’t be available for SF’s divisional game against the Rams but he could be back in action for the following week at New Orleans.
  • With lots of talk and little action before this year’s trade deadline, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has a simple solution to make things more active. “It’s not like if it were four more weeks, you might be out of it, and you might trade a guy that’s in the last year of his contract and you’re not going to get anything for,” Arians said on SiriusXM, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “But right now they’re still hoping in 25 cities or 28 cities that they’re going to the playoffs. I would like to see the trade deadline go back a little bit.“
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk checks in on Adrian Peterson, writing that the Vikings running back’s career outlook remains murky.
  • While Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley will get a second opinion on his knee injury on Friday or early next week, he’s not expected to undergo surgery and should be sidelined for about a month, tweets Rapoport.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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