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Alex Boone

East Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Redskins, Wilson

August 18th, 2014 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Jim Kelly ultimately decided not to team with Jon Bon Jovi‘s Toronto-based group in an effort to buy the Bills, a source tells John Kryk of the Toronto Sun that Morgan Stanley – the investment firm handling the sale of the franchise – recommended Bon Jovi’s group meet with the Kellys as a way of making their bid “more Buffalo friendly.” As we heard this morning, it was the Kellys’ lack of confidence in the Toronto’s group’s intentions to keep the team in Buffalo that scuttled any potential agreement.

Here’s more from around the league’s two East divisions:

NFC Notes: Sims, Redskins, Boone, Vikings

August 14th, 2014 at 6:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Veteran guard Rob Sims hasn’t spoken to the Lions about a new contract as he enters the final year of his deal, and both he and the team are prepared to wait until the offseason to address the issue. As Sims tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, he’d like to remain a Lion beyond this season, but he knows the decision may ultimately be out of his hands. “I would love to be here, I’ve done a lot of stuff with charity, I’ve done a lot of stuff with business around the city, and I would love to finish what I started here as far as trying to help build this offensive line,” Sims said. “But, hey, when I was in Seattle five years ago, I thought for sure, ‘Oh, I’ll be a Seahawk for life.’ So I’m a little less naïve to the fact.”

More from the NFC:

  • The Redskins have appealed a June ruling that canceled several of the team’s trademarks, reports the Washington Times. The original decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office board had no empirical effect on the Redskins, as the team still reserves the right seek legal action against unauthorized uses of its trademarks.
  • Alex Boone is steadfast in his holdout from 49ers camp, but it’s been a costly decision. Per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News, Boone’s fines are piling up — the guard is subject to nearly $900K in penalties, which includes a $30K daily fine for missing training camp, the loss of a portion of his 2011 signing bonus, and a missed offseason workout bonus. If Boone does end up reporting to San Francisco’s facilities, the team would likely forgive the fines, as the Seahawks did with Marshawn Lynch.
  • The Vikings have a healthy competition at strong safety, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and head coach Mike Zimmer isn’t guaranteeing that Jamarca Sanford, who started 13 games at FS last year, will remain atop the depth chart. “We’re going to divide it up,” said Zimmer. “I want to play these guys quite a bit this week. I want to see how it goes from there and then try to figure out the rest of the pecking order as we get going. Hopefully, this will be a big week for those safeties.”

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC Links: Saints, Bucs, Cardinals, Vikings, Packers

August 11th, 2014 at 10:38pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints’ 2014 roster isn’t likely to match or exceed the total of eight undrafted free agents who earned spots on the roster or practice squad a year ago, but the team prides itself on finding hidden gems, as GM Mickey Loomis tells Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune.

“Our college scouting staff takes a lot of pride in finding guys that no one’s heard about, or small college guys, and finding a trait that each one has that transfers to the NFL,” Loomis said. “It’s also a great credit to our coaching staff being willing to look at player and not worry about how we acquired them but just go by what we see and going by what their potential is to fit within our scheme offensively and defensively. We’ve had a lot of success with undrafted free agents, and I think that’s going to continue.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC…

  • Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that the Buccaneers have real interest in 49ers guard Alex Boone if the price is right (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com). However, another source told Rapoport that there’s been no “real” conversations between the two sides.
  • The Buccaneers could use some help on the offensive line, and coach Lovie Smith was asked if the team would consider Richie Incognito. “[A]ll players are looked at and [if] we think they could fit we bring them in,” he told the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud (via Twitter). 
  • Rookie wide receiver John Brown continues to make a “buzz” at Cardinals camp, tweets CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora. Considering the team’s depth at the position, La Canfora suggests that the team could carry six wideouts on their final roster.
  • ESPN’s Ben Goessling tweets that Vikings tight end Chase Ford is getting close to a return and may not need to start the season on the PUP list.
  • Packers running back Rajion Neal caught the eyes of coaches after he ran for 39 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown, on five carries in the team’s preseason opener. Unfortunately, the undrafted rookie suffered a knee injury in the third quarter, and he understands that he has to get healthy quickly if he hopes to make the squad. “I’ve got to play; there ain’t no way around it,” Neal told ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. “Being in the position I’m in, I can’t afford it.”

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Cole’s Latest: Boone, Gordon, Los Angeles

August 11th, 2014 at 5:58pm CST by Ben Levine

Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole sat down with Yahoo Sports’ Adam Lefkoe to discuss some of the more intriguing NFL storylines heading into the second week of preseason. Let’s take a look at some of the key notes:

  • If the 49ers/Alex Boone saga continues to drag out, Cole believes the team will “eventually” be offered a third-rounder for the offensive lineman. Cole adds that the two sides are not communicating and that there’s been no discussion regarding a new contract.
  • So what teams would be interested in offering this supposed third-rounder? Cole has heard that the Buccaneers and Giants would certainly be suitors for the 27-year-old, along with a “truckload” of teams that currently need help on the offensive line.
  • Cole believes that the NFL “would like to find a way” for Browns wideout Josh Gordon to play next season. He first cites Ray Rice‘s suspension, saying a more severe punishment for Gordon would just be additional bad press for the league. He also discusses Ricky Williams‘ first positive test for marijuana and the subsequent lack of discipline.
  • Cole hears that Raiders owner Mark Davis is “circulating a proposal” to raise funds to buy land in either Inglewood or Los Angeles. He adds that the team has specifically been looking at the former Hollywood Park location, a spot that Al Davis eyed about 20 years ago.

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.”

Teams Interested In Alex Boone

August 9th, 2014 at 1:51pm CST by Rob DiRe

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.

Extra Points: Herman, Finnegan, Boone, Colts

August 8th, 2014 at 4:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Over at ESPN.com, Jim Trotter has published an interesting piece on why teams are inclined to pay big bucks to lock up non-elite quarterbacks.

“Teams are just afraid to say, ‘Let’s start again, because we literally do not have a legitimate chance to win a Super Bowl with the quarterback that we have,’” one club president told Trotter. “They’d rather have an average to above-average quarterback than wait to get a great quarterback. I think it’s more than fair to say that the fear of the unknown is greater than the fear of the known.”

Let’s check in on a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….

  • Giants offensive lineman Eric Herman has been suspended for four games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. The NFLPA released a statement on behalf of Herman explaining the positive test.
  • Cornerback Cortland Finnegan tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com that he considered a pitch from the Falcons this offseason before ultimately reaching an agreement with the Dolphins (Twitter link).
  • In the wake of the 49ers‘ first preseason contest, it doesn’t sound as if there has been any movement on contract talks with holdout guard Alex Boone, tweets Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
  • As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk details, former Colts running back Chris Rainey doesn’t seem to believe he should have been cut by Indianapolis for breaking team rules, and took to Twitter to vent last night. Rainey, a free agent, has since deleted the tweets.
  • The Colts’ offensive line is thinning out, with both Khaled Holmes and rookie Ulrick John suffering injuries this week. According to Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter), the team believes Holmes may have sprained his left ankle, which would sideline him for a few weeks. As for John, Stephen Holder of the Star reports (via Twitter) that his ankle might be broken. Meanwhile, Xavier Nixon tweeted today that he’s set to undergo surgery, presumably on the knee that his been bothering him.

49ers Reach Out To Alex Boone

July 30th, 2014 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers have recently reached out to offensive lineman Alex Boone, one of two notable NFC West players in the midst of a holdout, but Boone “remains resolute in his stance,” reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. The guard, like Marshawn Lynch in Seattle, has yet to report to training camp as he pushes for a new contract.

Boone, the Niners’ starting right guard in each of the last two seasons, is in line for a $2MM base salary this season and just $1.2MM in 2015. Having been an instrumental part of one of the league’s best offensive lines in recent years, the 27-year-old is looking for a raise to a level that more accurately reflects his talent. Currently, Boone ranks as the 43rd-highest-paid guard in the NFL.

As we heard last night, the 49ers recently restructured the contract of linebacker Ahmad Brooks, opening up $2MM+ in cap space. San Francisco didn’t have a ton of cap flexibility heading into training camp, so that $2MM could come in handy in creating wiggle room for a Boone extension. If the two sides aren’t able to reach an agreement, the Niners could also put those cap savings toward a new deal for extension candidates Michael Crabtree and/or Mike Iupati.

By not reporting to training camp, Boone is subject to escalating fines — by rule, the Niners are now free to go after a portion of Boone’s prorated signing bonus, as well as continuing to penalize him for each day of camp he misses.

Contract Details: Nelson, Reynolds, White

July 29th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With a number of veteran free agents signing deals recently, and others being extended, the latest contract details have been a little more complicated than the usual minimum salary contracts we’d seen over the last few weeks. With that in mind, here’s a roundup of a few of the latest specific figures to surface:

Earlier updates:

  • Details of Roddy White‘s extension with the Falcons have emerged, and, unsurprisingly, the deal doesn’t look quite as lucrative as initially reported. According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (all Twitter links), White’s new four-year contract has a base value of $23MM, which means there’s $18MM in new money on the three-year extension. The pact also features a $7.55MM signing bonus and $8.5MM in escalators which could push the overall value to as high as $31.5MM. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap has all the details in chart form.
  • We heard last week that Tyson Clabo‘s new two-year deal with the Texans is worth $2.4MM, and now Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has the breakdown of the specifics (via Twitter). Per Wilson, the contract includes annual base salaries of $900K, a $200K signing bonus, roster bonuses worth up to $80K ($5K per game) in 2014, and roster bonuses worth up to $320K ($20K per game) in 2015.
  • Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) clarifies that the Seahawks can now recover up to 15% of the prorated portion of Marshawn Lynch‘s signing bonus, rather than the entire thing. That means the team could go after $225K of the bonus, rather than $900K.
  • The 49ers can do the same thing with Alex Boone‘s contract, as Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group details. 15% of Boone’s prorated signing bonus works out to $51K.

West Notes: Lynch, Boone, Smith, Bradford

July 28th, 2014 at 5:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Though Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch seems intent on holding out for a new contract, his financial incentive to show up for training camp ramps up tomorrow, writes Terry Blount of ESPN.com. Lynch is currently being fined $30K for each missed practice session, but the more serious penalties can begin Tuesday, the sixth day of Lynch’s absence. The 28-year-old is subject to losing 15% of his signing bonus, which would amount to $900K. For his next 10 absences (starting Tuesday), Lynch could be fined an additional 1% per day. In total, Lynch could lose 25% of his signing bonus, or $1.5MM.

Blount adds that Lynch could lose one regular season game check (for Lynch, roughly $313K) for each preseason game that he misses. However, as Joel Corry of CBS Sports tweets, this particular rule only applies to players who signed as unrestricted free agents. Lynch, whose contract was signed about a week before free agency began in 2012, won’t be affected by this stipulation.

More from the NFL’s two West divisions:

  • Like Lynch, 49ers guard Alex Boone is in the middle of a holdout, and Bill Williamson of ESPN.com doesn’t expect Boone to show to camp any time soon. The two sides are “far apart” in talks, and because San Francisco isn’t inclined to deal with Boone until he reports to practice, this battle could go on for awhile.
  • Alex Smith is only signed through 2014, but the Chiefs are hoping to a new deal can be worked out soon. “…[T]here’s communication going on,” head coach Andy Reid told reporters, including the Kansas City Star’s Terez A. Paylor, at a press conference. “They’re working through it so we’ll see what happens. These things take [time]. You know how the game goes. Alex isn’t worried about it and I’m not not worried about it.”
  • Sam Bradford is facing yet another “make or break” season with the Rams, per USA Today. St. Louis can save almost $13MM by cutting Bradford after 2014.
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