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Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis Expected To Remain With 49ers

September 11th, 2016 at 8:19am CST by Sam Robinson

SUNDAY, 8:19am: After meeting with team officials yesterday afternoon, Davis is expected to remain with the club, according to Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle. Whether or not he will play against the Rams on Monday night, however, remains to be seen.

SATURDAY, 6:35pm: The 49ers have remained in touch today, according to Maiocco, who reports that sources have indicated to him that Davis is “leaning” towards playing this year. Meanwhile, a 49ers source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee that Davis’ status is “up in the air” given that he has “reservations” about moving to guard.

SATURDAY, 4:45pm: Davis, a source told Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (Twitter link), does not intend to retire. Should he return to the team, the converted guard stands to make $1.225MM in base salary this season.

SATURDAY, 4:26pm: Anthony Davis did not attend 49ers practice on Saturday, and the team categorized the absence as not being related to injury. A 49ers spokesman said the veteran offensive lineman is with his family.

A source, however, informed Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News that the 26-year-old Davis might be retiring again. Agent Drew Rosenahus had no comment when reached by Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

While this absence could prove to be a temporary pause for the sixth-year lineman, Davis was slated to start at right guard for the 49ers in Week 1 against the Rams and obviously has a recent history that points to this kind of decision. A five-year starter at right tackle before his retirement in advance of the 2015 season, Davis dropped several hints during his sabbatical of a return to football before officially being reinstated in July.

Inman reports (on Twitter) 2015 starter first-rounder Andrew Tiller and not first-rounder Joshua Garnett would receive the first crack at starting at right guard if Davis is indeed retiring. The 49ers have listed Davis as questionable on their injury report.

The former No. 11 overall pick in 2010, Davis expressed a willingness to change positions after being unable to reclaim his former right tackle spot. Davis missed nine games in 2014 due to injury and called his retirement a break for his body and brain. He started in all 16 regular-season games in each of his first four seasons. He spent 2015 on the reserve/retired list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions Trim Roster To 53

September 3rd, 2016 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have released offensive lineman Brandon Thomas, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. Thomas came to Detroit in the Jeremy Kerley trade earlier this week. Brandon Thomas (vertical)

Thomas, a former third-round pick, has never taken a snap in the NFL. He missed his entire rookie season in 2014 while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college, and didn’t appear in a game during his sophomore campaign. Thomas wasn’t need in the Bay Area given that Anthony Davis has come out of retirement and shifted to guard and he apparently wasn’t wanted in Detroit either.

Thomas obviously wasn’t the Lions’ only victim of cut day. Cuts include:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On 49ers’ Offensive Line

August 19th, 2016 at 8:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

49ers offensive lineman Anthony Davis realizes that his best chance to start this year might be at right guard, he told reporters – including Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle – on Thursday.

Anthony Davis (vertical)[RELATED: PFR reviews the 49ers’ offseason]

After serving as the 49ers’ No. 1 right tackle and starting in each of his 71 appearances from 2010-14, Davis took a hiatus from football last season and returned earlier this summer to find second-year man Trent Brown at his position. Given Brown’s size (6-foot-8, 355 pounds), the 6-5, 323-pound Davis recognizes that he’s a better fit at guard than Brown. That’s why Davis went to 49ers coaches and volunteered to line up at guard, where he took some reps in practice Thursday.

“I can play anywhere on the line,” said Davis. “Like I was saying, we want the best five on the field, and Trent is not going to play guard. He’s a giant man and I knew I could adapt to guard. I feel like that would help us.”

Davis’ 49ers-first approach is a change of pace for a player who took shots at general manager Trent Baalke and the organization during the offseason. Regardless, head coach Chip Kelly agrees that Davis has the potential to be a factor at multiple O-line spots.

“Whether it be right tackle, left tackle, center, left guard, right guard, I think when you’ve got someone 6-5, 330 pounds that moves like he moves, I think you could play him any position along the offensive line,” Kelly said earlier this week (via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee)

It’s worth noting that Brown has neither the pedigree nor anything resembling the experience of Davis – whom the 49ers originally chose 11th overall from Rutgers. Brown went in the seventh round of last year’s draft and picked up a meager 187 offensive snaps as a rookie, yet the ex-Florida Gator could force Davis out of the lineup or to a new position. If anything, Davis expects the latter to be the case.

“I’ll be on the field, sooner or later,” he declared. “I’m pretty good at football.”

If Davis ends up at guard, that would send two of Zane Beadles, first-rounder Joshua Garnett and current right side starter Andrew Tiller to the 49ers’ bench. As of now, Beadles has the lead over Garnett for the starting job on the left.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

49ers Notes: Davis, Ponder, Garnett

August 18th, 2016 at 11:03am CST by Zachary Links

49ers GM Trent Baalke admits that his offseason plans were complicated by not knowing whether Anthony Davis would come back.

“We went into it thinking, ‘You know what, if he does choose to come back it’s a bonus, but we can’t count on that,’ ” Baalke said (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com). “It did influence some of our decisions.”

Overall, Baalke says he’s “very happy” with Davis and the way he has conducted himself since returning to the team. That’s a serious 180 from where things were just a few months ago when Davis was attacking SF via social media.

Here’s more on the Niners:

  • New 49ers quarterback Christian Ponder was pondering a future without football when he got the call from San Francisco, Maiocco writes. “That crossed my mind,” said Ponder, 28, when asked if he thought he might not get another chance to play football. “My plan was to stay ready for this season anyway and see what happens. If nothing happened all year, it would be time to hang it up. I was going to give myself this season and see what happens.”
  • 49ers rookie Joshua Garnett is playing “catch up” thanks to an NFL rule which prohibits rookies from joining their team’s offseason program until their school year has concluded, Baalke says (link via Maiocco). Stanford is on the quarters system and finishes later than most schools, so Garnett did not meet up with his teammates until the final minicamp in June. To aid his development, the 49ers will keep Garnett at left guard – his position at Stanford – instead of the right side as initially planned. Garnett also took a little extra time to sign his rookie deal as the two sides only finalized the contract in late July.
  • On Wednesday, PFR’s Connor Byrne recapped the 49ers’ offseason and the next step of their rebuilding phase.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, 49ers, Davis

August 11th, 2016 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

Jahri Evans‘ contract suggests he’ll have to compete for a spot with the Seahawks, Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com writes. With just $80K guaranteed on his ~$1MM deal, it’s a low-risk move for Seattle and they know that they can press the escape button with minimal consequences if he does not resume his old form. If Evans does look strong in practice, then he could possibly earn a starting job and bump rookie Germain Ifedi from right guard to right tackle. If he doesn’t provide much of an upgrade, then he won’t be on the 53-man roster.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

NFC East Notes: Giants, Redskins, Cowboys

August 1st, 2016 at 6:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants still need help along their offensive line, and some within the organization are pushing to acquire recently-reinstated 49ers tackle Anthony Davis, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Davis, of course, is back with San Francisco after taking the 2015 season off, and while the 49ers are reportedly cognizant that Davis could retire again, the “sense” is the club wants to keep the former first-round pick on its roster rather than trade him. New York, though, would be a logical destination for Davis is the Niners change their tune, as Big Blue is current counting on journeyman Marshall Newhouse to man the right side.

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

  • Although they won’t be targeting controversial defensive end Greg Hardy, the Redskins could still look to add a veteran edge presence before the season begins, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Who exactly Washington might got after is unclear, as most reports in the wake of Junior Galette‘s torn Achilles have detailed whom the club won’t sign. Hardy, Dwight Freeney, O’Brien Schofield, and Mike Neal have all been ruled out, as the Redskins would reportedly like to see how their younger pass-rushers perform in camp before bringing in an experienced option.
  • The Cowboys have traditionally locked up their core players, and the organization is hoping to add center Travis Frederick to that list. “Nothing scheduled, but pretty sure that certainly we’ll broach that and approach that with his team,” said executive vice president Stephen Jones, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. “Travis has been great for us. Not only is he a great football player on the field who represents, as Jason [Garrett] said, with most of our guys [he’s] what you want off the field. He’s a guy we want to be around here.” Frederick is under control through the 2017 season courtesy of the fifth-year option.
  • Given the rash of suspensions that have taken a toll on their front seven, the Cowboys make the most sense as a landing spot for free agents Stephen Tulloch and Dwight Freeney, opines John Clayton of ESPN.com. Three key members of Dallas’ defense — Rolando McClain, Demarcus Lawrence, and Randy Gregory — are facing multi-game bans, while Gregory recently entered a treatment facility. Quarterback Nick Foles also seems like a logical fit for the Cowboys on paper, writes Clayton, but the club has already denied that it has any interest in the former Rams/Eagles signal-caller.

49ers OL Anthony Davis Coming Out Of Retirement

July 30th, 2016 at 2:06pm CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 2:06pm: The NFL reinstated Davis from the reserve/retired list, opening the door for the right tackle to practice with the 49ers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

MONDAY, 7:50pm: The “sense” is that the 49ers want to keep Davis on the roster rather than trade him, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 12:09pm: Anthony Davis took to Twitter to announce that he has submitted a letter seeking reinstatement to the NFL and the 49ers. Because Davis officially retired in 2015, some paperwork is required before he can take the field again. Anthony Davis (vertical)

At different points over the last year, Davis has hinted that he wants to return to football. However, he has also bashed the 49ers, making it seem like he does not want to suit up again for San Francisco. If he does return to the NFL, the 49ers will still hold his rights.

Prior to the draft in April, Davis tweeted [sic], “The 49ers should Draft an Offensive Tackle in the top 10. #NFLDraft2016.” After that, he took an even more direct shot at the 49ers by writing, “I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do.”

Davis, 26, was the 49ers’ first-round pick in 2010, coming off the board No. 11 overall. Prior to his retirement, he started 71 games at right tackle for SF, playing all 16 regular season contests in his first four years before being limited to seven games in 2014. Davis dealt with hamstring and knee issues, and also battled concussion problems, which may have contributed to his decision to step away from the game temporarily in 2015.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Gamble, Davis, Carroll

July 25th, 2016 at 8:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers have hired Tom Gamble as assistant general manager, the club announced today. Gamble is in his second stint with San Francisco, as he worked alongside GM Trent Baalke in the club’s front office from 2005-2012 before re-joining the team in January 2015 as a senior personnel executive. Notably, current 49ers head coach Chip Kelly brought Gamble with him to Philadelphia as his top personnel man, but Gamble was ousted following the 2014 campaign.

Here’s a look at the latest from the NFC West:

  • Although the 49ers are reportedly more interested in keeping offensive tackle Anthony Davis than trading him, the club is “wary” of Davis’ reinstatement and could be questioning his commitment to football, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). San Francisco is somewhat worried that Davis will be challenged in his return to the everyday grind of the NFL, and the team’s staff will watch him closely as camp and the preseason progresses. Davis, a former first-round pick, is far more talented than the Niners’ incumbent right tackle, Erik Pears, so the club doesn’t have much to lose by letting Davis attend training camp and compete for a starting position.
  • Now that the Seahawks have extended the contract of general manager John Schneider, head coach Pete Carroll will be next, sources tell Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Seattle uses a specific approach to the offseason, tackling free agency, the draft, and then extensions for their players entering the last year of their deals. Carroll, sources tell Condotta, merely wanted to get through that period of the club’s to-do list, and there’s been no rancor of any kind in negotiations. Plus, Carroll likely wanted to ensure that Schneider was kept under contract before agreeing to re-sign, as he did when the pair was up for new deals previously.
  • The Seahawks are in good shape for the future after extending Schneider, writes Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com, and Schneider says the most critical part of the club’s success is a lack of vanity. “No ego. Ego is the enemy,” said Schneider. “And it’s being able to communicate, being able to communicate in a clear, concise fashion and make decisions as quickly as you possibly can. But knowing that, first and foremost, we’re looking out for the organization, No. 1, what’s best for the organization.” Carroll has final say on personnel moves in Seattle, but that distinction has never proved controversial among the team’s leadership.
  • Earlier today, we learned that the Seahawks will meet with the agent for defensive lineman Michael Bennett to discuss a new contract.

NFC West Notes: Bennett, Seahawks, 49ers

July 22nd, 2016 at 12:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett is still upset with his contract and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) offered up a potential solution to the issue. He writes that Seattle could convert his $1MM 46-man active roster bonus ($62,500 per game) into base salary, which would give him some extra financial security. That gesture might not satisfy Bennett, who finds himself ranked 10th in average annual salary amongst 4-3 defensive ends and 27th in the NFL amongst all defensive linemen. Bennett is entering the year three of a four-year, $28.5MM deal.

  • When asked if Anthony Davis plans on filing for reinstatement, allowing him to report to 49ers camp on time, the offensive lineman’s camp declined comment, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets. Meanwhile, based on what Davis has been posting on social media, it seems like he is training for a comeback, Maiocco writes.
  • In this week’s mailbag, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com compared the expectations of the team under new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly versus where the bar was set in Jim Harbaugh‘s first season.
  • Sad news this morning as we learned that former Cardinals head coach Dennis Green has passed away at the age of 67.
  • An early June report indicated that the Rams were working on extensions for both general manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher, but it sounds like little progress has been made on either front. Fisher is reportedly among the highest-paid coaches in the league, as he’s reportedly earning around $7MM annually.

Latest On 49ers OL Anthony Davis

June 12th, 2016 at 6:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Once again, Anthony Davis is causing a stir on Twitter. Over the weekend, a fan urged the former 49ers offensive lineman to return to football so that he could purchase his jersey. In a since deleted tweet (screenshot via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com), Davis said that he “will play ball,” though he says the Niners won’t be selling his jersey anytime soon. Anthony Davis (vertical)

[RELATED: Colin Kaepernick On 49ers’ Offense, Kelly, Baalke, Health]

Prior to the draft in April, Davis tweeted [sic], “The 49ers should Draft an Offensive Tackle in the top 10. #NFLDraft2016.” After that, he took an even more direct shot at the 49ers by writing, “I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do.”

At different points over the last year, Davis has hinted that he wants to return to football. However, it’s clear that he doesn’t want to make his return with San Francisco. If he does decide to come back to the NFL, of course, the 49ers will still hold his rights.

Davis, 26, was the 49ers’ first-round pick in 2010, coming off the board No. 11 overall. Prior to his retirement, he started 71 games at right tackle for SF, playing all 16 regular season contests in his first four years before being limited to seven games in 2014. Davis dealt with hamstring and knee issues, and also battled concussion problems, which may have contributed to his decision to step away from the game temporarily in 2015.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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