HEADLINES

Colin Kaepernick

Extra Points: Draft, Irsay, Carr, Incognito

June 7th, 2014 at 12:46pm CST by Matt Feminis

The NFL draft has become a behemoth, so much so that rumors of its location changing have become headlines. Meanwhile, small details such as, ya know, the players involved, tend to get lost in the shuffle. After 36 of 98 underclassmen who declared early eligibility (i.e. giving up collegiate eligibility) went undrafted, and Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage is calling for reform.

Speaking to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Savage advocates for pushing back the declaration deadline in order provide teams with more evaluation time and prospects for more thorough, insightful feedback:

“The bottom line is we have to figure out a way to make it more attractive to stay in school for one more year for some of these guys [and] give them a chance to go from being a sixth-round pick to a third-round pick. . .Some of these kids are going to come out regardless. They weren’t going to be going back to school or they have families to support or something else. But a lot of them think they run a 4.5, and then get to the combine and they run a 4.75 and they’re surprised and disappointed with what happens. That kind of information, maybe that helps reduce the numbers. Maybe we can give them a window where they’re really assessed, then understand it and then they say, ‘I really need to go back to school.'”

Here’s a handful of miscellaneous links from around the league:

  • “People around the league” think Colts owner Jim Irsay will be suspended six to eight games and be fined $1MM, according to Pro Football Talk, who cites a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
  • Ravens insider Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun compares the contracts of Joe Flacco and 49ers trigger man Colin Kaepernick. While Flacco’s $120.6MM deal and Kaepernick’s $126MM deal seem similar on the surface, Wilson says, “the reality is that the deals are vastly different and the original reports about Kaepernick’s financial windfall are fairly misleading.” Wilson calls Kaepernick’s contract “extremely team-friendly” and characterizes it as “pay-as-you-go.”
  • In a video piece for NFL Network, Albert Breer reports, “There is now an internal belief” Raiders projected starter Matt Schaub will be pushed by second-round rookie Derek Carr.
  • Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr could be playing for his Cowboys future in the opinion of ESPN’s Todd Archer, who thinks a good season could lead to a contract restructuring, while a bad season could spell the end. Carr is in the third year of a five-year, $50MM deal which includes $25.5MM guaranteed and has cap hits of $12.2MM in 2014, $12.7MM in 2015 and $13.8MM in 2016. Last season, Carr managed an overall grade of -0.9, according to Pro Football Focus, including a -5.0 coverage rating.
  • Whether or not Richie Incognito gets another shot in the NFL “is going to be a football decision, not an emotional one,” thinks Bleacher Report’s Michael Schottey.

Details On Colin Kaepernick’s Extension

June 5th, 2014 at 8:18am CST by Luke Adams

When word first broke yesterday that the 49ers had extended Colin Kaepernick‘s contract, huge numbers were being cited for his future earnings. The deal was said to be worth up to $126MM, with $61MM in guaranteed money, which would be a new record. However, as I cautioned at the time, those initial figures are generally coming from the player’s side, often from a source like his agent. So it was fair to wonder if they were artificially inflated.

As it turns out, that was indeed the case. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has passed along several details on the contract, which is much more team-friendly than initially believed. Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap has attempted to distill the reported figures into chart form, but we’ll break down a few pertinent details below:

  • At the time of signing, only $13.073MM is fully guaranteed — a $12.328MM signing bonus, a 2014 base salary of $645K, and a ’14 workout bonus of $100K. Additionally, the ’14 base salary and workout bonus were already on Kaepernick’s previous deal, so the signing bonus is really the only part of the new contract that’s fully guaranteed.
  • For now, Kaepernick’s base salaries in 2015, 2016, 2017, and part of 2018 are guaranteed for injury only. They become fully guaranteed if the quarterback remains on the team’s roster beyond April 1 of each year. Those base salaries are as follows:
    • 2015: $12.4MM
    • 2016: $13.9MM
    • 2017: $16.9MM
    • 2018: $17MM ($5.2MM currently guaranteed for injury only)
  • Kaepernick’s 2019 and 2020 base salaries are fully non-guaranteed. They amount to $18.8MM and $21MM, respectively.
  • In each year from 2015 to 2020, the overall value of the contract is set to de-escalate by $2MM, up to a total of $12MM. Kaepernick can halt this de-escalation at any time by taking 80% of the team’s snaps and either appearing in the Super Bowl or being named the first- or second-team All-Pro quarterback. If Kaepernick were to meet these criteria in 2014, that entire $12MM would remain. However, if, for instance, he doesn’t meet the criteria and stop the de-escalator until the 2017 season, he’d lose $6MM in overall value – $2MM for each of the three previous seasons.
  • Beginning in 2015, the contract includes a massive $2MM per year in per-game roster bonuses, meaning Kaepernick would miss out on $125K for each regular season game he didn’t play.
  • Starting in 2015, the deal also includes $400K in annual workout bonuses.
  • The contract required Kaepernick to buy a disability policy that pays the Niners $20MM if he suffers a career-ending injury.
  • In total then, the value of the new money in the extension is $126.328MM. However, given the modest signing bonus and the absence of a lot of fully guaranteed money, the 49ers essentially have the ability to go year to year on the deal without risking too much dead money acceleration.

NFC Notes: Zimmer, Newton, Kaepernick

June 4th, 2014 at 9:04pm CST by Zachary Links

A report yesterday quoted Vikings coach Mike Zimmer as saying that he almost didn’t show up for his second interview for the job. Today he clarified that story for reporters, including Michael Rand of the Star Tribune. The coach didn’t consider bailing on the Vikings interview because he wasn’t enthused for the position; he says he was just disappointed about not getting the Titans’ gig and didn’t think he had a great chance anywhere else. Here’s more out of the NFC..

  • A lot of people are surprised by Colin Kaepernick‘s hefty new contract, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk argues that salary cap spikes could drive the quarterback market even higher. Because of that, he says that the Panthers need to move quickly on a new deal for QB Cam Newton. Soon, he says, the high-water mark for an elite QB will be $25MM per year and, eventually, $30MM per season. With another strong year or two, Newton could push the ceiling sky-high.
  • The 49ers spent 15 hours straight negotiating with Kaepernick’s representatives, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The 49ers knew that the QB would play out his rookie deal rather than accepting anything with an average annual value under $20MM.
  • The Falcons are counting on free agent pickup Dwight Lowery to fill their free safety hole, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After starting eight of 27 games for the Jets in 2009 and 2010, Lowery was a full-time starter for the Jaguars over the past three seasons. However, his season ended after just three games in 2013 after he suffered a bad concussion and went on injured reserve.
  • There might not be an opportunity at present, but after signing a three-year extension with the Eagles yesterday, guard Allen Barbre says he would like to start, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course, the Eagles value his versatility off the bench as he has filled in admirably at both guard and tackle.
  • Brian McNally of The Washington Times wonders if Redskins linebacker Keenan Robinson can fill the void left by the retirement of London Fletcher.
  • The Cardinals signed undrafted rookie free agent running back Damien Thigpen, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. To make room, the Cards dropped wide receiver Kevin Smith. Thigpen was in rookie minicamp a couple of weeks ago with Arizona and apparently made quite an ipression. The 5’8″, 180 pound tailback tore his ACL late in his junior year and also missed part of his senior season.

Reactions To Colin Kaepernick’s Deal

June 4th, 2014 at 7:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the 49ers took care of Colin Kaepernick‘s contract weeks earlier than anyone thought they would. The price tag was also a shock to some. The mobile quarterback can earn up to $21MM per season in the deal thanks to incentives that are said to be rather obtainable. The deal includes $61MM in guaranteed money, making it the largest guarantee in NFL history. Here’s a look at some of the reaction to No. 7’s new deal..

  • John Clayton of ESPN.com (Twitter link) is unsure if Kaepernick’s lucrative new deal with the 49ers will help or hurt talks for lesser quarterbacks like Alex Smith and Andy Dalton. He adds that the six-year, $126MM deal probably means a $22MM per year deal for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (link).
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap was surprised to hear that Kaepernick got a deal worth a maximum of $21MM per year. Based on the contract history of limited sample size players, like Kaepernick, Fitzgerald believed that the 49ers quarterback was in line for an $18MM per year deal. With the lucrative new deal, the 49ers now find themselves with a tight cap situation, even though the deal reportedly gives the team flexibility to work on a new deal for wide receiver Michael Crabtree and others.
  • “I’m going to work to try to make sure I’m worth every penny of this, try to win as many games as possible. That’s something I feel I can do,” said Kaepernick of his new deal, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
  • Kaepernick also told reporters that he won’t let the big bucks affect his motivation, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
  • It’d be easy for Dalton to pay attention to Kaepernick’s deal, but he’d be better off ignoring it, writes ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey. He’s undoubtedly dreaming of dollar signs, but the Bengals dont’ have any compelling reasons to award him in similar fashion. Dalton wants to get paid like an elite quarterback, meaning $19MM or more per season, but there are legitimate questions as to whether he’d even be worth ~$15MM annually.

49ers Extend Colin Kaepernick Through 2020

June 4th, 2014 at 6:04pm CST by Luke Adams

6:04pm: The deal has a $12MM signing bonus where has most big deals for quarterbacks have bonuses of $24-$40MM, notes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He adds (link) that Kaepernick specifically requested that his extension allow the club enough flexibility to negotiate extensions with players such as Crabtree. The contract includes obtainable incentives – including some linked to the postseason – that could boost the average annual value to $21MM per year, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

3:22pm: The 49ers have officially confirmed Kaepernick’s extension, making it official (via Twitter).

3:12pm: Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) clarifies that the $61MM figure includes “rolling guarantees.” That means some of the money is likely guaranteed for injury only for now, and will become fully guaranteed if Kaepernick remains on the roster past certain dates.Colin Kaepernick

3:09pm: Kaepernick’s new contract includes $61MM in guaranteed money, making it the largest guarantee in NFL history, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. At this point, that salary information is typically coming from the player’s agent, meaning the number could be a little artificially inflated. As I noted below, we’ll have to wait to see if that $61MM is all fully guaranteed money, or if a portion of it is guaranteed for injury only. Either way, Kaepernick seems to have made out very well for himself in the deal.

2:57pm: The 49ers and Colin Kaepernick have agreed to terms on a contract extension that will keep the quarterback under team control through the 2020 season, a club source tells Steve Berman of BayAreaSportsGuy.com. The new deal may ultimately eclipse $20MM per year, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, adding that it can be worth up to $126MM, with $60MM in guaranteed money (Twitter links).

We heard yesterday that the Niners and Kaepernick’s representatives resumed contract talks for the quarterback this week, as Kaepernick prepared to enter the final year of his rookie deal. The club had expressed optimism about getting a new agreement in place by the time training camp opened, and after a face-to-face meeting yesterday, it seems the two sides didn’t waste any time hammering out a deal.

Jay Cutler‘s $126MM+ contract, which averages more than $18MM per year, had been the most recent huge-money deal for a starting quarterback, and likely provided a baseline for Kaepernick’s negotiations. Although Cutler has more NFL experience than the Niners signal-caller, and has certainly racked up more impressive yardage and touchdown totals, Kaepernick is several years younger, and already has several postseason victories, including an appearance in the Super Bowl.

A report in March indicated that Kaepernick would be looking to exceed the long-term pacts signed by Cutler and Tony Romo (also $18MM per year), and that he’d be seeking a salary in the neighborhood of $20MM+ annually. We’ll have to wait for the exact figures on the extension’s base value, which figures to be a little smaller than its reported $126MM max value. But even if that $60MM isn’t all fully guaranteed, it seems Kaepernick’s new contract will put him right there with the league’s highest-paid quarterbacks.

In his first full season as the starter in San Francisco, Kaepernick completed 58.4% of his passes in 2013, racking up 3,197 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns against just eight interceptions. He also scored four TDs on the ground. Although the 26-year-old only has 23 career regular-season starts to his name, he has compiled a 4-2 record in playoff contests, falling just short of beating the Ravens to win the Super Bowl following the 2012 season.

With Kaepernick locked up, the 49ers can shift their focus to several other potential extension candidates on the roster. Offensive lineman Alex Boone and tight end Vernon Davis weren’t in attendance at the club’s OTAs, in the hopes of negotiating new deals. The contracts of wide receiver Michael Crabtree and offensive lineman Mike Iupati will also need to be addressed soon.

Meanwhile, several quarterbacks will be keeping a close eye on the details of Kaepernick’s detail as they emerge. Alex Smith, Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson, and Nick Foles are among the other QBs around the league who could ink extensions of their own within the next year or so.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

49ers, Kaepernick Reopen Extension Talks

June 3rd, 2014 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers gained a chunk of cap space this week when Carlos Rogers‘ 2014 cap hit was officially reduced by $6.6MM, and the team appears set to use that room to help facilitate a new deal for quarterback Colin Kaepernick. According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, the Niners and Kaepernick’s reps will have a face-to-face meeting in Santa Clara this week to rekindle extension discussions.

A lack of cap flexibility was just one factor in the Niners postponing extension negotiations with Kaepernick until now. San Francisco tabled talks in April when the Miami Police Department began investigating an incident involving the signal-caller, with the club opting to wait for more clarity on the situation. The fact that the Niners feel comfortable moving forward with discussions now – meeting in person for the first time since the draft combine in February – suggests the team feels nothing will come of that investigation, writes Barrows.

Back in March, San Francisco GM Trent Baalke expressed confidence that the two sides would be able to work out an agreement before training camp opens this summer. If a deal is agreed upon, it figures to put Kaepernick among the highest-paid signal-callers in the NFL — he’s reportedly seeking an annual salary in the neighborhood of $20MM+ on his next contract.

Extra Points: Zimmer, 49ers, Texans, Bengals

June 2nd, 2014 at 11:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A few assorted items to close out this Monday evening:

  • The union between the Vikings and new head coach Mike Zimmer almost didn’t happen, writes Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com. Having missed out on the Titans job, Zimmer felt as though his opportunity for a head coaching job might never come. “I almost didn’t go (on the second interview with Minnesota), yeah. I was so disappointed,” said Zimmer. “It was like, ‘Why even do this?’ It was to that point. I figured I was getting too old. I thought, ‘Forget this.'” Zimmer had been a successful defensive coordinator for the past 14 seasons.
  • The 49ers are creating more cap space to make room for a Colin Kaepernick extension, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. San Francisco got $6.6MM in relief when Carlos Rogers‘ contract (a post-June 1 designation) was cleared off the books, and received another $2.6MM after NaVorro Bowman converted some of his base salary into a signing bonus.
  • Keshawn Martin will face competition for the Texans’ returner job, per David Barron of the Houston Chronicle. “There are many candidates for those jobs,” said head coach Bill O’Brien. “Preseason is when we really have to get a true evaluation of the guys who are back there and who is going to return punts, who are going to be the kickoff return guys, and who will be the emergency guys if something happens to the starters.”
  • New Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson thinks that right tackle Andre Smith is entering the upcoming season with a new fire, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “In my opinion, this Andre Smith is a different Andre Smith than the one I’ve ever seen,” said Jackson. “He’s a more focused, agile, hungry guy after something.” Pro Football Focus rated Smith as the 20th-best offensive tackle in the NFL last season (subscription required).
  • It might just be the usual preseason platitudes, but Raiders coach Dennis Allen claims there is no official depth chart as of yet, and states he is especially looking forward to the running back competition between Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew. “We’re going to put the best players on the field, and the guys that give us the best opportunity to win, whoever that may be,” said Allen. “I do know this: I do know throughout the course of a 16-game season, you’re going to need everybody. I think it’s great when you have multiple players that you feel confident that they can come in and do the job. We’ll let the competition dictate who plays and how much they play. It’s a good feeling to know that you’ve got some qualified people in the running back room that can carry the loads for you.”

49ers Rumors: Kaepernick, Draft, Evans

April 25th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this afternoon, we recapped several comments 49ers general manager Trent Baalke made about linebacker Aldon Smith and running back LaMichael James, who have both been in the news lately. In Smith’s case, Baalke reinforced the idea that, despite the linebacker’s off-court issues, the team hopes to work things out and keep him around long-term, though the GM didn’t commit to picking up Smith’s fifth-year option. As for James, Baalke dismissed the idea that San Francisco is looking to trade the running back.

Here are a few more Niners notes based on Baalke’s discussion with the media today:

  • Colin Kaepernick was named in a report of a “suspicious incident” incident in Miami by police, but Baalke indicated that shouldn’t have a real impact on the Niners’ desire to work out a long-term deal with the quarterback, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details. “Nothing’s changed,” Baalke said. “But at the same token, negotiations of these kind, they’re long. They can be drawn out. They can be very tedious. Like all of these, it takes a lot of work to get theses types of deals done. We’re going to work diligently like we said we would. But when that gets done, is there a goal, a timeline? I can’t say that there is.”
  • Baalke also indicated that the Niners have the “ammunition” to move up in the draft if the right situation arises (Twitter link). Even if San Francisco doesn’t want to use James as a trade chip, the team could rely on its collection of draft picks to help facilitate a deal — six of the first 100 picks in the draft belong to the Niners.
  • If the 49ers do decide to trade up in the first round, wide receiver Mike Evans may be a target. According to Evan Silva of Rotoworld (Twitter link), Chris Mortensen said today on ESPN that the “buzz inside league circles that you keep hearing” suggests Evans is drawing interest from the Niners.

Extra Points: Orton, Roos, Savage

April 21st, 2014 at 10:52pm CST by Rory Parks

Today marked the first day of voluntary offseason workouts for the Cowboys, and backup QB Kyle Orton was absent, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Given conflicting reports earlier this offseason concerning whether Orton wanted to retire from the game, Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com writes that it is a “strange absence.”

However, Watkins points to earlier statements made by Orton’s agent, David Dunn, who said retirement was not an option for his client. And, as Williams points out, these are voluntary workouts, and the Cowboys remain hopeful that Orton will return (Twitter link). Nonetheless, this will be an interesting story to keep an eye on in the coming days, much more interesting than most stories involving backup signal-callers.

Now for some some quick notes from around the league to close out the evening:

NFC West Rumors: 49ers, Kaepernick, Rams

April 18th, 2014 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

This morning’s round of rumors relating to NFC West clubs heavily involves the 49ers, with a specific focus on a couple San Francisco players dealing with off-field issues. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….

  • The 49ers aren’t expected to pick up Aldon Smith‘s fifth-year option for 2015, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Smith’s play on the field makes him worthy of such an investment, but given his off-field issues and what we’ve heard recently about his future in San Francisco (or lack thereof), it’s not surprising that the club would be reluctant to extend his rookie contract by a year.
  • Negotiations with Colin Kaepernick on a long-term extension have been tabled by the 49ers for the moment, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. San Francisco still hopes to get something done with its quarterback before the 2014 season begins, but the club is waiting for more clarity on an investigation being conducted by the Miami PD into an incident involving Kaepernick.
  • It’s a big day for the Rams and Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins, tweets Rapoport, noting that the team is sending a contingent to Clemson today for a private workout with Watkins. The Texans aren’t believed to be considering drafting a receiver at No. 1, but the Rams could use a wideout, meaning Watkins – the best one on the board – could be in play at No. 2.
  • The Seahawks will be conducting a private workout with Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Caplan adds the Redskins and Steelers to the list of teams who will host Lawrence for a visit, and says the Saints will also be privately working him out (Twitter link).
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