Anthony Davis - Pro Football Rumors

Anthony Davis To Apply For Reinstatement

February 26th, 2016 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, veteran offensive tackle Anthony Davis will apply for reinstatement to the NFL after taking the 2015 season off, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Davis, whose rights are still held by the Niners, wants to play in 2016, per Schefter.

Davis, 26, was San Francisco’s first-round pick in 2010, coming off the board 11th overall. Since then, he has started 71 games at right tackle for the team, 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.

Although his decision was initially classified as another retirement announcement in a series of them for the 49ers last summer, Davis was always viewed as likely to return to the game. In early January, he tweeted that his return to San Francisco was “guaranteed.”

At the time of his temporary retirement, Davis remained under contract with the 49ers for several more seasons, with a deal that ran through the 2019 season. It remains to be seen how he’ll fit into the team’s plans moving forward — to date, GM Trent Baalke hasn’t directly addressed the issue, choosing not to discuss it until Davis is formally reinstated.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Baalke: 49ers Will “Absolutely” Keep Kaepernick

February 24th, 2016 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

After telling reporters earlier this morning that he expects Colin Kaepernick to be on the 49ers’ roster through April 1st, general manager Trent Baalke doubled down during his press conference, asserting that Kaepernick will “absolutely” remain with the team (Twitter links via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report).

According to Baalke, the current expectation for the Niners is that Kaepernick will enter training camp this summer prepared to compete with Blaine Gabbert for the team’s starting quarterback job. Gabbert finished the 2015 campaign as San Francisco’s starter, but there’s some optimism that Kaepernick can rebound under new head coach Chip Kelly.

April 1st is a key date for the Niners and Kaepernick, since if the quarterback remains on the team’s roster beyond that day, his $11.9MM salary for 2016 will become fully guaranteed. Currently, as he recovers from various injuries that plagued him in 2015, Kaepernick’s ’16 salary is guaranteed for injury only. Based on his comments today, Baalke fully intends to have Kaepernick on the roster beyond April 1st, locking in the QB’s salary for next season.

While Baalke’s comments today sounded fairly definitive, there’s still time for the team to change its mind in the coming weeks. Tim Kawakami of San Jose Mercury News wrote last night that Kaepernick “understandably remains generally distrustful of team management’s motivations,” and Baalke did leave the door open today for possible changes at the position.

“We feel pretty good with the guys we have, but we’re always looking,” Baalke said, per Around the NFL (via Twitter). “We’re going to look at every avenue.”

According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), Baalke was also asked about offensive tackle Anthony Davis today. The GM said he has had contact with Davis, who took the 2015 season off, but isn’t sure where things stand, adding that there’s not much to talk about until the veteran tackle is reinstated.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Lynch, 49ers, Packers

February 17th, 2016 at 6:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

There will be no intrigue or drama when it comes to the Cowboys‘ potential use of the franchise tag. Executive VP Stephen Jones announced Tuesday that the team won’t be using its franchise or transition tag, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. While Jones’ announcement is somewhat unusual, it’s not surprising — when Luke Adams examined potential 2016 franchise tag candidates on Monday, he didn’t mention a single Cowboy, even as a long shot.

Here’s more from the NFC:

If Marshawn Lynch goes through with his retirement, he’ll owe the the Seahawks the $5MM signing bonus from the contract he signed last offseason. However, the team won’t ask for that money back, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Within a look at the 49ers‘ offensive line situation, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that there’s no timetable for offensive tackle Anthony Davis to file for reinstatement from the NFL’s reserve/retired list. There’s a belief that Davis will return to the Niners after taking a year away from the game. But even if he does, it shouldn’t affect the team’s offseason plan at the position much, as Maiocco notes there’s no guarantee Davis will return at the same level.
The Packers have officially announced some changes to their coaching staff, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, who writes that they’ve hired Ben Sirmans as running backs coach, Brian Angelichio as tight ends coach, and Ejiro Evero as defensive quality control assistant. Sirmans, previously with the Rams, will replace Sam Gash. Angelichio, who was last with the Browns, will take over for Jerry Fontenot.
Demovsky has a year-by-year breakdown of Letroy Guion‘s new contract with the Packers. The deal is heavy on bonus money with $50K in per-game roster bonuses plus another $1.7MM in roster and workout bonuses. Last season, Guion played under a one-year, $2.75MM pact.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

Extra Points: 49ers, Pats, Cowboys, Jags

January 24th, 2016 at 9:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from around the NFL as the countdown to a Super Bowl 50 matchup between the Panthers and Broncos begins:

After appearing in and starting in 71 games from 2010-14, 49ers offensive tackle Anthony Davis decided last June to take a hiatus from football, announcing that he’d “be back in a year or so.” Earlier this month, the 26-year-old added fuel to the fire when he tweeted an intention to return to the 49ers. However, Davis – who’s under 49ers control through 2019 – hasn’t yet set the wheels fully in motion on a comeback. “As of right now, I’ve got no notification from the league to say that he has [filed for reinstatement],” general manager Trent Baalke told 95.7 The Game, per CSNBayArea.com. “But that period is still open.”
In other 49ers news, they’ve hired Jeff Hafley to coach their defensive backs, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reports (on Twitter). Hafley was in charge of Cleveland’s secondary the past two seasons.
The Patriots need to invest significant resources this offseason in the offensive line – whether through free agency, the draft or both – in order to keep Tom Brady playing at a high level, writes Christopher Price of WEEI.com. Given the beating Brady took Sunday in the Pats’ 20-18 AFC championship game loss in Denver, Price’s suggestion comes as no surprise. The Broncos hit Brady 20 times, four of which were sacks, and kept him under extreme duress throughout the game.
The Cowboys will need a new defensive backs coach to replace Jerome Henderson, who took a job in Atlanta. A successor to Henderson in Dallas is unlikely to come from within the organization, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer (via Twitter). That runs contrary to Ian Rapoport’s declaration (via Twitter) earlier Sunday that Cowboys safeties coach Jim Baker will take over for Henderson.
Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley has promoted three members of his staff, according to Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union: Tony Sorrentino has gone from offensive quality control coach to assistant receivers coach; Aaron Whitecotton, who was assistant to the defense, is now the assistant D-line coach; and Mike Rutenberg has shifted from assistant defensive backs coach to defensive assistant.

Niners Notes: Boldin, A. Davis, Tomsula

December 24th, 2015 at 5:13pm CST by Luke Adams

San Francisco is 4-10 and on the way to a last-place finish in the NFC West, but that doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of 49ers-related topics to discuss as the season winds down. Earlier today, we passed along some notes on Jarryd Hayne, Trent Baalke, and the Niners’ offensive line. Let’s round up a few more items now….

Asked today is he wants to return to the 49ers next season, wide receiver Anquan Boldin said he “definitely” would like to be back, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Boldin indicated in November that he’s not considering retirement, so it’s no surprise that he wants to continue playing — but if he’s going to do so in San Francisco, he’ll have to sign a new contract, since his current deal voids this offseason.
Veteran offensive tackle Anthony Davis announced earlier this year that he’d be stepping away from football for at least a season, but it sounds like he has interest in making a comeback with the Niners in 2016. Still, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details, head coach Jim Tomsula isn’t ready to address that topic yet, telling reporters that he hasn’t been in contact with Davis and won’t consider the tackle’s situation until after the season.
Of course, it’s not a lock yet that Tomsula will even keep his job as the 49ers’ head coach beyond this season. Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News explores some potential coaches that could be candidates to replace Tomsula if the club decides to part ways with him.

Patrick Willis Says He Won’t Make Comeback

November 12th, 2015 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

12:35pm: Willis took to social media to shoot down talk of a possible comeback (via Maiocco):

“I MADE MY DECISION BACK IN APRIL. AND I HAVEN’T THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT . . . PLAYING ANOTHER DOWN IN THE NFL…PERIOD‼‼‼

SO QUIT TRYING TO BRING LIFE; on a CHAPTER that I have already CLOSED IN MY HEART and MIND.”

12:03pm: 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, who retired prior to the 2015 season, is considering a comeback, a source close to the player tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole also hears that tackle Anthony Davis, who has hinted at a return on social media, is planning on coming back in 2016. However, a source close to Willis told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com on Thursday, “I have not heard anything to that effect from Patrick.” The 49ers appear to know nothing about Willis pondering a comeback either.

Prior to a 2014 season cut short by injury, Willis had earned a spot in the Pro Bowl in each of his even seasons, and only turned 30 years old in January. However, when he landed on the injured reserve list back in November, Willis revealed that the toe on which he was undergoing surgery had been a chronic issue, limiting his effectiveness for years.

“I don’t look to play this game for just another year,” Willis told Maiocco at the time. “I feel like I have five or six more great years of football left in my body. Unfortunately, this toe was telling me otherwise.”

We’ll have to wait and see whether Willis is actually thinking about a comeback, but the linebacker has been adamant in the past that he won’t be returning to the gridiron. In March, he told ex-teammate Takeo Spikes that he wasn’t having any second thoughts about his decision.

As for Davis, word of his potential return is less surprising given his comments on Twitter throughout the season. Team sources told Maiocco that Davis would have to “mend fences” within the organization in order to come back, but that won’t be much of a hurdle if he can help the team. The 49ers hold his rights for the next five seasons due to the contract extension the 26-year-old right tackle signed in 2013.

NFC Notes: Davis, Ertz, Giants, Cowboys

August 15th, 2015 at 2:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is some of the latest news emerging from NFC franchises.

Anthony Davis is already teasing a comeback, per his Twitter account. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, Davis plans to return to the NFL for the 2016 campaign. The 49ers hold his rights for the next five seasons due to the contract extension the 25-year-old right tackle signed in 2013.
Last night, we heard Zach Ertz will miss the preseason after undergoing surgery, but Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News wonders if Chip Kelly expecting him back for Week 1 is realistic. Bowen, who notes the injury is believed to be a partial groin tear, remains skeptical Ertz will be up to speed by the time the Eagles debut Sept. 14. Ertz told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Enquirer (Twitter link) his groin bothered him for a while and he reinjured it Wednesday.
Byron Maxwell will shadow No. 1 receivers this season with the Eagles, and it’s a chance to give the team an elite cornerback for the first time in years, writes Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. “I was on the right in Seattle, but it’s an opportunity, and I’m looking forward to it; I really am,” Maxwell told Frank. “Once you start following guys, your name is up there, so that’s how I’m looking at it.“
In light of the Giants‘ accelerating injury rate in the secondary, they will likely explore adding cornerbacks to patch the corps together, Jordan Raanan writes (on Twitter). In addition to the four players lost to injuries Friday night, Prince Amukamara remains sidelined for the coming weeks with a groin malady.
Washington trading for Vernon Davis is not an option in an effort to repair their ransacked tight end contingent, writes ESPN.com’s John Keim. The ESPN Washington-based reporter also points out he’s been told Zach Miller will not be in the team’s plans for this fix. PFR’s Luke Adams profiled Washington’s quandary at tight end, which stems from Niles Paul being lost for the season, recently.
The Cowboys are working out three running backs — Michael Hill, Ben Malena and Zach Bauman — with top ball-carriers Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar limited with injuries, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Of this trio, only Hill, a journeyman who was the runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy (Division II’s Heisman equivalent) in 2012, has seen regular-season game action. Washington waived him last month.

Extra Points: A. Davis, BJGE, J. Jones, Rice

August 13th, 2015 at 9:51pm CST by Zachary Links

When Anthony Davis announced his decision to step away from the 49ers, it wasn’t exactly classified as his retirement. Unlike Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, and Chris Borland, San Francisco’s former right tackle still plans to return to the NFL at some point, suggesting that he’ll probably take a year off before returning to the league.

“Yeah, I will come back,” Davis told Brian Dohn of Scout.com. “I want to rest. I feel like right now I could go into a camp and play, but I want to rest. … I’m getting my hands right, seeing specialists, foot specialists, making sure I’m on the right track to play another five or six years if I wanted to.”

According to Davis, it’s not accurate to say that he’s taking the 2015 season off to recover from a concussion — it’s more about getting his whole body right, and giving himself a rest.

Let’s round up the rest of today’s odds and ends from across the NFL….

BenJarvus Green-Ellis is looking for a new NFL home, and the free agent running back tells Dan Graziano of ESPN.com that he’s “optimistic” about getting that call. “Obviously, each team that’s in the market is in the market for a certain type of back,” Green-Ellis said. “But I know somebody out there has a need for what I can do. More than anything, I’m excited to get back out there and hit somebody.”
We haven’t heard much recently on Julio Jones’ contract talks, but Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) that it’s the most “professional and team cognizant contract approach” to a contract negotiation he’s seen.
When asked about Ray Rice, Texans owner Bob McNair said that the veteran free agent probably wouldn’t fit in his locker room, adding that the four running backs already on the roster are better players, tweets Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com.
Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has a more legitimate gripe about his deal than Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor, opines Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Brown has outperformed his contract at wide receiver while there has been no real change in the strong safety market. Earlier today, a source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Chancellor was under the impression that he would have his contract reworked upon establishing himself as one of the best at his position.
Free agent wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers has been suspended for the first two weeks of the season, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). That could help to explain why Rogers remains unsigned in mid-August.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

West Notes: A. Davis, Rivers, Foles, Sendlein

August 12th, 2015 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

When former 49ers right tackle Anthony Davis announced his decision to leave the team earlier this offseason, it wasn’t considered a permanent retirement. Davis has since expressed a desire to return to football in 2016 after a year away, but coach Jim Tomsula isn’t thinking about a reunion just yet, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes.

“First of all, I’m not thinking about the playing side with Anthony,” Tomsula said. “He’s taking care of Anthony. I’m excited about hearing that he’d like to come back with football. I think that speaks volumes of where he’s at and how he’s feeling. That’s a different time and a different place. It does make you feel good. Obviously, things are going in the right direction for him.”

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two West divisions:

If the Chargers don’t work out a new contract with Philip Rivers before the season begins, the team is “fully prepared” to use the franchise tag on him in 2016 and – if necessary – 2017, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. According to La Canfora, the two sides have made significant progress in extension negotiations, but there are still at least one or two issues holding up a potential agreement.
La Canfora also passes along several details on Nick Foles‘ extension with the Rams, reporting that the deal includes $13.8MM in fully guaranteed money. The contract could void in 2017 if Foles meets certain team and individual goals, and he could also make up to $4.5MM in incentives based on individual and team achievements (all Twitter links).
Center Lyle Sendlein‘s one-year deal with the Cardinals is worth $1.4MM with $500K fully guaranteed, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. With playing time incentives, the center could earn close to $2MM, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets.
Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link), Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said, “I’m not ready for retirement and I have a lot of football left in me.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC West Notes: Wilson, 49ers, Britt

June 8th, 2015 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King of TheMMQB.com leads it off by taking a close look at Russell Wilson‘s contract situation with the Seahawks. King provides three reasons why he thinks that talks between the Seahawks and Wilson may not ultimately be fruitful, pointing to a rising salary cap, a front office willing to stick to the value is sets for players, and Wilson’s agent Mark Rodgers suggesting that “sometimes the best deal is the deal you don’t do.”

Within his piece, King stresses that Rodgers has a baseball history, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (via Twitter) that Wilson’s agent did something last week that’s more common in MLB negotiations than in NFL talks, sending a 16-page letter to the Seahawks explaining his position on his client’s contract.

Wilson’s extension negotiations are perhaps the most interesting of any NFL player’s, and it seems unlikely that the two sides will strike an agreement in the immediate future. Whether or not the Seahawks and Rodgers bridge their gap before the 2015 season remains to be seen. Here’s more from around the NFC West:

Anthony Davis‘ retirement may not be permanent, which is creating some confusion about how exactly his contract with the 49ers will work if and when he returns. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets, it would make sense for the offensive tackle to only repay the 2015 portion of his prorated signing bonus for now, if he intends to return in 2016.
In the wake of Davis’ retirement and the trade of Andy Lee to the Browns, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News wonders which 49ers veteran might be the next one out the door.
Kenny Britt led the Rams in receiving yards in 2014, but in the view of the veteran wideout, it was just the latest in a string of disappointing seasons, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. “There’s definitely more I feel like I can give because there’s more that I want to give and there’s more that I want to do in my career,” Britt said. “I’m going into my seventh year, I feel I let myself down the last six years. I have a chip on my shoulder this year and I’ve got a lot to prove.”