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Michael Crabtree

Extra Points: Hartline, Murray, Browner, Bush

March 10th, 2015 at 3:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest from around the league…

  • Brian Hartline‘s decision ultimately came down to the Browns and the Patriots, the receiver tells Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (Twitter link). Hartline ended up signing a two-year pact with Cleveland yesterday.
  • Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says the club wants to re-sign DeMarco Murray, emphasizing that Dallas is still in negotiations with its free agent running back (Twitter links via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
  • The Panthers don’t seem to be showing much interest in edge rusher Derrick Morgan, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
  • The Titans have interest in cornerback Brandon Browner, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Browner isn’t expected to take a pay cut to remain in New England. Browner is receiving a lot of interest around the league, but he could still return to the Patriots, per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).
  • Jahri Evans is still a candidate for release in New Orleans, and if the Saints do cut him, expect the Bills to be in on the veteran guard, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • Most observers expected free agent receiver Michael Crabtree to depart San Francisco, but the 49ers do have interest in re-signing him, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 (via Twitter).
  • Having been cut by the Lions earlier in the offseason, running back Reggie Bush is considering a return to the Saints, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, the Patriots and Eagles are among the other teams in play for Bush.

NFC Mailbags: Rams, Panthers, Lions, Packers

February 28th, 2015 at 11:51am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift focus to the NFC…

  • Nick Wagoner says the Rams would like to re-sign tight end Lance Kendricks, but the writer wonders if the rumored $4MM annual salary the player is seeking is too pricey.
  • The Panthers need a speedy wideout to pair with Kelvin Benjamin, and David Newton suggests free agents Eddie Royal, Ted Ginn Jr. and Michael Crabtree, although he warns that the former 49ers receiver may not be a “Dave Gettleman guy.”
  • With Cam Newton‘s contract situation being a priority in Carolina, Newton says the Panthers likely won’t make any progress on an extension for Luke Kuechly until next season.
  • The Lions releasing Reggie Bush is not an indication that they’ll draft a running back early, says Michael Rothstein. The team still has Joique Bell and Theo Riddick, so there doesn’t need to be any panic from the organization to replace the former second-overall pick. With the said, Rothstein still believes the team will select a running back, albeit much later in the draft.
  • Dan Graziano believes Bush would be the type of running back the Giants would be looking to acquire. However, the writer says that the team wasn’t among the organizations that displayed initial interest in the veteran.
  • Rob Demovsky says the Packers could keep both Tramon Williams and Davon House, but he notes that it’s unlikely for both players to remain on the roster. After all, the team is looking to expand Casey Hayward‘s role, meaning one of the two defensive backs would be on the outside looking in.
  • John Keim opines that Washington needs to improve their tight end depth. The writer says the team can’t rely on Jordan Reed, and he adds that Logan Paulsen is most productive as a blocker. Keim points to former Eagles tight end James Casey, noting that Washington has already shown interest in the 30-year-old.

NFC West Notes: Gore, 49ers, Cards, Lynch

February 18th, 2015 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

In an Instagram post earlier this week, Frank Gore publicly expressed some doubt about how invested the 49ers are in re-signing him this winter. According to Niners GM Trent Baalke, that prompted him to reach out to the veteran running back to reiterate the team’s position, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes.

“That’s why we talked. That’s the exact (reason),” Baalke said. “We reached out. He reached out back. He wasn’t expecting it to take legs like it did. Nor were we. He didn’t have any intentions by it and he made that very clear in our conversations. … It’s at the same place it was the last time we talked. We’re still working on it. It’s not something that’s going to get done yesterday. It’ll take some time to resolve. It’s our intention to have Frank back.”

While we wait to see what Gore’s future holds, here’s more from around the NFC West:

  • Baalke also said today that he plans to meet with Michael Crabtree‘s agent this week in Indianapolis, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). The 49ers wideout is eligible for free agency next month.
  • Speaking today to reporters in Indy, including Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link), Cardinals GM Steve Keim said he doesn’t want to get into specifics, but the team intends to talk to Darnell Dockett about his contract. Dockett, who missed the entire 2014 campaign with a knee injury, is on the books for a 2015 cap hit of $9.8MM, a figure the club may want to reduce.
  • Keim also today that he expects some of the Cardinals‘ free agents, such as Antonio Cromartie, to test the open market, though that doesn’t rule out the possibility of them re-signing with Arizona (Twitter link via Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com).
  • While a full breakdown of Larry Fitzgerald‘s new contract with the Cardinals isn’t out there yet, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a stab at determining what it will look like.
  • A Seahawks player tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that he thinks it’s 50/50 as to whether Marshawn Lynch continues his career or decides to retire. “Marshawn is a different kind of guy,” the player said. “He could retire tomorrow, walk away and not think twice about it.”
  • With Lynch’s future up in the air, Terry Blount of ESPN.com identifies three running backs that may be on the Seahawks‘ radar during this week’s combine and during the draft this spring.

NFC Links: Bradford, Crabtree, Foster

December 25th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Rob DiRe

A variety of factors will go into the offseason decision-making for the Rams, but with the defense clicking on all cylinders and the team playing themselves out of a high draft pick, the team’s best course of action may be to retain Sam Bradford, writes Joan Niesen of Sports Illustrated.

It would take too much for the Rams to trade for a quarterback or move up in the draft, and hoping for a healthy and consistent season from Bradford could be the best move for them if they hope to compete in the NFC West next season.

Here are some other links from around the NFC:

  • The 49ers will have to make a decision on whether or not to keep Michael Crabtree with the team going forward, and the former first-round pick is excited to reach this offseason, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I can’t wait to see what’s next, the next chapter in my career,” said Crabtree. “I’m going to go hard every day. I’m going to go hard every year, try to get better. Try to maximize my talent.”
  • Buccaneers‘ linebacker Mason Foster is also set to hit free agency, but is looking forward to remaining with the team in 2015 and beyond, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. “I definitely want to stay in Tampa,’’ Foster said. “Both my sons were born in Tampa. I’ve got a lot of ties down here, and I love Tampa. It would be great. It would be amazing to stay here. But football is a business so you know there’s a chance you won’t be here.’’
  • The Lions will be without center Dominic Raiola this weekend against the Packers with the lineman suspended for the game, but the team is confident in backup Travis Swanson, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Raiola surely would love Swanson to play well as the Lions beat the Packers to win the division, but as an impending free agent, his leverage would be much better were Swanson to struggle to replace him.
  • The Eagles are slated to be selecting around 20th in the 2015 NFL draft, and Jared Sherman of CSNPhilly.com has already taken a look at what players they could consider selecting in his first mock draft. Sherman has the team targeting a cornerback, going with Marcus Peters out of Washington. The way the Eagles have been burned by Dez Bryant and DeSean Jackson the past two weeks, it is no surprise Sherman sees corner as the team’s top priority.

Joel Corry On Worst Salary Cap Situations

December 25th, 2014 at 10:18am CST by Rob DiRe

On Christmas Eve, Joel Corry of CBS Sports took a look at a few NFL teams who have the worst salary cap situations going into 2015. He picked out the five organizations stuck deepest in salary cap hell:

  1. New Orleans Saints – $23.07MM over the cap
  2. Arizona Cardinals – $6.44MM
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers – $2.901MM
  4. New England Patriots – $1.945MM
  5. San Francisco 49ers – $928,000

Here are some of the highlights of actions Corry suggests that would help them get under the cap in order to have a successful offseason:

Saints

  • Pass rusher Junior Galette could see his contract restructured to open up $10MM, despite signing the extension this past offseason.
  • Another contract doled off last offseason that can be restructured is of prized free agent Jairus Byrd, which could open up $5.6MM in cap space.
  • A third contract from last offseason that can be restructured is that of tight end Jimmy Graham. That move could save $4.77MM in cap space.
  • Both of their Pro Bowl guards are suddenly highly paid luxuries as they have seen their performance drop, and Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs are candidates for release. If cut, they will free up $6.6MM and $3.6MM, respectively.
  • Veteran receiver Marques Colston holds a $9.7MM cap number, and has seen a sharp decline in his play. It will be a tougher cut, but is a candidate to be released.
  • The team could restructure Drew Brees‘ contract again, although they will only push their cap problems into the future in exchange for immediate relief.
  • Releasing linebacker David Hawthorne will free up $2.99MM in cap space if he is released before his $2.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year.

Cardinals

Steelers

Patriots

  • The obvious move for the Patriots would be signing Darrelle Revis to a long-term deal, which would create substantial cap space. The team is unlikely to keep him in 2015 at his current number. They will open $20MM in cap space if they do not keep him on the roster.
  • The Patriots could open up $4MM in cap space by restructuring Tom Brady‘s contract.
  • The team will likely ask linebacker Jerod Mayo to take a pay cut, or they may release him. Corry writes that his $4.5MM injury guarantee will be the only thing that potentially saves him from being released.
  • Danny Amendola will be expendable, and cutting him will free up $2.1MM in cap room or $4.5MM if he is designated a post June 1st cut.
  • Vince Wilfork could also become a cap casualty, as the team will have to decide whether to guarantee his contract for 2015 and 2016. Releasing him will free up $7.566MM in cap room.
  • The team could also recoup some money from Aaron Hernandez‘ signing bonus if the grievance ruling comes back favorable for the Patriots.

49ers

  • The 49ers could restructure Colin Kaepernick‘s contract to lower his 2015 cap number.
  • Linebacker Ahmad Brooks may be released, freeing up a little over $4MM in cap room.
  • Another staple of the team, Vernon Davis, could be released as performance has dropped. The team would gain $4.95MM from releasing him.
  • If Aldon Smith‘s off-field troubles are too much for the 49ers, the team could decline his 2015 option and pick up $9.754MM in cap space.
  • The team could pass on re-signing Michael Crabtree, and will likely cut Stevie Johnson and save just over $6MM unless they lose Crabtree and replace him with Johnson.
  • The team will most likely not seek to bring Frank Gore back to the team, unless it is at an extremely reasonable number.

49ers Links: Harbaugh, Gore, Crabtree, Smith

December 24th, 2014 at 5:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Jim Harbaugh isn’t the only member of the 49ers organization whose future is in doubt. The assistant coaches are uncertain about their jobs next season as they wait for an inevitable coaching change. As Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes, Harbaugh will certainly take some of his assistants with him wherever he lands, but some others will have to hope that the next 49ers coach retains them.

“The last game’s always a little different when you know it’s your last game,” said defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. “But you know, when we’re in meetings as coaches, whether it’d just be us as a defensive staff or with the players, it’s normal. It’s just all the stuff around that everybody notices it to some different degrees than others. It’s just part of the deal.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the 49ers…

  • Daniel Brown of MercuryNews.com explores the potential complications of a Harbaugh trade. The writer suggests that the head coach could decide to play hardball and force the team to fire him if he doesn’t agree to be traded. Furthermore, Brown cites the NFL’s Anti-Tampering Policy, which states that “an employee under contract to a member club… who voluntarily resigns or retires prior to the expiration of his contract, is not free to discuss or accept employment with another NFL club without the consent of the prior-employer club.”
  • We previously heard that Harbaugh’s family was pushing for the coach’s move to Michigan, but his brother, John Harbaugh, disputes that report. “My dad and I both . . . I will say this: The report that said that his family is encouraging him to go to Michigan by Adam Schefter is absolutely incorrect,” he said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “There has been no family that I know of that has given him any advice at all because that’s a personal decision. It’s his to make, and that’s just absolutely false. I don’t know where that came from, but it didn’t come from the Harbaughs.”
  • While the organization has apparently soured on Harbaugh, the coach’s lead running back has not. “He’s my best coach,” Frank Gore told Can Inman of MercuryNew.com (via Twitter). “I didn’t enjoy it here until we started winning. Since he’s been here, I’ve won.”
  • Gore also didn’t mince words when he was asked where he wants to play next season. “I want to be here,” the upcoming free agent said (via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee). “I was raised here, man.”
  • Meanwhile, wideout Michael Crabtree is looking forward to free agency. “I’ve grown a lot, seen a lot and we’ve done a lot as a team,” Crabtree said (via Inman). “I feel I’ve contributed a lot to the team, and I can’t wait to see what’s the next chapter of my career, and to maximize my talent and my youth.”
  • 49ers defensive end Justin Smith could retire this offseason, writes Maiocco. Of course, that doesn’t mean the organization doesn’t want him back. “We would welcome the opportunity to coach 94 one more season,” general manager Trent Baalke said. “And I think our fans would love to see 94 give it one more go. Whether he’s going to do that or not is really his decision. He’s earned that right to go out on his terms and I’m sure he’ll make the right decision for him and his family.”

49ers Notes: Tryouts, Kaepernick, Bowman

December 8th, 2014 at 7:27pm CST by Ben Levine

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh was not a man of many words following his team’s loss to the lowly Raiders on Sunday. After the game, reporters wanted to question the coach’s future with the organization, but Harbaugh made his intentions clear.

“My priorities are: No. 1, winning football games,” Harbaugh said (via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com). “No. 2, the welfare of our players, coaches and our staff. And lastly, is what my personal/professional future is.”

So, does the coach want to remain with the 49ers next season?

“My priorities,” he said, “are winning games.”

As we try to decipher Harbaugh’s comments, let’s take a look at some more notes out of Santa Clara…

Extra Points: Bradshaw, Brown, Cameron, Smith

October 29th, 2014 at 11:16pm CST by Rob DiRe

Colts‘ running back Ahmad Bradshaw is in his second season with the team, but still feels the pain after being released from the Giants after the 2012 season, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. “It didn’t take me long to get over it,” said Bradshaw. “But it hurt me because I felt that was my family, that I was a big part of that time and I still felt I had a lot of football left.” Bradshaw, along with Hakeem Nicks, will return to MetLife Stadium for the first time since leaving the team.

  • The NFL has lifted the suspension of another former Giant, free agent running back Andre Brown, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Brown received an eight-game ban prior to the season, so even though he hasn’t been on a roster since then, he has been reinstated after eight weeks.
  • The Browns are planning to be without star tight end Jordan Cameron for a while, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. With three concussions in a two-year span, the team expects him to miss at least two games.
  • Jets‘ quarterback Geno Smith might have lost his starting job, but he will not be content being regulated to the bench permanently, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. “I don’t think this is the last of me playing,” Smith said. Cimini writes that the best way to salvage the season would be to salvage Smith.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com wrote that while Jeremy Maclin has already proven to teams he is worth a big contract in free agency, there are a number of players who need a strong second half to justify a high level deal. Among the players at the top of that list are Ravens‘ receiver Torrey Smith, 49ers‘ receiver Michael Crabtree, and Giants‘ defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC West Notes: Harbaugh, Sanders, Miller

September 29th, 2014 at 7:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Why should Joe Namath have all the fun? Last night, Deion Sanders took an opportunity to spark a controversy with his former team. Without giving specific details, NFL Network analyst said he is hearing the 49ers players no longer want to play for coach Jim Harbaugh, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. “They want him out,” Sanders said Sunday night after a recap of the 49ers’ 26-21 victory over the Eagles. “They’re not on the same page.” Maiocco notes that Sanders is particularly close to wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who is in the final year of his original six-year contract. More on Deion and other items from the NFC West..

  • Sanders took to Twitter earlier today to deny that Crabtree was his source. “To many that this may concern @KingCrab15 is not my source. My sources [sic] wears uniforms,suits and ties. #Truth“
  • Meanwhile, Harbaugh didn’t mince words in his response, as Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com tweets. “Personally I think that’s a bunch of crap,” said the coach.
  • Seahawks tight end Zach Miller underwent an ankle procedure last week, multiple sources told Ross Jones of FOXSports.com. Miller is expected to be sidelined with the injury an extended period of time but he can’t be placed on the IR-DTR since that spot was already taken by cornerback Jeremy Lane. Miller should be out five to six weeks, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter) hears. Meanwhile, Chris Mortensen of ESPN (on Twitter) hears he’ll miss just two games after the bye.
  • Rather than cutting linebacker Heath Farwell after he tore both groin muscles in the preseason, the Seahawks opted to keep him on injured reserve so that he could collect a decent salary and contribute as an unofficial coach, writes Gregg Bell of The News Tribune. “Yeah, that’s something I’ve never heard of a team doing,” Farwell said. “It’s pretty cool that they care about me that much, that they want me to be around here. It means a lot to me, it really does. I’ve been in this league for 10 years. I’ve talked to many guys, been around this league for a long time. And I’ve never heard of a team doing this for a player.”

NFC Notes: Bowers, 49ers, Giants, Davis

August 21st, 2014 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Buccaneers second round defensive end Da’Quan Bowers could be on the hot seat, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. Bowers has been sidelined by a groin injury and missed another practice on Wednesday.

“I think every day you don’t practice you’re hurting your chances,” coach Lovie Smith said. “We’ve seen enough to like Da’Quan a lot, but all the reps that he’s not getting, someone else is getting. The best way to beat your competition sometimes is just to stay on the field. You can’t get Wally Pipped.”

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com explains why the 49ers are pushing to get a new deal done with Michael Crabtree. Maiocco writes that the team is feeling extra pressure to get a deal done, in part, because of Colin Kaepernick’s willingness to take less in guaranteed money in order to give the organization more cap space this season to get contracts done with teammates.
  • The Giants are definitely on the lookout for offensive line reinforcements, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who suggests (via Twitter) that the team is unsure whether right guard Brandon Mosley is a starter and will be keeping a close eye on the waiver wire when roster cutdowns begin.
  • Falcons wideout Drew Davis, who underwent foot surgery earlier this summer, will begin the season on the team’s PUP list, head coach Mike Smith tells ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure.
  • Matt Cassel says he has no ill will toward the Chiefs organization or fans, and is looking forward to returning to Kansas City for the first time this week when the Vikings play the Chiefs, as Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune details.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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