Jim Harbaugh - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Trump, Ravens, Manziel, Eagles, 49ers

August 3rd, 2014 at 10:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Al Michaels spoke to Donald Trump prior to NBC’s Sunday Night Football and the commentator revealed that the business magnate made a substantial bid to purchase the Bills. How substantial?

“He said he offered $1 billion. All cash, no contingencies, immediate closing. He’d have the check in one hour,” Michaels said (via ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio). “He was a little miffed that it went out for bid again.”

We previously heard that Buffalo Sabers owner Terry Pegula bid a reported $1.3 billion while the Toronto-based group led by Jon Bon Jovi bid an estimated $1.2 billion.

With that, that’s take a look at some more NFL notes…

The Ravens worked out free agent tight end Steve Maneri, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson notes that the team auditioned Maneri as an offensive tackle.
ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon believes that Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel “took advantage” of his opportunities during Saturday’s practice. While Brian Hoyer has been “steady and solid” in camp, McManamon opines that he hasn’t improved much since the second day. As a result, the writer believes the rookie has changed the Browns quarterback conversation.
On Friday, Eagles cornerback Cary Williams expressed his displeasure about practicing with the Patriots during the preseason because “they are cheaters” (via CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher). On Sunday, Williams was missing from practice, but he made sure to emphasize that his absence had nothing to do with his comments. “[I]t had nothing to do with that,” Williams said (again, via Mosher). “I haven’t even discussed anything with Chip (Kelly). I don’t think he’s trying any type of. . . . I’m sure maybe we’ll have a conversation, but I don’t know.”
Meanwhile, there were no question about 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh‘s intent when he sent a duo of starters to the locker room. As CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco writes, wideout Anquan Boldin was booted from practice on Friday following a scuffle. On Sunday, cornerback Chris Culliver was sent off the field following a rough hit on David Reed.

Sunday Roundup: Bon Jovi, Orton, Browns

August 3rd, 2014 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up some links from around the league as Sunday morning turns into Sunday afternoon:

In order to stem concerns from Bills‘ fans that the Toronto-based group led by rocker Jon Bon Jovi would like to ultimately move the team to Toronto if its ownership bid is successful, Bon Jovi himself wrote a letter published in the Buffalo News on Sunday morning stating that he hopes to make the Bills successful “in Buffalo.” As John Wawrow of the Associated Press writes, however, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told the AP several weeks ago that he has no doubts regarding Bon Jovi’s group’s long-term intentions to move the team to Toronto.
Bears‘ GM Phil Emery is open to a reunion with Kyle Orton if Orton wants to play in 2014, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Orton, who was released by the Cowboys last month, began his career in Chicago and the Bears have twice tried to re-sign him since trading him to Denver in the Jay Cutler deal five years ago. Orton would represent an upgrade at backup quarterback over Jimmy Clausen and Jordan Palmer.
Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thinks that it is a “good sign” that Browns‘ receiver Josh Gordon and his attorneys are heading back to New York on Monday to resume Gordon’s appeal hearing. Cabot believes that Gordon will still be suspended, but perhaps not indefinitely.
In the same piece, Cabot opines that Browns‘ second-year pro Barkevious Mingo could produce double-digit sacks in 2014. George M. Thomas and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal similarly believe that Mingo looks poised for a breakout campaign.
In a separate piece, Ulrich writes that Browns‘ rookie QB Johnny Manziel could be gaining ground on presumed starter Brian Hoyer.
Scott Brown of ESPN.com writes that Steelers‘ head coach Mike Tomlin is paying particularly close attention to the unheralded running backs fighting to make the team’s 53-man roster, including Tauren Poole, Miguel Maysonet, and Josh Harris.
I posted an article earlier today regarding a potential contract extension for 49ers‘ head coach Jim Harbaugh, and Eric Branch of the San Fransisco Chronicle adds to that discussion. He writes that CEO Jed York believes he and Harbaugh are “on the same page” in their contract talks and that both parties will assess where they are after the 2014 season.
Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune writes that Buccaneers wide receiver Tommy Streeter has been the pleasant surprise of training camp thus far.
Herbie Teope of ChiefsSpin.com tweets that Chiefs‘ star safety Eric Berry returned to practice today.
ESPN.com has created a chart detailing the first impressions that the first-round picks of 2014 have made.

Extension Candidate: Jim Harbaugh

August 3rd, 2014 at 11:14am CST by Rory Parks

The 49ers, a team with an eminently talented roster and legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, find themselves in a fairly enviable position heading into the 2014 campaign. They are not, however, worry-free. There is the drama surrounding Aldon Smith, a suddenly fragile collection of running backs, and then there is head coach Jim Harbaugh‘s uncertain contract situation.

The 49ers made an extension offer to Harbaugh early last month, but Harbaugh did not immediately respond to it and contract talks reached an impasse shortly thereafter. As we learned earlier this week, the parties ultimately decided to table those talks until after the 2014 season. Harbaugh’s contract does run through 2015, but there are some sources who believe that, if a new deal is not consummated next offseason, the team will either trade Harbaugh or will simply allow his contract to expire.

Harbaugh has all the leverage in these negotiations (depending, to some extent, on the team’s performance in 2014). Over the course of his collegiate and professional coaching career, he has proven himself as someone who can quickly establish a strong foundation and a winning culture. If his contract is not renewed before the end of the 2015 season, Harbaugh will be besieged with lucrative offers from one of a handful of teams that will inevitably be looking for a new head coach at that point. If he is traded, the acquiring team will also be quick to give him a handsome deal (remember, the Browns reportedly tried to trade for him in January of this year). And, if the 49ers bring home the Lombardi Trophy this season after coming tantalizingly close to it in Harbaugh’s first three seasons with San Francisco, CEO Jed York might just hand him a blank check.

While Harbaugh has said all the right things regarding his relationship with the 49ers front office and his focus on the upcoming season, it is not easy to forget reports of the alleged tension between the head coach and the San Francisco brass. While the parties would almost certainly set aside any negative feelings they may harbor on a personal level if the team’s on-field success continues, that tension may create a bit of an obstacle when contract talks begin anew.

Although it is somewhat difficult to predict what teams will want to trade assets for a new head coach after the upcoming season, and even more difficult to predict which clubs will be in the market for a new head man following the 2015 season, there is no question that Harbaugh’s next contract–whether it is with the 49ers or someone else–will pay him a salary that rivals or surpasses those of the highest-paid coaches in the league. Sean Payton of the Saints currently tops the list with an $8MM annual salary, and the Patriots’ Bill Belichick, the Chiefs’ Andy Reid, and the Ravens’ John Harbaugh, Jim’s older brother, are not far behind.

But for a team searching for an established coach with a proven track record of quick success–Harbaugh took over a 49ers team that went 6-10 in 2010, guided them to a 13-3 record in 2011, and has compiled a 36-11-1 record over three seasons–that price tag will be worth it. And if Harbaugh delivers a sixth Super Bowl title to San Fransisco, the 49ers will really have no choice but to match or beat whatever offers he gets and to decline whatever trade offers come their way.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

49ers, Harbaugh Table Contract Talks

July 31st, 2014 at 10:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Niners CEO Jed York told Jim Kozimor on Yahoo! SportsTalk Live that he and coach Jim Harbaugh have agreed to hold off contract talks until after the season. York and Harbaugh on Wednesday and agreed to pump the brakes on their discussions.

“We actually just had this conversation yesterday,” York said. “Lots of people were talking to him about it. We just said, ‘You know what, let’s not do anything during the season. Let’s sit down a week or so after the season is over and let everybody know we’re not focused on anything that’s off the field right now.’ Jim and I will sit down a week or so after the season is over and we’ll figure out where we go.”

When asked if there’s a risk of Harbaugh’s value skyrocketing if the 49ers win a Super Bowl, York said that would be a “good thing” and an “unbelievable” problem to have. Harbaugh is entering the fourth-year of the original five-year, $25MM contract he signed in January 2011 after leaving Stanford. Now, teams looking to can their coach after the 2014 season could start circling the wagons around Harbaugh before the coach and York sit down to talk.

In Harbaugh’s three seasons, the 49ers have compiled a 36-11-1 record in the regular season, reached three straight NFC Championship games, and made one Super Bowl appearance.

NFC Notes: Harbaugh, Peterson, Packers

July 29th, 2014 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked about Alex Boone‘s holdout and Vernon Davis‘ near-holdout, as well as his own contract situation, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh took the opportunity to set the record straight regarding rumors about his deal with the Niners, in a conversation with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.

“I signed my 10th contract in the National Football League in 2011, so I understand contracts,” Harbaugh said. “I understand how contracts work, and what they are there for. I also know that I work at the pleasure of the San Francisco 49ers organization and at the pleasure of the York Family. And I am paid extremely well – which I am most grateful for – and I am very proud to be part of this organization. For the record, I have never asked to be the highest-paid coach in football. I have never asked to be paid like a Super Bowl-winning coach. I have never asked for more power. Nor has anybody asked for those things on my behalf, which anybody in this organization can attest to, and all the focus will be on the 2014 season and achieving our goals of the team.”

Harbaugh’s comments seem to be directly reference an early-June report which suggested that contract talks between the Niners and their head coach had reached an impasse. While further discussions may still be on hold, it doesn’t sound as if Harbaugh is unhappy with his situation, which figures to be addressed after the 2014 season.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Cardinals GM Steve Keim and cornerback Patrick Peterson both appear committed to working out a long-term extension sooner rather than later, with Keim indicating the team has had “great talks” with agent Joel Segal, and Peterson saying the two sides are in “pretty heated negotiations.” Still, as Tom Pelissero of USA Today writes, no template has been set yet for how to account for the 2015 options for 2011 first-rounders when negotiating their second contracts.
After speaking to “key people” within the Packers‘ organization, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com came away more convinced than ever that general manager Ted Thompson has no plans to retire anytime soon.
Peter King of TheMMQB.com takes a look at Jordan Gross’ somewhat surprising decision to retire after the 2013 season, and how the longtime Panthers tackle is transitioning into his post-playing career.
The Vikings are bringing in prominent criminal attorney Ted Wells, who headed the report on the Dolphins’ bullying scandal, to work on settlement talks for the Chris Kluwe investigation, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

49ers Notes: Crabtree, Ward, Gore, Harbaugh

July 26th, 2014 at 4:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

Michael Crabtree is one of the top receivers set to be a free agent at the end of the 2014 season, ranking as the third best of that group according to Mike Sando of ESPN.com. Jordy Nelson, who just received a four year, $39MM extension was fourth on the same list.

That being said, Nelson has officially set the market for Crabtree, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Crabtree’s negotiations with the 49ers should start at that figure, and eclipse Nelson’s numbers in total dollars and guaranteed money by at least a few dollars.

Here are some other notes from around the team’s camp:

49ers’ first-round draft pick Jimmie Ward has been impressive, quickly acclimating to playing slot corner, writes Eric Branch of SFGate.com. Despite being sidelined during the spring, Ward has caught up rather quickly, and has competed strongly on the defense.
With Kendall Hunter lost for the season, pressure has mounted on starting running back Frank Gore, without a viable backup with experience on the roster. Though there are questions with how much longer Gore can carry the load for the team, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk asserts that Gore could remain effective for a few more seasons.
One of the biggest questions concerning the 49ers’ future, is how long will head coach Jim Harbaugh be at the helm. Harbaugh’s contract brings him through 2015, but if no extension is agreed to next offseason, the feeling is that the team will either trade him or let his contract expire, writes Florio.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, 49ers, Lloyd

June 18th, 2014 at 8:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Even with news (via a tweet from The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta) that they’d be receiving their Super Bowl rings following Thursday’s practice, things got a bit heated at Seahawks minicamp this afternoon.

As Condotta writes in his Seahawks blog, the fracas began when wideout Bryan Walters hurt his shoulder after attempting a diving catch. Safety Earl Thomas was covering the play, and while Condotta didn’t have a clear view on the amount of contact, Seattle’s offensive players seemed to think it was a dirty hit.

The two teams jawed at each other before lining up for another play. While running down field, wide receiver Phil Bates and cornerback Richard Sherman got locked up and the fists came out. Bates appeared to have thrown a punch before the players were broken up. Thomas and receiver Doug Baldwin continued to jaw at each other while Percy Harvin had to be held back by Marshawn Lynch.

Practice soon resumed, and (perhaps intentionally) Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy” was soon heard playing.

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn had an explanation:

“They are such a tight group of guys that they don’t want to give an inch sometimes, both offensively and defensively. Most good teams are close and tight like that where they can practice like that. They were just having fun.”

Fun…that sounds about right. Let’s check out other news from the NFC West:

Seahawks tackle Russell Okung has left Authentic Athletix and is believed to be without an NFL agent at present, tweets Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal.
49ers coach Jim Harbaugh says the 49ers are unlikely to fill their 90th roster spot until after minicamp, tweets Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. San Francisco had a spot open up after the retirement of Eric Wright.
49ers wideout Brandon Lloyd kept busy during his season off and rarely thought about football. However, when he came across the opportunity to join the team that drafted him in 2003, it was something that Lloyd couldn’t refuse. “It was more about getting to play with the 49ers again, and the opportunity to win, and maybe bring a certain amount of closure to my career,” he told Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today. “I don’t think there was anything that I was pushing hard for. The opportunity presented itself to me.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Negotiations Stalled Between Harbaugh, 49ers

June 6th, 2014 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers hammered out a new agreement with quarterback Colin Kaepernick quicker than expected, but it doesn’t look like that will also be the case for head coach Jim Harbaugh. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, negotiations on a contract extension for Harbaugh remain at an impasse for now. The Niners have made an offer, but the coach had yet to respond to it.

Whereas Kaepernick was entering the final year of his previous contract, Harbaugh still has two years left on his, so there may not be quite the same amount of urgency to finalize an extension quite yet. Still, it’s highly unlikely that the team and coach would head into the 2015 season without a new agreement in place, so if the two sides don’t work something out this summer, the 2014 season could be decisive in determining Harbaugh’s future.

As Florio observes, Harbaugh seems to want to be paid like a coach who has won the Super Bowl, even though he has yet to do so. If the Niners aren’t willing to pay that price, Harbaugh may be inclined to roll the dice on himself and his team and see how the 2014 season plays out — per betting site Bovada.lv, only the Seahawks and Broncos have better odds than the Niners to win this season’s Super Bowl, and adding a championship to his resumé would certainly improve Harbaugh’s leverage in negotiations heading into his contract year.

NFC Notes: Goodwin, Saints, 49ers, Giants

June 5th, 2014 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints may have landed their new starting center in free agency this week, and it’s a familiar face — Jonathan Goodwin, who is back for his second stint with the club, recognizes that it’s rare to return to a team later down the line, but had always hoped to retire as a Saint, tweets Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. According to Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link), head coach Sean Payton confirmed that the Saints waited until June to sign Goodwin in order to avoid him being linked to future draft pick compensation.

Here’s a little more on Goodwin, as well as several other updates from around the NFC:

Goodwin’s one-year deal with the Saints is a minimum salary benefit contract, but it includes $125K in guaranteed money, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Goodwin received a $65K signing bonus in addition to $60K in guaranteed money on his base salary.
Before he signed a contract extension to remain in New Orleans, Pierre Thomas thought his days with the Saints were coming to an end, as he admits to Christopher Dabe of the Times-Picayune.
Investing heavily in Colin Kaepernick would’ve reduced the 49ers‘ leverage in contract negotiations with coach Jim Harbaugh, since the head coach played such a significant role in picking and developing Kaepernick, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, since San Francisco has some flexibility to get out of Kaepernick’s deal if need be, that should give the club some flexibility in regard to Harbaugh too.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a closer look at Kaepernick’s extension and wonders if Robert Griffin III could eventually ink a similar contract, since the two signal-callers play a somewhat similar style of quarterback.
The latest Read Option column from Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report includes several interesting tidbits, including items on Greg Robinson‘s current and future position with the Rams and the Packers‘ reasoning for selecting Davante Adams in the second round over other available wideouts.
Addressing the team’s decision to cut safety Will Hill following his latest suspension, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin told reporters, including Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), “When you run a business you have to be able to rely on people to be there when you need them.”

49ers Notes: Harbaugh, Thomas, James

May 23rd, 2014 at 4:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News had a pretty interesting Q&A session with 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh today concerning troubled linebacker Aldon Smith. The whole article is worth a read, but one highlight came when Kawakami asked, “What’s your standard [for player behavior]? Is it ten felony counts the standard? Do you have a standard?” Harbaugh responded, “I know you probably worked really hard on asking that question. Probably stared in the mirror and thought about just the way you could [ask] that.” The 49ers find themselves in a strange position with the All-Pro standout and Harbaugh is seeking to make things work with him while maintaining a positive locker room atmosphere. More out of SF..

The 49ers have signed third-round offensive lineman Brandon Thomas to his four-year rookie contract, the club announced today in a press release. Thomas, the last of the third round’s compensatory picks, tore his ACL during a predraft workout with the Saints and isn’t expected to contribute this season, but if his recovery goes well, he could ultimately be a steal for San Francisco.
Running back LaMichael James, who is less-than-happy with his role in San Francisco, joined the team this week, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. James forfeited a $50K workout bonus by staying in his home state of Texas for the start of the 49ers’ offseason program in April. James would welcome a trade and the club was said to be shopping him earlier this offseason, though GM Trent Baalke issued a denial soon after. As it stands, the Oregon product could be behind Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, and possibly Marcus Lattimore on the depth chart.
San Francisco is one of a handful of teams conducting their rookie minicamps this week, and the team has formally announced its full roster for the camp. The list features 15 non-roster players auditioning in the hopes of earning contracts, including wide receiver Jerry Rice Jr.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.