Anquan Boldin - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Ratliff, V-Jax, Boldin, Lions

October 28th, 2015 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

When the Bears released veteran defensive lineman Jeremiah Ratliff last week, details began to trickle out about an eruption from Ratliff that led to the move — and led to the Bears temporarily increasing the security at their team facility. Although that incident led to Ratliff’s release, it wasn’t his first such outburst, as Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report details.

According to Freeman, in the last week of the 2014 season, Ratliff showed up at a Bears practice and behaved “belligerently” toward players and coaches, leading to him being asked to leave practice multiple times. The incident sounds awfully similar to what happened at Halas Hall last week, but in 2014, head coach Marc Trestman not only didn’t discipline Ratliff — he named the defensive lineman a team captain for the coming week.

Per Freeman, the decision to reward Ratliff for the outburst may have cost Trestman the locker room, and it wasn’t long until the head coach was replaced. Under new coach John Fox, the Bears didn’t tolerate a similar display from Ratliff this season.

Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from across the NFC….

Encouraging Ratliff’s so-called “passion” last year didn’t work out well for Trestman — will taking a similar approach to Greg Hardy play out any better for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones? David Fleming of ESPN is skeptical, calling Jones’ support of Hardy the latest sign of dysfunction in Dallas.
Vincent Jackson‘s knee injury is expected to sideline him for multiple weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). However, Rapoport adds that the injury won’t be a season-ender for the Buccaneers receiver.
With the 49ers rapidly falling out of contention, and next Tuesday’s trade deadline looming, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if San Francisco would consider trading Anquan Boldin, and whether or not Boldin would welcome a trade to a contender. I wouldn’t expect the Niners to make a move involving the veteran wideout, but if they do, the Panthers would be one destination that makes some sense, as Florio observes.
While general manager Martin Mayhew has been aggressive in the past, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (video link) doesn’t expect the Lions to acquire any veterans before this year’s trade deadline. If Mayhew and the Lions make any deals, they’ll probably be for draft picks, says Rothstein.

NFC Notes: Amukamara, Bucs, Packers, Boldin

October 17th, 2015 at 4:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Let’s look at some of the news coming out of NFC locales Saturday afternoon.

Prince Amukamara‘s latest injury, a partially torn pectoral muscle expected to sideline the Giants cornerback for multiple games, could cost him millions in free agency, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Currently playing on his fifth-year option, Amukamara profiles as one of the top corners on next year’s market, joining Sean Smith and Leon Hall in a thin class. A former first-round pick, the 26-year-old Amukamara’s played in 16 games just once (2013) and has been available for double-digit contests just twice in four seasons. Vacchiano reports the talented-yet-brittle corner’s injury history represents why Big Blue hasn’t been negotiating an extension with him.
Now back with the Bucs, Connor Barth generated a public apology of sorts from Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht, who expressed regret over choosing rookie Kyle Brindza over the veteran Barth. “In hindsight, I shouldn’t have let him go,” Licht told Sirius XM radio (via Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune). The Bucs cut Brindza after he endured a horrendous start that included two errant extra points and six misssed field goals, and brought back Barth, an accurate field goal specialist but one with a weaker kickoff leg. “(Barth) has always been a steady kicker, but his kickoff leg has always been inconsistent, to put it mildly,’’ Licht said. “But (after Barth hit five touchbacks in eight kickoffs in Week 5) I asked him where that came from and he said he had been working on it. I think he realized that was his best chance to stick around for a long time.”
After Steve Spurrier announced his retirement this week, former Packers GM Ron Wolf recalled twice trying to offer him the Packers’ head-coaching job — once in 1999 and again in 2000 — but the longtime SEC coach showed no interest in American pro sports’ smallest city, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Packers hired Ray Rhodes to succeed Mike Holmgren in 1999 then after firing him brought in Mike Sherman instead of Spurrier, who ended up coaching in Washington from 2002-03.
49ers wideout Anquan Boldin acknowledged he achieved what he wanted to with the Ravens and now accepts his former team’s decision to trade him for a sixth-round pick. “I went there to win a championship, so job done,” Boldin told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I understand the business part of it now. No team is the same the following year. It wasn’t a big surprise.”

West Notes: Seahawks, Boldin, L.A., Cards

June 11th, 2015 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

After the team traded away four-year starter Max Unger, Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable says that he expects “quite a battle” at the center position, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes.

Lemuel Jeanpierre, who has been with Seattle since 2010 – but has made only eleven starts – appears to be the frontrunner. However, Patrick Lewis started four games last year and is a definite contender. Also in the mix are Drew Nowak and rookie Kristjan Sokoli.

While the center position may be up in the air, the Seahawks fortified tight end in a big way when they acquired Jimmy Graham from the Saints in the Unger deal. Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two West divisions:

The 49ers saw multiple players retire this offseason but Anquan Boldin said that he didn’t give any thought to joining that list, as Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group writes. “If I felt we didn’t have a chance, I probably wouldn’t be here,” Boldin said Wednesday at minicamp. “There’s a lot of talent in this locker room. If we play the way we’re capable of playing, we’ll be right in the mix.”
Longtime NFL executive Carmen Policy is helping the Raiders and Chargers with their Carson stadium project, and in Q&A with Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News, Policy lays out his case for why Carson is the ideal location for the NFL to return to L.A.
Demaryius Thomas, who received the franchise tag from the Broncos this offseason, has until July 15 to work out a long-term contract with the club, and his teammates are keeping a close eye on the situation, as Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com details.
The Cardinals lost what little experience they had at the tight end position when John Carlson suddenly retired in May, leaving them to work with a much younger group, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic writes.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Anquan Boldin On Retirement, Tomsula

June 1st, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Anquan Boldin has been the model of consistency over his 13-year career in the NFL. He’ll look to have yet another solid campaign even though much has changed around him in San Francisco. The 49ers will be led by new head coach Jim Tomsula on the sideline and will be without linebacker Patrick Willis and lineman Justin Smith on the defensive side this year. Boldin is only under contract for one more season, so his own future with the Niners is up in the air somewhat. Of course, at his age, retirement would also seem to be a possibility. Boldin spoke with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report earlier today to discuss his plans and the changes around him. Here’s a look at a few of the highlights..

On whether he’ll retire after this season:

I’ll finish the game on my own terms. I don’t want to overstay my welcome. If I’m not playing at a high level, I will leave on my terms. But I will also say for myself that when I do retire, I will have a lot left in the tank.

On how long he’ll stick around:

I think it’s kind of selfish to want to play until you’re 40 or 45. I have two boys now, and I’m 34. If I play until I’m 40 and my oldest, he’ll be in 11th grade and I’ll have missed his entire time growing up just so that I can be a football player. Being a football player takes a lot of time and sacrifice by everybody, including your family. Obviously, I can give him a lot of things by playing football, but that’s not worth the time that we can spend together. There are a lot of things I want to do as a husband and as a father, and football takes a lot of that time away. The money won’t mean as much as the time.

On why he’s confident in Tomsula:

I’ve seen how many of the defensive linemen respond to him and how good a job he did managing that group. With the defensive line, you have a lot of really out-there, aggressive personalities, and he got the most out of those guys. He did it because he knew how to treat each of those guys differently. Great coaches are the coaches who know how to work with different personalities and still find a way to get the most out of people. I don’t think you can coach every guy the exact same way, and Jim doesn’t do that. He has done a great job with all the different characters he has had.

WR Rumors: Marshall, V-Jax, Wallace, Harvin

February 27th, 2015 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

With Reggie Wayne‘s NFL future still up in the air, the Colts have explored the possibility of bringing in a veteran wide receiver to start opposite T.Y. Hilton, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, the team has internally discussed players like Brandon Marshall, Andre Johnson, Mike Wallace, and Vincent Jackson as potential targets. Not all of those players will become available in the next few weeks, but one or more could be traded or released, and if the Colts had their pick, Marshall may be their top choice, per Cole.

While we wait to see if any opportunities open up for the Colts, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has a few more tidbits for us on the wide receiver market. Let’s dive in….

Cole noted in the above video that Jackson likely isn’t going anywhere, and La Canfora agrees that it looks like he’ll be back with the Buccaneers. However, it doesn’t seem as if Jackson will be willing to take a pay cut, sources tell La Canfora.
La Canfora also touches on the Marshall situation, noting that if a team were to call asking about a possible trade, “it’s not like [the Bears] wouldn’t pick up the phone.”
According to multiple general managers, Wallace is the only wideout being “actively shopped” at the moment. The Dolphins continue to explore a deal, and La Canfora suggests Wallace himself would be interested in returning to the Steelers, though it’s not clear if that interest is mutual. $3MM of Wallace’s base salary for 2015 becomes guaranteed on March 13, so that may act as a deadline of sorts for Miami.
Percy Harvin won’t accept a pay cut to stick with the Jets, and trading him would likely be impossible, so he looks like a good bet to be cut. If that happens, many teams would want to pick him up on a short-term deal, says La Canfora.
We can expect the Dwayne Bowe situation to come to a head soon — paying him $11MM with a $14MM cap hit is a luxury the Chiefs can’t afford, so Bowe may be willing to accept a pay cut, knowing he won’t make close to that amount on the open market.
With cap numbers for Anquan Boldin and Stevie Johnson on the rise, and Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd eligible for free agency, La Canfora wouldn’t be surprised if only one of those four players returns to the 49ers for next season — if that.
Johnson and the Texans had a bit of a stand-off a year ago, and with the veteran wideout carrying a $16MM into the 2015 season, the two sides may be headed for another interesting summer. La Canfora isn’t convinced Johnson will remain in Houston long-term, but says “time will tell.”
Two Dolphins wideouts have already been released today, and according to Armando Salguero the Miami Herald (Twitter links), Rishard Matthews asked the team to be cut or traded as well. However, Miami has denied that request for now, says Salguero.

Contract Details: Sherels, Boldin, Brown, Royal

March 10th, 2014 at 2:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Marcus Sherels‘ two-year, $2.2MM extension with the Vikings included a $300K signing bonus, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The defensive back and punt returner also has $200K of his $750K base in 2014 guaranteed. Sherels, 26, saw an increased role in the secondary in 2013, playing 545 defensive snaps. With that extra playing time, Sherels racked up 47 tackles, seven passes defended, and an interception. His most positive contributions probably came on special teams, however, where he averaged 15.2 yards per attempt on 22 punt returns, including a touchdown. Some more details on recent contracts..

Over The Cap has the full breakdown of wide receiver Anquan Boldin‘s pact with the 49ers, which includes three voidable years.
The Steelers did a simple restructure on Antonio Brown‘s deal, Pelissero tweets. Pittsburgh converted $5.27MM of his 2014 base salary to a signing bonus, clearing about $3.95MM off the cap.
Eddie Royal gets $3.5MM guaranteed in his reworked deal with the Chargers, tweets Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. The maneuvering saves San Diego about $1MM in cash and salary cap room.
Mackenzy Bernadeau‘s “restructure” with the Cowboys included a $1.15MM pay cut in 2014 and a $1.75MM cut in 2015, Pelissero tweets. Bernadeau now has a $500K roster bonus and fully guaranteed $1.1MM base in 2014 (link). His 2015 base is now $1.5MM ($400K guaranteed for injury).
Pelissero (Twitter link) has the goods on Mark Herzlich‘s one-year extension with the Giants. He’ll get a $775K base salary, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, and $25K workout bonus, good for $1MM total.
Offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre got a $150K signing bonus and $50K roster bonus on his one-year, $950K extension with the Seahawks, Pelissero tweets.

49ers To Re-Sign Anquan Boldin

March 3rd, 2014 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

2:17pm: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the specifics on Boldin’s contract. According to Florio, the base salary for 2014 is the veteran minimum ($955K). The deal also includes a $4.545MM signing bonus, and $500K in per-game roster bonuses for the ’14 season. The base salary for 2015 is $6MM, with $3MM of that amount guaranteed for injury only.

1:37pm: Boldin’s two-year deal is worth $12MM, with $9MM guaranteed, reports ESPN’s Ed Werder (Twitter link).

1:23pm: The 49ers have reached an agreement with Anquan Boldin on a new contract, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who reports that it’s a two-year deal. Boldin first broke word of the agreement via his foundation’s website.

“49ers fans, I wanted to be the first to tell you I’m returning to San Francisco,” Boldin said in a statement. “Looking forward to joining my teammates, coaching staff and fans to bring back another championship to the Bay Area.”

Boldin, who was traded to the Niners from the Ravens last year, excelled in his first season in San Francisco. His 85 receptions, 1,179 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns all matched or exceeded his best marks in three seasons in Baltimore. Boldin also ranked third among receivers in DYAR according to Football Outsiders, and ninth overall among receivers according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics.

Financial details of the deal aren’t yet known, but I’d expect it will pay Boldin in the ballpark of $6-7MM per year. That would make the contract worth a little more on an annual basis than the other two extensions signed by receivers so far this offseason — Jeremy Maclin‘s one-year pact can max out at $6MM, while Riley Cooper‘s multiyear agreement pays him about $4-5MM per year.

With those three agreements on the books, the wide receiver market has taken a bit of a hit. When I examined the free agent market for receivers last month, I placed Boldin, Maclin, and Cooper in the first tier. Still, with players like Eric Decker, Julian Edelman, Golden Tate, Emmanuel Sanders, and Hakeem Nicks on track to hit the open market, there should be a few appealing options for teams in need of receiving help.

ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter first reported in February that Boldin and the 49ers were closing in on a new deal, while ESPN’s Ed Werder reported today that an announcement was expected shortly.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Anquan Boldin, 49ers Nearing Deal

March 3rd, 2014 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Parks

MARCH 3: ESPN’s Ed Werder expects the 49ers to announce a new contract for Boldin within the next 24 hours (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 26: Assuming the 49ers and Boldin come to terms on a new agreement, expect the money to be similar to the three, $17.5MM deal Reggie Wayne signed in 2012, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. According to Barrows, the question is whether Boldin will get two or three years.

Boldin is coming off a 2013 season in which he earned a base salary of $6MM, so it sounds like his new salary will be in the same ballpark. If his next contract is indeed structured similarly to Wayne’s, it could include a decent bonus as well — $6.5MM of Wayne’s $17.5MM total came in the form of a signing bonus.

FEBRUARY 23: Wide receiver Anquan Boldin and the 49ers are “closing in” on a deal to keep Boldin in San Francisco, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Although Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote several days ago that the two sides had not yet begun negotiations, it has been clear for some time that Boldin wants to stay with the 49ers and that the Niners want him back. Now, according, to Schefter, a deal is expected to get done.

Combine Updates: Boldin, Jags, Dolphins

February 20th, 2014 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

“It’s not just me who wants Anquan Boldin back,” 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said today of the team’s No. 1 receiver in 2013, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Suggesting that the San Francisco decision-makers are unanimous in wanting to re-sign Boldin, Harbaugh added that negotiations are heading in a “positive direction.” The Niners coach wasn’t the only one providing noteworthy quotes this afternoon at the combine. Here are several more notable updates from Indianapolis:

The Jaguars intend to meet with the top three quarterback prospects – Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, and Blake Bortles – this weekend, according to GM Dave Caldwell (Twitter link via Ryan O’Hallaran of the Florida Times-Union). However, Caldwell also suggested it would be beneficial for the team to trade down from No. 3 overall, since the draft is so deep (Twitter link via Hays Carlyon of the Times-Union).
Asked if he expected prospective free agent Chad Henne to hit the open market, Caldwell replied, “I don’t think so,” suggesting that the Jaguars could reach an agreement with their incumbent starter prior to March 11 (Twitter link via O’Hallaran).
Broncos head coach John Fox is comfortable with the idea of moving forward with running Montee Ball if Knowshon Moreno leaves Denver in free agency, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
Responding to a report that suggested the Dolphins might bench Ryan Tannehill for Matt Moore at some point in 2014, new Miami GM Dennis Hickey expressed confidence in Tannehill. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald has that quote and several more from Hickey, who insisted that free agents will be attracted to the organization despite the recent controversy surrounding the team.
The Bears head into the 2014 season carrying three punters on their roster, meaning veteran Adam Podlesh will have to fight for the job, according to GM Phil Emery. Drew Butler and Tress Way will also be in the mix, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago details.
Projected first-round tight end Eric Ebron confirmed to reporters, including Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times (Twitter link), that the Ravens and Packers are among the teams with whom he’ll interview today. Tight end Jace Amaro will also meet with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), while ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky writes that Wisconsin offensive lineman Ryan Groy met with the Packers.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Boldin, Pettigrew, Bears

February 18th, 2014 at 7:52pm CST by Matt Feminis

Yesterday morning, there was news of the 49ers and free agent receiver Anquan Boldin working on a long-term deal, but tonight, Pro Football Talk says not so fast. A source tells PFT no negotiations have taken place, though both sides are expected to talk at the Combine. Additionally, Boldin is the team’s top priority by virtue of him being on the verge of hitting the open market, but quarterback Colin Kaepernick and head coach Jim Harbaugh could also receive extensions this year.

Other NFC notes:

Brandon Pettigrew is the only reasonable candidate for the Lions franchise tag, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, but he says the team is unlikely to use the tag, probably for reasons explained by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Both writers seem to agree that Pettigrew is not worth the money given his inconsistency, injuries and inability to stretch the field. Furthermore, the team is sitting with just about $3MM in cap space.
There’s a good chance Bears running back Michael Bush will be a cap casualty, according to Dan Pompei. Bush is signed for two more years with cap hits of $3.85MM in 2014 and $4.6MM in 2015, but has been very average as Matt Forte‘s backup.
Former Ravens safety Christian Thompson worked out for the Bears, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). A good-sized, athletic prospect who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, Thompson was released by the Ravens last season after he served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
The 49ers need a speedy receiver to compliment Michael Crabtree (and maybe Boldin) if they are to have more success against the big, physical Seahawks secondary, says Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.